Great Plains Biomechanics Conf - Registration Open

[Jenna Yentes]

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The Great Plains Biomechanics Conference will be held on May 20-21, 2021, 100% online. The goal of this conference is to provide a student-centered meeting where the growing field of biomechanics is explored through poster and podium sessions and a keynote speaker. The Great Plains Biomechanics Conference will coincide with the Human Movement Variability conference in 2021. A tentative schedule has been posted.

Conference highlights:

• Great Plains Biomechanics Keynote Speaker: Dr. Brianne K. Connizzo, Boston University
• Poster sessions live through SpatialChat
• Promising Graduate Student Award podium session
• Student social and professional development sessions

Registration is free for students*, $10 for postdocs, and $30 for faculty and staff.
*Registration is free for students thanks to a regional conference grant from the American Society of Biomechanics.

REGISTER HERE

[Jenna Yentes]

We are happy to announce that Dr. Brianne Connizzo's keynote will be entitled, "Examining the role of aging in the regulation of tendon mechanohomeostasis through the use of novel explant culture models". We hope you all can join us and enjoy the scientific programming. As a reminder, students register for free due to a grant from the American Society of Biomechanics.

Keynote abstract:
Tendon and ligament tears, often associated with age-related degeneration, are among the most prevalent and devastating musculoskeletal injuries affecting the population. Our work is focused on how the maintenance of tissue properties is coordinated and controlled throughout life, and using this knowledge to identify mechanisms of age-related tendon degeneration. Through the development of novel murine tendon explant culture models, including a rotator cuff organ culture model, we are able to maintain living cells in their native three-dimensional environment and control mechanical and biochemical stimuli, providing a number of benefits over traditional in vitro or in vivo experiments. Currently, we are using these models to explore inflammation- and loading-induced tendon damage using a combination of added biologics and custom-designed loading bioreactors. Specifically, we seek to identify the role of mechanical loading in altering overall tendon health and explore sex- and aging-related differences in the regulation of tendon properties. Ultimately, these studies will be critical in identifying and decoupling initiating factors in age- and loading-related tissue damage in order to aid in the prevention of tendon and ligament injuries, develop and evaluate appropriate therapies, and advise regenerative medicine strategies.