Academic themes that are depicted below, Biomedicine, Design, Energy, Multi-Scale and Simulation, are at the heart of all of our departmental efforts. Together they define our multi-disciplinary curriculum and express our vision for the Mechanical Engineering profession and industry. Throughout this site, you will see this symbol which has been designed to demonstrate not only areas of specific knowlege, but also to show that they combine to make up a greater whole.
Themes that define us:
Biomechanical Engineering research ranges from whole body mechanics to cell and tissue mechanics. Students in Prof. Andriacchi�s Biomotion Lab develop unique methods to capture human movement. Students in Prof. Levenston�s lab evaluate the mechanobiology of soft tissue to set new standards for tissue-engineered biological tissue replacement.
Prof. Gianluca Iaccarino's group uses computational tools to study the dynamics of tire wakes to improve the aerodynamic performance of Formula 1 cars. In this image from a Formula 1 tire study sponsored by Toyota Motorsport, the colors represent wall friction levels & illustrate the turbulent separated flow behind the tire.
Design's diverse activities include the Program in Design, Prof. Mark Cutkosky's Stickybot, and many courses where students explore design methods, materials, techniques and philosophy. "We are creating the next generation of designers and thought-leaders who will design solutions to the complex challenges facing industry, society and our planet." Prof. Banerjee
PhD student Eli Goldstein, who works with Prof. Reggie Mitchell in the Thermosciences Group, is mounting a quartz reactor which is used to investigate chemical looping combustion applied to coal.
Amanda Vicharelli, a PhD student in Prof. John Eaton's lab, analyzes results from her transonic experiment on jet engine turbine blade cooling.
Using a nematode only 1 mm long as a model organism, PhD student Bryan Petzold and others in Prof. Beth Pruitt's research group are looking at how externally applied loading is transduced by mechanically-gated ion channels to produce electrical signals, to gain an improved understanding of the fundamental mechanism underlying touch sensation.