Location
MC 6460
Speaker
Dr. Liza-Anastasia DiCecco, Department of Systems Design Engineering, also affiliated with the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo
Title
Multiscale Insights for Biomimetic Implant Design and Biomaterials Characterization: Bridging Biology and Engineering
Abstract
Many Canadians rely on orthopedic implants to lead comfortable lives, with increasing implant needs seen every year. Patient-specific musculoskeletal disorders prevalent in elderly populations, such as osteoporosis, can compromise mineralized hard tissues and further impact implant success and peri-implant repair. The biomineralization processes underlying tissue repair are complex and not fully understood, yet elucidating these mechanisms will lead to better control over them and improvements in osseointegration.
In this presentation, Dr. DiCecco will introduce her research program, which addresses North America’s demand for improved hard-tissue implants by exploring their interactions with biological systems. Her team, the Regenerative Biomaterials Innovation Group (RBIG), focuses on two facets:
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Designing tunable bioactive implant biomaterials using additive manufacturing for musculoskeletal applications, and
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Exploring biomineralization mechanisms at inorganic–organic interfaces to better control these processes.
Using state-of-the-art multiscale characterization workflows—including novel liquid-phase electron microscopy—RBIG connects structure–function relationships of biomaterials across the atomic to macro scales.