Collaboration

New Project to Investigate Progressive PAC Damage

Dr. Coats recently received NSF funding to investigate progresssive damage at the brain-skull interface. The study involves high-rate testing and imaging of repeated loading in the subarachnoid trabeculae and blood vessels. Constituitve formulations of damage progression will be created and integrated into our multi-scale computational framework to predict progresssion of brain strain during repeated head impact. The project is in collaboration with Ken Monson (University of Utah) and Michele Moreno (University of Rome Tor Vergata).

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Coats and Spear Receive DOJ Funding for Skull Fracture Prediction

The Coats lab received a $557K award from the Department of Justice for Phase 1 of their project to investigate the effect of skull thickness variability on skull fracture patterns in infant.  This project, in collaboration with Dr. Ashley Spear from the Multiscale Mechanics and Materials Lab, will characterize skull thickness variability across the parietal, occipital, and frontal bones in a large dataset of infants. Thickness distributions will be incorporated into our existing computational framework to predict skull fracture patterns in infants. To prepare for more widespread use of the tools, Dr. Spear will will begin developing a machine learning […]

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Smart Helmet Research on KSL

A collaboration between biomechanics, robotics, biology, and electrical engineering has led to the proposed development of a smart helmet to reduce risk of concussion. The helmet would offer active (instead of passive) impact protection and offer a unique warning system that could reduce head angular accelerations from impact. Ed Yeates and KSL recently spotlighted the project. Funding for the proposal is currently being sought from the Smart and Connected Health program jointly run by NIH and NSF. Collaborators on the project are Mark Minor (Mechanical Engineering), Andrew Merryweather (Mechanical Engineering), David Carrier (Biology), David Schurig (Electrical Engineering), Neal Patwari (Electrical Engineering), and Colby […]

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Lab Welcomes Dr. Susan Margulies

Dr. Susan Margulies came to the University of Utah as an invited speaker in the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Distinguished Seminar series. The Developmental Head Injury Biomechanics Lab was delighted to give her a tour of our facilities and ongoing projects.  Dr. Margulies was Dr. Coats’ graduate adviser at the University of Pennsylvania where she studied injury mechanics associated with pediatric head trauma.

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Tom Lintern PhD visits Pediatric Biomechanics Injury Lab

Tom Lintern PhD visits Pediatric Biomechanics Injury Lab Tom Lintern, a Ph.D. Candidate from the University of Auckland came to the University of Utah on Tuesday January 28th to give a guest seminar on Simulations of Infant Head Motion During Shaking. Prior to his doctorate, Tom completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) with first class honors at the University of Auckland. His research interests include biomechanics and his PhD focused on the biomechanics of abusive head trauma. The Pediatric Biomechanics Injury Lab was excited to welcome Tom to Utah by giving him a tour of our facilities, and taking him […]

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DOD Awards $1 Million VPR Grant

Department of Defense

The Department of Defense Vision Research Program has awarded the lab a $1 million dollar grant to investigate long term ocular injury from blast exposure! The interdisciplinary 4-year project will investigate ocular trauma using clinical evaluations and experimental animal models.  The project will support 2 graduate students for 4 years.  We are very excited to start on this project and are grateful to the DOD for their support. Collaborators on the project are: Ken Monson, PhD, Mechanical Engineering Yingbin Fu, PhD, Moran Eye Center Bradley Katz, MD, Moran Eye Center Jason Goldsmith, MD, Moran Eye Center/VA Hospital Robert Peiffer, DVM, PhD, […]

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Scleral Depressor Commissioned

Scleral Depressor

Pediatric Ophthalmologist and collaborator Gil Binenbaum, MD at the University of Pennsylvania was recently awarded a seed grant from the UPENN Vision Research Center to investigate changes in pediatric intraocular pressure with scleral depression. The University of Utah Pediatric Injury Biomechanics lab will design and manufacture the computer controlled depressor in order to assist Dr. Binenbaum .

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San Diego International Conference for Children and Families

San Diego Conference

We will be presenting our work at the San Diego International Conference for Children and Families. The talk is in collaboration with Safe and Healthy Families at Primary Children’s Hospital. The talk is titled Video recorded reenactment of inflicted head and other injuries to a three-week-old infant: Biomechanical, clinical and psychosocial observations and perspectives.

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New IOVS article

IOVS_coverart_2010

Our first publication detailing the occurance of ocluar hemorrhages in a porcine model from rapid head rotations is now available online in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS). Work is in collaboration with Gil Binenbaum, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.  

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Measuring Brain Deformation

brain_hemisection

Recently published in the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering:In Situ deformations in the immature brain during rapid rotations by Ibrahim, Natesh, Szczesny, Ryall, Eucker, Coats & Margulies. This communication quantifies brain strain and brain/skull displacement during rapid head rotations in an immature brain.

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