Saleem Abubacker, MEng (Biomedical Engineering), University of Birmingham (UK)

• Current Position: PhD Student
• Current Supervisors: Tannin Schmidt; Co-Supervisor: John Matyas
• Current Research: Investigating the role of Proteoglycan 4′s structure-function relationship in terms of its interaction with the articular cartilage surface and its boundary lubricating ability

Mohsen Akbari, BSc (Mechanical Engineering), Azad University of Tehran; MSc (Mechanical Engineering/Biomedical Engineering), Sharif University of Technology

• Current Position: PhD Student (University of Calgary)
• Current Supervisor: Carolyn Anglin
• Current Research: Optimizing acetabular component orientation in hip replacement surgery.

Jillian Beveridge, B.Kin. (Kinesiology with a specialization in Sport Rehabilitation), Acadia University

• Current Position: PhD Candidate
• Current Supervisor: Cy Frank
• Current Research: Exploring the interaction of altered knee motion and the resulting mechanical mechanisms that damage articular cartilage following joint injury.

Emily Bishop, BSc (Mechanical Engineering), Queen’s University

• Current Position: PhD Student
• Current Supervisor: Dr. Janet Ronsky
• Current Research: Using a novel, MRI based knee loading apparatus to measure passive knee joint laxity, and the finite helical axis to measure dynamic knee joint stability in healthy and ACL deficient individuals.

Kelsey Collins, B.S. Exercise Biology, University of California Davis

• Current Position: M.Sc. student, Running Injury Clinic – University of Calgary
• Current Supervisor: Reed Ferber
• Current Research: My thesis work will focus on looking at biomechanics from a new perspective to analyze kinematic differences between Knee Osteoarthritis and healthy controls. Specifically, we are training a Support Vector Machine Learning Algorithm which will classify data into the healthy group or OA group based a series of important variables.This work will aid in the understanding of gait mechanics specific to knee osteoarthritis.

Swathi Damaraju, BSc (Biological Sciences/Mathematics), University of Alberta

• Current Position: PhD Candidate
• Current Supervisor: Neil Duncan
• Current Research: Investigating the role of intercellular communication and mechanical loading on the development, maintenance, and repair of bone in an ex-vivo bone injury model.

Jane Desrochers, B.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering), University of Calgary; M.Sc (Biomedical Engineering), University of Calgary

• Current Position: PhD Candidate
• Current Supervisor: John Matyas
• Current Research: Nano/micromechancis of cartilage in health and disease; function microscopy of connective tissues (Atomic Forc, Polarized light and confocal microscopy)

Charlene Downey, B.Sc. (Cell Biology, minor Kinesiology) Simon Fraser University

• Current Position: PhD Student
• Current Supervisor: Frank R Jirik
• Current Research: Genetic mouse models of lung cancer

Helen Dry, MSc (Sen)

Jack Fu, MSc (Anglin)

Kelsea Fitzpatrick, BASc (Chemical Engineering), Queens University; MSc (Biomedical Engineering), University of Calgary

• Current Position: MSc Candidate
• Current Supervisors: Neil Duncan
• Current Research: Studying the interaction between the extracellular matrix and cells in connective tissue in response to mechanical loading and identifying the effects of aging on the extracellular matrix-cell response.

Reginaldo K. Fukuchi, BSc (Physiotherapy), Universidade Catolica Dom Bosco, Brazil; MSc (Physical Education, Specialization Biomechanics), University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

• Current Position: PhD student (Kinesiology, Specialization Clinical Biomechanics)
• Current Supervisor: Reed Ferber
• Current Research: Exercise intervention to counterbalance the effects of aging in runners. Application of pattern recognition algorithms to detect age-related changes in running biomechanics.

Anne Guttman, PhD (Bertram)

Bryan J. Heard, B.Sc., (Biology, Computer Science/Mathematics), St. Mary’s University

• Current Position: M.Sc. Student, Medical Science
• Current Supervisor: Nigel Shrive
• Current Research: Relating mechanical and biological data in the study of secondary osteoarthritis

Karen Ho, MSc (Anglin)

Kyla Huebner, BSc (Kinesiology) University of Western Ontario; MSc (Human Anatomy and Cell Science), University of Manitoba

• Current Position: PhD Student
• Current Supervisors: Cy Frank and Nigel Shrive
• Current Research: Post-surgical inflammation in the knee and it’s role in the development of joint degeneration
• Extra: Teaching human anatomy

Karen D. Kendall, BSc (Exercise Science), Concordia University, MKin (Exercise & Functional Fitness Specialization), University of Calgary, CAT(C) Certified Athletic Therapist, CSEP-CEP Certified Exercise Physiologist

• Current Position: PhD Candidate
• Current Supervisor: Reed Ferber
• Current Research: Optimizing exercise rehabilitation for patients with non-specific low back pain.

Josh Kutcher, BSc (Physiology), University of Calgary

• Current Position: MSc Student
• Current Supervisors: Cy Frank and David Hart
• Current Research Focus: Stems Cells and Knee Repair

Peter Kublik, PhD student

Erika Kristensen, B.Sc. (Eng)

• Current Position: PhD Candidate, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
• Current Supervisor: Steven Boyd
• Current Research Focus: Erika’s current work assesses the effects of growth hormone on the development of bone micro-architecture and craniofacial shape

Taryn Ludwig, BSc (Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical specialization), University of Calgary

• Current Position: PhD/MD student
• Current Supervisor: Tannin Schmidt
• Current Research: Development of a sandwich ELISA to measure PRG4 (lubricin) content in chronic OA and normal human synovial fluid. Correlating PRG4 content with boundary lubricating ability of synovial fluid.

Joanna Moser, B.Sc. (Biological Sciences with Distinction), University of Calgary

• Current Position: PhD Candidate
• Current Supervisor: Marvin J Fritzler
• Current Research: The study of GW182, a novel autoangigen in neuronal cells in the central nervous system tissues; the investigation of the presence and location of GW bodies in the central nervous system
• Extra: Medical Science Graduate Student Association (MDSC-SA) Chair 2009-2010 MDSC Department Graduate Education Committee Student Representative

Shari Macdonald, University of Calgary masters student

• Current Supervisor: Dr Reed Ferber
• Current Research: Muscular strength, flexibility and alignment measures to predict torsional forces while running

Kelsey M. Mountain, B.M.Sc, Honours (Medical Biophysics), University of Western Ontario

• Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
• Current Supervisor: John Matyas
• Current Research: three-dimensional collagen organization of articular cartilage, osteoarthritis, magnetic resonance imaging, polarized light microscopy
• Extra: McCaig Student Representative 2008-09

Kyle Nishiyama, B.Comp

• Current Position: PhD Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering (Biomedical)
• Current Supervisor: Steven Boyd
• Current Research Focus: Kyle’s work focuses on assessing the age- and sex-specific change in cortical porosity and determining the functional significance of cortical porosity on bone strength

Josh Rosvold, B.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering) University of Calgary

• Current Position: PhD Student
• Current Supervisor: Nigel Shrive
• Current Research: Developing a system to determine in-vivo ligament loads by reproducing in-vivo motion on a robotic testing system.

Eric J. Schmidt, B.A. (Anthropology) Penn State University; M.Sc. (Organismal Biology and Anatomy) University of Chicago

• Current Position: PhD student
• Current Supervisor: Benedikt Hallgrimsson
• Current Research: Evaluating the relative roles of facial prominence outgrowth versus prominence fusion and consolidation during upper jaw development in normal and cleft lip-prone mouse strains

Katrina Schnakenberg, MSc (Boyd)

Ganesh Swamy, MD University of Ottowa, Orthopedics FRCS ’02, Spine Surgery University of Ottowa, University of Calgary and University of California at San Francisco

• Current Position: PhD Candidate
• Current Supervisors: John Matyas, Christopher Hunter, Paul Salo and Jeff Duncan
• Current Research: Orthopedic basic science; My research focus is the biology of the intervertebral disc, specifically working with disc injury models in knockout mice, with the help of Dr. Frank Jirik. I hope to combine research training with my clinical background, and become a true clinician-scientist, seeking to understand the role of the intervertebral disc in spinal health and disease

Jaymi Taiani, BSc (Biological Engineering), Dalhousie University; MSc (Chemical Engineering/Biomedical Engineering), University of Calgary

• Current Position: PhD Candidate
• Current Supervisors: John Matyas and Derrick Rancourt
• Current Research: Using stem cells to enhance bone fracture repair and exploring the influence of soluble factors, extracellular matrix and mechanical loading on stem cell differentiation into skeletal cell types

Janet Tapper, Dip (Physiotherapy), New Zealand; BSc (Mechanical Engineering), McGill University

• Current Position: MD/PhD Candidate
• Current Supervisors: Nigel Shrive and Ron Zernicke
• Current Research Focus: Dynamic in vivo 3D kinematics in an ovine stifle joint model of osteoarthritis

Wataru Ando, MD, PhD (Orthopaedics) Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine

• Current Position: AHFMR Post-doctoral Fellow
• Current Supervisor: David A. Hart
• Current Research: optimization of the generation of tissue-engineered constrcuts from specific populations of mesenchymal stem cells that may be used clinically in the future to facilitate tissue repair and regeneration of relevant tissues such as cartilage, menisci, ligaments, tendons and bone
• Previous Research: Development of novel scaffold-free tissue-engineered constructs from mesenchymal stem cells and the effectiveness of such constructs for in vivo cartilage repair.

Aki Yamashita

Etienne O’Brien

Carla Rodriguez (Marshall)