Neil Duncan, PhD

Dr. Duncan’s research aims to understand and quantify the mechanobiology transduction pathways which drive biological adaptation to mechanical stimulus in musculoskeletal tissues such as intervertebral disc, tendon, bone and cartilage, as well as in 3D stem cell seeded constructs for tissue engineering. In collaboration with biologists, engineers and surgeons, this research aims to provide a mechanistic understanding of mechanobiological factors in orthopaedic disorders, and provide the basic knowledge needed for the development of novel approaches to quantitative diagnostics and tissue engineered treatments.

Imaging technologies of confocal and multi-photon microscopy, laser tweezers/scissors, optical coherence tomography, and ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging are used in combination with uniquely designed multiscale loading devices, computational modeling and molecular biology for investigations across multiple scales in various musculoskeletal tissues.