Dr. Joseph Wallace and this Bone Biology and Mechanics Laboratory (BBML) at IUPUI are committed to improving our understanding of how the body works through innovative preclinical and clinical research. The lab focuses on bone mechanics (ability to effectively bear loads) and mechanobiology (how cells respond to mechanical stimuli to maintain and/or increase bone mass) in the context of disease and treatment. We investigate bone from mechanical engineering and materials science perspectives by tying morphology and composition to mechanical function and fracture resistance at discrete length scales throughout bone’s rich tissue hierarchy. Our long-term goal is to use combinatorial treatments targeting deficiencies in bone mass/quantity and bone tissue quality in complex disease states that have musculoskeletal complications leading to fragility and fracture. Our current focus is on mechanical and pharmaceutical manipulations in diseases including diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
