Post Doc Position

Position Title: Post-doctoral Research Associate

Location: School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Contact: Prof. Thomas Siegmund, siegmund@purdue.edu

Start Date: As soon as possible, latest by Fall 2021

Project Title: Bone Hydration to Reduce Microcracking and Fracture Risk

Description of project:

Enhanced bone hydration is a promising pathway to reduce bone fragility. This approach biochemically modifies tissue properties that are independent of bone mass or density. This research focusses on the biomechanisms through which hydration alters local and tissue-level deformation and fragility. This research addresses the following key research questions: (1) How can in-depth understanding of bone fracture toughness guide deployment of hydration as a therapeutic approach to increase bone fracture resilience? (2) What are the differences in biomechanical properties of water-hydrated bone vs bone hydrated under pharmacologically modulated conditions? (3) How can current clinical prediction models for bone fracture analysis become predictive under consideration of hydration conditions? Research will be conducted on bone tissue specimens (cortical and trabecular bone) that will be subjected to ex vivo pharmacologically treatment to modulate hydration. Bone microstructure, mineralization and degree and type of tissue hydration will be measured and correlated to the deformation and fracture behavior bone as well as the microcrack evolution in the control and modulated state.  Ex vivo finding will be extended to whole bone and in vivo conditions.

Post Doc Qualifications:

The ideal candidate has a PhD with a focus on areas such as biomechanics, applied mechanics (fracture, image based finite element analysis), x-ray methods for microstructures.

Co-advisors

Thomas Siegmund, siegmund@purdue.edu, School of Mechanical Engineering, https://engineering.purdue.edu/MYMECH

John Howarter, howarter@purdue.edu, School of Materials Engineering, https://engineering.purdue.edu/MSE/people/ptProfile?resource_id=74793

Laura Pyrak-Nolte, ljpn@purdue.edu, Department of Physics, http://www.physics.purdue.edu/rockphys/

External collaborator

Matthew Allen, Indiana University, School of Medicine, https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/5035/allen-matthew

Joseph Wallace, IUPUI, https://bbml.sitehost.iu.edu/

A Ph.D. in a relevant field is required by the date of hire. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Please include: 1) a cover letter of interest; 2) CV including a complete publication list; and 3) names of three references.