AME - Tissue Mechanics Laboratory Undergraduate Research

The Notre Dame Tissue Mechanics Laboratory is focused on diseases related to bone and bone marrow. We have three focuses at this time:

  1. Bone adaptation to mechanical load. This affects normal bone growth, integration of orthopaedic devices (e.g. hip or knee replacements) with bone, and osteoporosis.
  2. Cancer metastasis to bone. Bone is the primary location for metastasis of breast and prostate cancers. Most people who die from breast and prostate cancers have metastases to bone, while most who survice do not. These remote tumor lesiions are difficult to diagnose because it is hard to image inside of the bones, and they are hard to treat because the tumor cells epigenetically transform and the bone microenvironment is unfavorable for normal chemotherapies to be effective.
  3. Multiple Myeloma is another cancer that affects the bone. It is an immune cell (B-Cell) cancer, and it affects bone strength as well as immune functions.

Students should have interest in cell/tissue culture, understand basic mechanics (e.g. AME 20224), and/or have interest in computational simulations.

 

Name of research group, project, or lab
Tissue Mechanics Laboratory
Website
http://bones.ame.nd.edu
Representative publication
rsif-2025-0753.pdf
Logistics Information:
Project categories
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Physics & Astronomy
Student ranks applicable
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Student qualifications
  • Mechanical or Chemical Engineering students will have preference
  • Biophysics and Biochemistry students also strongly considered
Hours per week
2 credits / 6-12 hours
3 credits / 12+ hours
Compensation
Research for Credit
Number of openings
1
Techniques learned

All recent undergraduates have learned cell and tissue culture. Students will also have a chance to learn:

  • mechanical testing
  • finite element modeling
  • computed tomography imaging
  • immunohistochemistry
  • PCR
Project start
fall 2026
This project will use an Expectations and Structure agreement.
Expectations and Structure

Undergraduate researchers should expect to register for 2 or 3 credits and work in the lab for 6 to 12 hours per week.

Students should expect to meet with their graduate student supervisor at least once per week

Studnets should attend lab meetings and contribute to the discussion of their project

Students should complete a draft of their required research paper by the beginning of the last week of classes.

Our goal is for every undergraduate researcher to work for two or more years in the lab, and to be able to be included on a journal publication during their time in the laboratory.

Contact Information:
Mentor
Glen Niebur
gniebur@nd.edu
Professor
Name of project director or principal investigator
Glen Niebur
Email address of project director or principal investigator
gniebur@nd.edu
1 sp. | 1 appl.
Hours per week
2 credits / 6-12 hours (+1)
2 credits / 6-12 hours3 credits / 12+ hours
Project categories
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (+3)
Aerospace and Mechanical EngineeringChemical and Biomolecular EngineeringChemistry and BiochemistryPhysics & Astronomy