Biomechanics and Mechanobiology
Motion, deformation, and flow of biological systems in response to applied loads elicit biological responses at the molecular and cellular levels that support the physiological function of tissues and organs and drive their adaptation and remodeling. To study these complex interactions, principles of solid, fluid, and transport mechanics must be combined with measures of biological function. The Biomechanics and Mechanobiology research area embraces this approach and leverages the strong expertise of Northeastern faculty attempting to tie applied loads to biological responses at multiple length and time scales.
Primary faculty contacts
![](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/mie/amini-r.jpg)
r.amini@northeastern.edu
Biomechanics, mechanobiology, biotransport
![Chiara Bellini](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/bioe/bellini-c.jpg)
c.bellini@northeastern.edu
Diseases of the cardiovascular system; effects of cellmediated growth and remodeling processes on tissue and organ mechanics
![Guohao Dai](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/bioe/dai-g.jpg)
g.dai@northeastern.edu
3-D bioprinting technology, stem cells technology and vascular bioengineering
![Jessica Oakes](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/bioe/oakes-j.jpg)
j.oakes@northeastern.edu
Pulmonary physiology, biofluids and transport phenomenon, computational biomechanics, magnetic resonance imaging, multi-scale modeling
![Harikrishnan Parameswaran](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/bioe/parameswaran-h.jpg)
h.parameswaran@northeastern.edu
We study cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions in the airway to understand the fundamental mechanisms that regulate airway caliber and why they fail in diseases like asthma.
![Jeffrey W. Ruberti](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/bioe/ruberti-j.jpg)
j.ruberti@northeastern.edu
Tissue engineering of load-bearing matrix (bone, cornea); bioreactor design; multi-scale mechanobiochemistry; statistical mechanics; energetics microscopy; high-resolution imaging; biopolymer self-assembly
![Sandra Shefelbine](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/mie/shefelbine-s.jpg)
s.shefelbine@northeastern.edu
Multi-scale bone biomechanics–how the structure and composition of bone influences its mechanical properties; mechano-adaptation of bone and joint– how tissue responds to mechanical signals
![Tao Sun](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/bioe/sun-t.jpg)
Focused Ultrasound, Ultrasound Imaging, Neuroimaging, Drug Delivery, Immunomodulation and Immunoengineering, Gliomblastoma, Alzheimer’s Disease
![Amir Vahabikashi](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/bioe/vahabikashi-a-280x380.jpg)
Cell and nucleus mechanobiology, soft bioelectronics for organoid/tissue scale mechanobiology and regenerative engineering, mechanotransduction, implantable bioelectronics
![Ning Wang](https://bioe.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/profiles/bioe/wang-n.jpg)
Cellular and molecular mechanobiology, mechanomedicine, and mechanohealth; cancer cell biology and mechanics; stem cell biology and mechanics; mechanomemory and mechanoresilience, mechanobiotechnologies and their applications to cells, tissues, and organisms