Biomechanics and mechanobiology the topics for Disquisitiones Mechanicae 2013-14

With a kick-off lecture scheduled for Thursday, September 5, Disquisitiones Mechanicae 2013-14 will feature lectures on biomechanics and mechanobiology by four renowned international experts. This distinguished lecture series is sponsored by the Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (TAM) Program of the Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE) Department at Illinois.

Each speaker will give presentations on cutting-edge research in their areas of specialty designed to enrich the mechanics community at the University of Illinois, enable discussion and debate of current issues, and expose students to topics that are at the forefront of research in these areas. These visits will simultaneously provide an opportunity for MechSE to showcase its diverse research programs in all areas of mechanics to top mechanics researchers.

"The Biomechanics and Mechanobiology subject matter is timely given that fundamental principles of engineering mechanics have spurred seminal advances in the biological sciences," said Professor Kenneth Christensen, the associate head for mechanics programs in MechSE. "This lecture series is meant to provide unique exposure for Illinois faculty and students to the cutting-edge research of and interact with eminent scholars in this field. In addition, this series also provides Illinois with a unique opportunity to showcase the expertise and breadth of biomechanics research being conducted on campus, including in the MechSE Department."

The first speaker in the 2013-14 Disquisitiones Mechanicae Lecture Series will be Professor Michael Sheetz. He is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Biology at Columbia University and the Director of the Mechanobiology Institute at the National University of Singapore. Being held at 4 p.m. on September 5 in 1122 NCSA, his perspectives lecture is titled Mechanosensing: A Step-by-Step Process. Notably, Professor Sheetz received the 2012 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in recognition of discoveries concerning cytoskeletal motor proteins, machines that move cargo within cells, contract muscles, and enable cell movements. Statistically, a significant number of previous Lasker awardees have received the Nobel Prize during the latter part of their careers.

The three upcoming guest speakers are Professor Paul Jamney from the University of Pennsylvania (on November 7), Professor Francoise Brochard-Wyart from the Universit’e Pierre et Marie Curie (on February 20, 2014), and Professor Lorna Gibson from MIT (on April 17, 2014).

The first installment of Disquisitiones Mechanicae was held at Illinois in 1997 and sponsored by the then Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Department. Two parallel, two-day symposia were held in timely areas of Fluid and Solid Mechanics, with each symposium attracting world leaders to campus for presentation and discussion of cutting-edge research topics. The most recent DM installment, themed as Fluid Mechanics in Complex Environments, was held during the 2011-12 academic year. Rebranded as a distinguished lecture series, the 2011-12 DM installment saw four eminent scholars with diverse expertise in Fluid Mechanics visit Illinois to give two distinguished lectures and engage in in-depth discussions with Illinois faculty and students. These DM installments also brought enhanced visibility to the distinctive breadth and impact of mechanics research being pursued at Illinois.

For more information on this series, including the specific lecture topics, please visit the Disquisitiones Mechanicae web page.