Damien Lacroix, PhD
Professor of Mechanobiology
Understanding the adaptation of cells and tissues in response to loading using in silico modelling
Email: D.Lacroix@sheffield.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 114 2220156
Damien’s main expertise is on computational modelling of mechanobiological processes at the cell, tissue and organ interfaces and their interactions with biomedical devices. The focus of his research group is the study of the effect of mechanical stimuli on biological response.
His group’s objective is to make scientific advancements in simulations of in vitro and in vivo biomechanics and mechanobiology and in experimental in vitro mechanobiology. The current focus of the group is mainly on the development of simulations in spine biomechanics, tissue engineering and cell mechanics. These numerical simulations based on the finite element method are complemented with in vitro tests using bioreactors and microfluid chambers.
Damien’s research is funded by the European Commission, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. He coordinates the only worldwide multi-scale patient-specific biomechanical and mechanobiology project focused on the lumbar spine (MySpine). He is also the recipient of a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant on multi- scale computer simulations in bone tissue engineering. He is the PI of an ESPRC Frontier Engineering Award on Modelling Complex and Partially Identified Engineering Problems – Application to the Individualised Multi-scale Simulation of the Musculoskeletal System. He has received around €7M in the last 5 years in European and EPSRC funding.
