Dr. Meir M. Barak, Assistant Professor
Research in bone biology, bone biomechanics, bone tissue adaptation in
response to load, effects of ageing on bone tissue, finite element modeling and 3D printing of trabecular bone structures at Winthrop University
I received my bachelor degree (BSc) in animal science and my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from The
Hebrew University (Rehovot, Israel). I worked in several small animal clinics (my passion is orthopedics) and
then switched to part time and returned to academia. I received my PhD in bone biomechanics and my
teaching certificate (biology teacher for high schools) from the Weizmann institute of Science. Next, I moved to
the US and started a joint Postdoc position at Harvard University, The Department of Human Evolutionary
Biology (Cambridge MA) and The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany).
There I did research on extinct hominins bipedal locomotion (Australopithecines) and its manifestation in the
structure of trabecular bone in the ankle. During 2012 I became a teaching fellow in Harvard University and
later I have accepted a lecturer position. I have taught the labs of “Life Science 2” (anatomy and physiology)
and a “Bone Biology & Biomechanics” course. During 2013 I have accepted an Assistant Professor position in
Winthrop University and started to teach during Fall semester 2013. At Winthrop I teach “Human Anatomy”
(lectures and labs), “The Biology of Bone” (lectures and labs), “Principles of Biology" and "Evolution and
Development” (graduate seminar).
I’m in the process of building up and equipping my lab (spring 2014) which will study the structure of bone,
bone biomechanics and bone adaptation to load. I plan to address these topics using several tools: (1) using a
testing machine to test whole bones and bone samples in compression and tension, to measure their strength
stiffness and toughness, (2) scanning bone samples with a micro-CT scanner (off campus) and creating 3D
computers models which will then be tested using Finite element Analysis (FEA) software, and (3) using these
3D computer models to 3D print the samples numerous times, which will allow the testing of each unique
structure multiple times from various orientations. These three approaches, combined together, can help us
achieve new understanding of bone tissue structure-function relation which in turn can improve our ability to
treat various bone injuries and pathologies (e.g. osteoporosis, bone-implant interphase etc.).
Research Interests
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Trabecular bone structure-function relation
Trabecular contribution to whole bone biomechanical behavior
Understanding locomotion behaviour through trabecular bone architecture
Bone mechanotransduction
Imaging techniques
3D printing and computer modeling of bone
Bone material biomechanical properties
Osteoporosis
The evolution of bone
List of Recent Publications
1.
M.M. Barak, D.E. Lieberman, D. Raichlen, H. Pontzer, A. Warrener and J.J Hublin. Trabecular evidence
for a human-like gait in Australopithecus africanus. PLOS ONE 8(11): e77687 (2013)
2. M.M. Barak, D.E. Lieberman, J.J Hublin. Of mice, rats and men: Trabecular bone in mammals scale to
body mass with negative allometry. Journal of Structural Biology. 183:123-31 (2013)
3. M.M Barak, D.E Lieberman, J.J Hublin. A Wolff in sheep’s clothing: Trabecular bone adaptation in
response to changes in joint loading orientation. Bone. 49:1141-51 (2011).
4. M.M Barak, S. Weiner and R. Shahar. The contribution of trabecular bone to the stiffness and strength of
rat lumbar vertebrae. Spine. 35:E1153-9 (2010).
5. M.M. Barak, S. Geiger, N. Lev-Tov Chattah, R. Shahar and S. Weiner. Enamel dictates whole tooth
deformation: A finite element model study validated by an optical method. Journal of Structural Biology
168:511-20 (2009).
6. M.M. Barak, A. Sharir and R. Shahar. Optical metrology methods for mechanical testing of whole bones.
The Veterinary Journal 180:7-14 (2009).
7. M.M. Barak, J.D. Currey, S. Weiner, R. Shahar. Are tensile and compressive Young’s moduli of compact
bone different? Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 2:51-60 (2009).
8. M.M. Barak, S. Weiner, R. Shahar. Importance of the integrity of trabecular bone to the relationship
between load and deformation of rat femora: An optical metrology study. Journal of Materials Chemistry
18:3855-64 (2008).
9. A. Sharir, M.M. Barak and R. Shahar. Whole bone mechanics and mechanical testing. The Veterinary
Journal 177:8-17(2008).
10. L. Nadav, V. Kalchenko, M.M. Barak, E. Naparstek, B. Geiger, B.Z. Katz. Tumorigenic potential and
disease manifestations of malignant B-cell variants differing in their fibronectin adhesiveness. Experimental
Hematology 36:1524-34 (2008).
11. R. Shahar, P. Zaslansky, M. Barak, A.A. Friesem, J.D. Currey and S. Weiner. Anisotropic Poisson's ratio
and compression modulus of cortical bone determined by speckle interferometry. Journal of Biomechanics
40:252-64 (2007).
12. P. Zaslansky, R. Shahar, M.M. Barak, A.A. Friesem, and S. Weiner. Tooth and bone deformation:
structure and material properties by ESPI. Proc. SPIE 6341:634109 (2006).