2009 Distinguished Lecture
Presenting on
Monday, June 1st, 2009
3:00 to 4:15pm
Poster Presenters and Design Showcases
from
ME382 Medical Device Design and Evaluation Project Class,
Biomechanical Engineering, Bio-X and the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Program
on site for discussion
at the SEQ Courtyard off of Hewlett
4:15pm
Lecture by Peter A. Torzilli, Ph.D.
E. E. Packard Auditorium, Room 101, Stanford University
Osteoarthritis – A Mechanical and Biological Problem of Articular Cartilage

Peter A. Torzilli, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist and Director
Tissue Engineering, Regeneration and Repair Program
Research Division
Hospital for Special Surgery
and
Professor
Department of Orthopaedics
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
New York City
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Reception, Poster Presentations and Design Showcases
At the SEQ Courtyard off of Hewlett
Abstract of Lecture
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States, with more than 20 million people having the disease. OA is a disease of movable joints resulting in destruction of the articular cartilage covering the joint surfaces. While the exact etiology of cartilage deterioration is not known, most believe it initiates through mechanical factors such as being overweight, joint trauma, altered joint kinetics, and long-term wear-and-tear, which cause disruption of the normal biological function of the joint. How the mechanical and biological mechanisms interact (mechanobiology) to cause cartilage breakdown is also not well understood. Two possible mechanisms are by direct mechanical injury to the extracellular matrix and indirectly through cell catabolism of the matrix. To explore these mechanisms novel mechanical tests systems have been developed to study the initiation of OA using in vitro explant culture and in vivo animal models. How and where cartilage degradation begins and how the mechanical stimulus can enhance and inhibit matrix catabolism will be discussed.
Biosketch of Peter A. Torzilli, Ph.D.
Professor Torzilli is the Director of the Tissue Engineering, Regeneration and Repair Program of the Research Division at the Hospital for Special Surgery He is also Professor of Applied Biomechanics at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY. His research has focused on the study of cell and tissue biology, function and biomechanics of connective tissue in health and disease. Specific topics include the enzyme mechanokinetics of collagen catalysis; the engineering of biocompatible materials for repair and replacement of damaged tissues; and the design of novel approaches at the molecular level to enhance soft tissue repair and function. He has been a Fellow of the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases, and is a currently a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His research has been recognized by numerous prestigious awards including the O'Donoghue Award for Sports Medicine from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, The Neer Award, from the Society of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and the H.R. Lissner Medal, the highest award for Bioengineering from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Previous Distinguished
Lecturers
2008 Carlos Bustamante, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley
2007 Van C. Mow, Ph.D.
Columbia University
2006 Jay D. Humphrey, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University
2005 Farshid Guilak, Ph.D.
Duke University
2004 Roger D. Kamm, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
2003 Stephen C. Cowin, Ph.D.
The City College, New York, New
York
2002 Robert M. Nerem, Ph.D.
Georgia Institute of Technology
2001 Shu Chien, M.D., Ph.D.
University of California, San
Diego
2000 Peter S. Walker, Ph.D.
Cooper Union Research
Foundation
New York
1999 Savio L-Y. Woo, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
1998 Peter Davies, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
1997 R. McNeill Alexander,
Ph.D., FRS
University of Leeds
1996 Donald E. Ingber, MD,
Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School
1995 Albert B. Schultz, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
1994 Timothy M. Wright, Ph.D.
Cornell University Medical
College
1993 Yuan-Cheng Fung, Ph.D.
University of California, San
Diego
1992 Thomas A. McMahon, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Poster session of 2008
Distinguished Lecture
 
 
 
 
 
 
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