April 5, 2018
Randall L. Duncan
University of Delaware
2:00 - 3:00pm
SEH, B1220
Abstract
Most cells respond to their mechanical environment with significant changes in their function and phenotype. As biologists and engineers, we typically treat the cell as a passive participant in this process. However, the cell changes its own mechanical properties to resist these exogenous loads which, in turn, can impact the tissue level stimulus and the cellular response. My research program focuses on how cells of musculoskeletal tissues sense mechanical loads, how they respond to different types of loading and ultimately how the cell can change its mechanical properties to alter its response. Here, we will discuss how mechanosensitive channels play a central role in each of these processes.
Biography
Dr. Randall L. Duncan is Professor of Biological Sciences at the Department of Biomedical Engineering of the University of Delaware. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). His research has been supported by NIH, NSF and the DoD.