Trevor Lujan, Ph.D.

Summary: The central mission of my laboratory (Northwest Tissue Mechanics) is to improve the well-being of individuals and societies by addressing persistent problems in musculoskeletal health. A core focus of our lab is to investigate how soft tissue responds to force during injury and repair, and to then translate this research into innovative medical solutions that are effective, practical and affordable. Our research utilizes experimental and computational methods, and we engage in interdisciplinary collaborations with biologists, engineers and clinicians.

Minimum Classes: Depending on the project, it would be helpful if the student will have completed Sophomore level engineering and/or biology courses.

Projects:
– Running mechanical fatigue experiments on soft tissue (ligament, tendon) to determine how rest can prevent overuse injuries.
– Testing and analysis of cellular collagen scaffolds. This includes the seeding of 3D scaffolds for multi-day experiments in bioreactors that simulate physiological conditions to determine how to speed the repair and remodeling of fibrous tissue (e.g. ligament, tendon).