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Prof. Lorna J Gibson
Matoula S Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow
Primary DLC
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
MIT Room:
8-135
(617) 253-7107
ljgibson@mit.edu
https://dmse.mit.edu/faculty/lorna-j-gibson/
Assistant
Ryan Kendall
(617) 258-9790
rkendall@mit.edu
Areas of Interest and Expertise
Mechanicals Behavior of Cellular Materials
Microstructural Modeling
Bone Mechanics
Biomaterials
Mechanical Interactions Between Fibroblasts and Porous Scaffolds Used in Tissue Engineering
Engineering Applications of Material Science
Metallic Foams
Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI)
Cell-Matrix Interactions
Biotechnology
Nanomechanics
Research Summary
Many materials have a cellular structure, with either a two-dimensional array of prismatic cells, as in a honeycomb, or a three-dimensional array of polyhedral cells, as in a foam. Engineering honeycombs and foams can now be made from nearly any material: polymers, metals, ceramics, glasses and composites, with pore sizes ranging from nanometers to millimeters. Their cellular structure gives rise to a unique combination of properties which are exploited in engineering design: their low weight make them attractive for structural sandwich panels, their ability to undergo large deformations at relatively low stresses make them ideal for absorbing the energy of impacts, their low thermal conductivity make them excellent insulators, and their high specific surface area make them attractive for substrates for catalysts for chemical reactions. Cellular materials are increasingly used in biomedical applications. Open-cell titantium foams are used to replace trabecular bone. Porous scaffolds for regeneration of damaged or diseased tissues often resemble an open-cell foam. Cellular materials are also widespread in nature in plant and animal tissues: examples include wood, cork, plant parenchyma, trabecular bone and lung alveoli.
The group has contributed to the understanding of the mechanics of cellular solids, as well as to their use in many of the above applications. Recent and current projects include: the mechanics of fluid flow through open-cell foams for helmets and blast protection; the design and characterization of osteochondral scaffolds for the regeneration of cartilage as well as the underlying bone; and the mechanical interaction between biological cells, such as fibroblasts, and tissue engineering scaffolds (e.g. cell migration, contraction).
Recent Work
Projects
December 28, 2012
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Structural Bamboo Products
Principal Investigator
Lorna Gibson
June 19, 2009
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Engineering Cellular Solids
Principal Investigator
Lorna Gibson
June 19, 2009
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration
Principal Investigator
Lorna Gibson
June 19, 2009
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Cell-Scaffold Mechanics
Principal Investigator
Lorna Gibson
June 19, 2009
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Cellular Solids in Nature
Principal Investigator
Lorna Gibson
January 31, 2007
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Cellular Solids Group
Principal Investigator
Lorna Gibson
November 8, 2006
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Advisory Council on Neuroscience
Principal Investigator
Lorna Gibson
Books
Publication date:
October 1, 2010
Books
Michael Ashby, Brendan A. Harley,
Prof. Lorna J Gibson
Cellular Materials in Nature and Medicine
Related Faculty
Emeric Plancher
Postdoctoral Associate
Kai Xiang
Graduate Student
Yukio Cho
Gradudate Student