Annual Faculty Data Report – Calendar Year 2011
Name:
Office Address:
Office Phone:
Office Fax:
E-Mail:
Home Address:
Home Phone:
Spouse’s Name:
1.
Christine Ortiz
13-4022
617-253-1957
cortiz@mit.edu
43 Granite St
Melrose, MA 02176
617-548-9658
Joseph Louis
Subjects Taught in 2011
None-administrative teaching release
Term-Spring or Fall
2010
Course
Number
Course Title
2.
Supervisor in 2011
Theses
Completed
2011
UROP
S.B.
S.M.
Ph.D.
Post-Docs
Visiting
Scientists
2a
1c
2d
1f
0
0
Enrollment
Number
Name
of TAs
Instructor
Rating
Overall
Rating of
Course
Name of Coinstructors and %
Effort
In Progress
2011
Total 2011
(Completed
and In
Progress)
Cumulative
Career Total
To Date
2b
0
2e
7g
2h
0
4
1
4
8
2
0
44
11
10
21
7
0
a
Fred Rojas, Sara Avila
Michael Batista, Alex Jelicich
c
Fred Rojas
d
Ting Ting Chen, Fei Liang
e
Ashley Browning, Ekatarina (Katia) Zolotovsky (will continue on to PhD)
f
Juha Song
g
Matthew Connors, Ling Li, Erica Lin, Eric Arndt, Hadi Tavakoli Nia, Swati Varshney, Ting-Ting Chen
h
Lin Han, Yaning Li
b
1
3.
Bachelor’s Theses Completed in 2011
Student Name
Completion Title
Date
Rojas, Fredrick, Department of
Materials Science and Engineering
June 2011
4.
Molecular Interactions between Collagen and
Aggrecan from the Cartilage Extracellular Matrix
M.Eng / Master’s Theses Completed in 2011
Student Name
Completion Title
Date
Liang, Fei, M.S. Department of
Chemical Engineering
Chen, Ting-Ting, M. S. Thesis,
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
June 2011
Molecular Studies of Aggrecan: Experiments and
Simulations
Microstructure and Micromechanics of the Sea
Urchin, Colobocentrotus atratus
June 2011
5.
Doctoral Theses Completed in 2011
Student Name
Completion Title
Date
Juha Song, Department of
Multiscale Materials Design of Natural
Exoskeletons: Fish Armor
June 2011
Materials Science and Engineering
Thesis Committee Member, In progress, Hyeongho Shin (Health Sciences and Technology),
"Development of Cell-laden Hydrogels with High Mechanical Strength for Tissue Engineering"
6.
2011 Publications in Refereed Journals
1. Wang, L., Ortiz, C., and M. C. Boyce, "Mechanics of Indentation into Micro- and Nanoscale Forests of
Tubes, Rods or Pillars," Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology, 133(1), 011014, 2011.
2. Yao, H., Dao, M., Carnelli, D., Tai, K., and C. Ortiz, "Size-Dependent Heterogeneity Benefits the
Mechanical Performance of Bone," Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 59(1), 64-74, 2011.
3. Song, J., Ortiz, C., and M. C. Boyce, "Threat-protection Mechanics of an Armored Fish," Journal of the
Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 4(5), 699-712, 2011.
4. Han, L., Frank, E. H., Greene, J. J., Lee, H.-S., Hung, H.-H. K., Grodzinsky, A. J., and C. Ortiz, "TimeDependent Nanomechanics of Cartilage," Biophysical Journal, 100(7), 1846-1854, 2011.
5. Han, L., Grodzinsky, A. J., and C. Ortiz, "Nanomechanics of the Cartilage Extracellular Matrix: A
Review," Annual Review of Materials Research, 41, 133-168, 2011.
2
6. Han, L., Wang, L, Song J., Boyce, M.S. and C. Ortiz, "Direct Quantification of the Mechanical
Anisotropy and Fracture of an Individual Exoskeleton Layer via Uniaxial Compression of Micropillars,"
Nano Letters, 11(9), 3868-3874, 2011.
7. Han, L., Wang, L., Khek-Khiang, C., Cohen, R. E., Rubner, M. F., Boyce, M. C., and C. Ortiz, “
Geometrically-Controlled Mechanically Responsive Polyelectrolyte Tube Arrays,” Advanced Materials,
23, 4667-4673, 2011.
8. Nia, H. T., Han, L., Li, Y., Ortiz, C. and A.J. Grodzinsky “Poroelasticity of Cartilage at the
Nanoscale,” Biophysical Journal, 101(9), 2304-2313, 2011.
9. Li, Y., Ortiz, C., and M. C. Boyce, "Stiffness and Strength of Suture Joints in Nature," accepted to
Physical Review E, 2011.
10. Connors, M., Ehrlich, H., Hog, M., Godeffroy, C., Araya, S., Kallai, I., Gazit, D., Boyce, M.C., and C.
Ortiz “Three-dimensional structure of the shell plate assembly of the chiton Tonicella marmorea and its
biomechanical consequences,” accepted to the Journal of Structural Biology 2011.
11. Li, Y., Ortiz, C. and M. C. Boyce “A Bio-inspired Mechanical, Deterministic Fractal Model for
Hierarchical Suture Joints,” in review 2011.
12. Juha Song, Yaning Li, Matthew Wund, Sergio Araya, Mary C. Boyce and Christine Ortiz,
“Functional diversity and dynamic biomechanical mechanisms of the threespine stickleback armor,”
submitted 2011.
Refereed Conference Proceedings
1. Nia, H. T., Han, L., Li, Y., Ortiz, C., and A. J. Grodzinsky, “Poroelasticity is the Dominant Energy
Dissipation Mechanism in Cartilage at the Nano-scale," Transactions of the 57th Annual Orthopaedic
Research Society Podium Presentation Spotlight Session, Long Beach, California, 36, 2011.
2. Han, L., Pazin, D., Rosen, V., Batista, M., Ortiz, C., and A. J. Grodzinsky, “Biomechanical Properties
of Murine Meniscus via Nanoindentation,” Transactions of the 2012 58th Annual Orthopaedic Research
Society, San Francisco, CA, 37, accepted 2012.
3. Nia, H. T., Soltani, I., Li, Y., Frank, E., Yousef-Toumi, K., Grodzinsky, A. J., and C. Ortiz, “The Effect
of GAG Depletion on Cartilage Nanoscale Hydraulic Permeability,” Transactions of the 2012 58th
Annual Orthopaedic Research Society 2012, San Francisco, CA, 37, accepted 2012.
4. Batista, M., Grodzinsky, A. J., Ortiz, C., Heinegård, D., Han, L., “Nanomechanics of Murine Articular
Cartilage Reveals the Effects of Chondroadherin Knockouts,” Transactions of the 2012 58th Annual
Orthopaedic Research Society, San Francisco, CA, 37, accepted 2012.
5. Rojas, F. P., Lindburg, C. A., Dean, D., Grodzinsky, A. J., Ortiz, C., and L. Han, “Molecular Adhesion
between Cartilage Extracellular Matrix Constituents,” Transactions of the 2012 58th Annual Orthopaedic
Research Society, San Francisco, CA, 37, accepted 2012.
Graduate Education Articles and Letters to the MIT Community
3
December 2011, Letter to all MIT Students, “Take care of yourself”
http://web.mit.edu/student/digest/Dec2011Letter.html
December 2011, “Progress on Education Systems Projects,” co-written with the Dean for Undergraduate
Education and the Director of Information and Systems Technology
(http://odge.mit.edu/dean/letters/letter20111201.php)
November / December 2011, MIT Faculty Newsletter Article, Vol. XXIV No. 2, “Improving Graduate
Admissions Processes at MIT” (http://web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/242/ortiz.html)
September, 2011, Letter to the MIT Community, “Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training and
Academic Integrity Standards at MIT” (http://odge.mit.edu/dean/letters/speech20110919.php)
September, 2011, Invited National Article; Council for Graduate Schools Communicator, “Case Study:
The Involvement of Graduate Students in International Engagements at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology” (http://www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/comm_2011_10.pdf)
March / April, 2011, MIT Faculty Newsletter Article Vol. XXIII No. 4 “Practical Considerations for the
Involvement of Graduate Students in MITs International Engagements,“ co-written with Ulric J. Ferner
(2010-2011 President of the MIT Graduate Student Council)
(http://web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/234/ferner_ortiz.html)
7.
2011 Patents Filed/Awarded
1. Christine Ortiz, Mary C. Boyce, Juha Song, Steffen H. Reichert, Provisional Patent App.
M0925.70294US00, “Articulating protective system for resisting mechanical loads.”
2. Haimin Yao and Christine Ortiz, U.S. Patent Application No. 12/958,188, “Protective Articles
for Resisting Mechanical Loads and Related Methods.”
8.
2011 Invited Lectures
Research
Date
Location / Association
Short Title
February 2011
Distinguished Grace
Hopper Lecture, University
of Pennsylvania
(Philadelphia, PA)
MIT150 “Leaders in Science
and Engineering: The
Women of MIT,” (MIT,
Cambridge, MA)
Army-ICB-ISN Workshop
on Energy Dispersive
Materials, Aberdeen MD
Drexel University, MSE
Spring Seminar Series
Natural Armor: An
Encyclopedia of Protective
Engineering Designs
March 2011
May 2011
May 2011
4
Interdisciplinary
Convergence of Engineering,
Evolutionary Biology and
Architecture
Natural Armor: An
Encyclopedia of Protective
Engineering Designs
Natural Armor: An
Encyclopedia of Protective
Engineering Designs
June 2011
th
Morphometric Origins of
6 Annual Computational
Biological and Bio-inspired
Fluid and Solid Mechanics
Conference (Cambridge MA) Flexible Exoskeleton Design
via Mechanics of Macroscale
Prototypes
June 2011
August 2011
August 2011
September 2011
September 2011
October, 2011
November 2011
December 2011
Institute for Defense and
Government Advancement
(IDGA) ArmorCon –
Military Armor Exhibition &
Conference (Washington,
D.C.)
Invited Keynote Speaker,
American Society of
Biomechanics Annual
Meeting (Long Beach, CA)
MIT Alumni Club of
Southern California
Workshop on
“Experimentation,
Fabrication, and Modeling of
Hierarchal Materials” US
Army Core of Engineers,
Engineer Research and
Development Center
(USACE-ERDC),
Vicksburg, MS
Mitsui (MIRI) Mission
Cambridge MA
48th Annual Technical
Meeting of Society of
Engineering Science (SES)
Symposium on “Molecular
to Macroscale Mechanics in
Biology and Engineering,”
Northwestern University,
Evanston, IL
Eidgenössische Technische
Hochschule Zürich (ETH),
Zurich, Switzerland,
Symposium on Bioinspired
Materials
The 4th International
Conference on Mechanics of
5
Natural Armor: An
Encyclopedia of Protective
Engineering Designs
Multiscale Mechanics of
Natural Armor
Natural Armor:
Interdisciplinary Convergence
Among Engineering,
Architecture and Evolutionary
Biology
Multiscale Mechanics of
Natural Armor
Multiscale Mechanics of
Natural Armor
Multiscale Mechanics of
Natural Armor
Mechanical mechanisms in
musculoskeletal and exoskeletal
systems
Multiscale Mechanics of
Natural Armor
January 2012
February 2012
April 2012
April 2012
May 2012
May 2012
June 2012
June 2012
Biomaterials & Tissues,
(Plenary)
Tufts Biomedical
Engineering Department,
Spring Seminar Series
Clemson University
Bioengineering Page
Morton Hunter
Distinguished Lecturer and
Sigma Xi Distinguished
Lecturer, Clemson, South
Carolina.
Quinnipiac University Sigma
Xi Distinguished Lecturer,
Hamden CT
NUANCE-Bruker
International Workshop
“Scanning Probe Microscopy
and Analysis of Soft and
Hybrid Materials”
Northwestern University,
Evanston, Illinois.
Columbia-Willamette Sigma
Xi Distinguished Lecturer,
Portland OR
NSF Summer Institute Short
Course on “MateriomicsMerging Biology and
Engineering in Multiscale
Structures and Materials”,
Cambridge, MA
Army Research Office
Workshop on Material
Property Amplification
(Cambridge, MA)
Department of Defensesponsored workshop on
Regeneration and
Remodeling of Structural
materials, 15th European
Nanomechanics of
Musculoskeletal Tissues
Multiscale Mechanics of
Natural Armor
Multiscale Mechanics of
Natural Armor
Nanomechanics of Biological
Tissues
Multiscale Mechanics of
Natural Armor
Nanomechanics of Biological
Tissues
Material Property
Amplification in Structural
Biomaterials
Nanomechanics applied to
cartilage regeneration
Conference on Composite
Materials Venice, Italy.
Outreach & Diversity
February 2011
MIT150 Diversity Panel;
6
Citizenship and the Hispanic-
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
Human Diversity and Social
Order
Invited Speaker, Professional
Development Workshop for
Underrepresented Minority
Undergraduate Engineering
Students and their
Faculty/Staff Advisors,
sponsored by Quality
Education for Minorities
(QEM) Network (Baltimore,
MD)
MIT Future Faculty
Workshop: Diverse Leaders
of Tomorrow (UMass,
Amherst)
MITES
July 2011
August 2011
MSRP
August 2011
Interphase Luncheon, Opening
Remarks (Cambridge, MA)
September 2011
GEM Grad Lab, Opening
Keynote Speaker
(Cambridge, MA)
North Carolina A&T Student
Recruitment
October 2011
National GEM Consortium, 35th
Annual Anniversary
Conference and Gala and
awards presenter at Gala
American Community
Steps to an Academic Career
Steps to an Academic Career
Nanomechanics of Biological
Tissues
An Era for Bold Scholarship
How to Succeed in Graduate
School
The MIT educational
experience
How to Succeed in Graduate
School
Graduate Education at MIT
November 2011
Professional Development
Workshop for
Underrepresented Minority
Masters and Doctoral
Engineering Students and their
Faculty/Staff Advisors,
sponsored by Quality Education
for Minorities (QEM) Network
(Baltimore, MD)
How to Succeed in Graduate
School
December, 2011
Council for Graduate
Schools Plenary Session,
“Diversity, Innovation and
Leadership,” (Scotsdale
Arizona)
University Materials Council
of Standing Materials
Diversity, Technology and
Inclusivity
December 2011
7
Recruiting and Retaining a
Diversity faculty
Science Department Heads
in US and Canada
Graduate Education
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
August 2011
September 2011
October 2011
October 2011
November 2011
November 2011
November 2011
January 2012
June 2012
9.
MIT-Imperial Global
Fellows Programme
(Cambridge, MA)
Council for Graduate
Schools Hot Topic session
(Monterey, CA)
MIT Alumni Club of South
California (Long Beach, CA)
MIT Grad School 101,
(Cambridge, MA)
MIT Graduate Women's
Luncheon
League of European
Research Universities
(LERU), Zurich, Switzerland
Presentation to MIT New
Corporation Members
Faculty for the Future,
Fellows Mini-Forum,
Schlumberger Foundation
(Cambridge, MA)
MIT-China Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Forum
(MIT-CHIEF) Banquet
Dinner
Graduate Student Council
Ivy Summit
5th Annual MIT Institutional
Intelligence Forum
(Cambridge, MA)
American Society of
Engineering EducationPlenary Session (San
Antonio, Texas)
Welcoming Remarks
Using Technology to
Communicate with Graduate
Students
Graduate Education; Past,
Present and Future
Welcoming Remarks
Welcoming Remarks
Past and Future of Graduate
Education at MIT
MIT Graduate Education
Graduate Education; Past,
Present and Future
Welcoming Remarks
Welcoming Remarks
Graduate Education; Past,
Present and Future
Personal and Professional
Development of Graduate
Students
2011 Awards and Honors
2008-2014 National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellow (NSSEFF)
2011 Invited Speaker, MIT150 “Leaders in Science and Engineering: The Women of MIT”
2011 Distinguished Grace Hopper Lecture, University of Pennsylvania
8
2011 Keynote Speaker, American Society of Biomechanics Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA
2011 Woman of Courage Award, La Alianza Hispana (Boston, MA)
2011 Governor’s Citation, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts in recognition of extraordinary
support of the Latino Community in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
2011 Certificate of Recognition, City of Boston, for contributions to the Latino Community in the
City of Boston
2011City of Boston Council Official Resolution Certificate, for contributions to the Latino
Community in the City of Boston
2011 Council for Graduate Schools, Invited Plenary Session on Diversity
2011 Opening Keynote Speaker, GEM Grad Lab (Cambridge, MA)
2012 Columbia-Willamette Sigma Xi Annual Distinguished Lecturer (Portland, OR)
2012 Quinnipiac University Sigma Xi Annual Distinguished Lecturer (Hamden, CT)
2012 Clemson University Bioengineering Page Morton Hunter Distinguished Lecturer and Sigma
Xi Distinguished Lecturer (Clemson, SC)
2012 American Society of Engineering Education, Invited Plenary Session Professional
Development
10.
2011 Students Awards and Honors
-
1st place in the poster competition for Ortiz postdoc Yaning Li and graduate student Juha
Song, for poster " Y.N. Li, J. Song, C. Ortiz, M.C. Boyce (MIT, USA) “Stiffness and strength
of suture joints in nature" at the 4th International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials
& Tissues, Marriott Waikoloa Beach Resort and Spa, Waikoloa, HI.
-
2nd Place poster award includes Ortiz postdoc and two DMSE UROPs; Lin Han, Fred Rojas,
and Mike Batista for winning 2nd place for their poster " F.P. Rojas, M. Batista, A.J.
Grodzinsky, C. Ortiz, L. Han (MIT, USA) Molecular interactions between cartilage
extracellular matrix constituents determine its tissue integrity " at the 4th International
Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials & Tissues, Marriott Waikoloa Beach Resort and
Spa, Waikoloa, HI.
-
Hadi Tavakoli Nia invited to chair a session on "Polymers and Composites"
at the 4th International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials & Tissues, Marriott
Waikoloa Beach Resort and Spa, Waikoloa, HI.
-
Mike Batista won 1st prize in the DMSE UROP poster symposium and received a cash prize
of $100. His poster was entitled, "Nanomechanics of Murine Cartilage Reveals the Effects of
Chondroadherin Knockouts," Michael Batista, Alan J. Grodzinsky, Christine Ortiz, Dick
Heinegård, Lin Han.
- Hadi Tavakoli Nia, who was selected as a finalist YC FUNG Student Paper Competition in
Bio-mechanics and Bio-physics. He gave an oral presentation at the Engineering Mechanics
Institute (EMI) American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) conference June 2nd, 3:15pm at
Northeastern University
- Ortiz Lab graduate student Sergio Araya gives a series of presentations in Chile at Tech
Visions, invited by the Innovation Dept. of the Ministry of Economy. He was also featured on
the cover of the Chilean "City Magazine".
9
- Ortiz Lab PhD Alumni Hsu-Yi Lee, who was announced as one of the recipients of the JinAu Kong Award for best Electrical Engineering PhD Thesis. The award was presented at the
annual Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Spring Fling on May 15, 2011, at the
MIT Museum.
11.
-
Juha Song won best oral presentation at the 3rd International Conference on Advanced
Nanomaterials in Agadir, Morrocco on “Multiscale Mechanics of Natural Armor.”
-
Michael Batista (DMSE UROP), Lin Han (Postdoc), Hadi Nia received two invited podium
presentation at the 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society meeting.
2011 Departmental Committees
MIT –DMSE Awards Committee
12.
2011 Institute Committees
Chair or Co-Chair
Sept. 2010 – present
Sept. 2010 – present
Graduate Academic Performance Group (GAPG, Chair)
Student Systems Committee (SSSC, co-chair with the Dean for
Undergraduate Education)
Sept. 2010 – present Teaching Assistant Enhancement Group (co-Chair, with Dena for
Undergraduate Education)
Member
January 2011- present Walker Memorial Assessment Team (WMAT)
Sept. 2010 – present Textbook Information Provision Project (TIPP) Steering Committee and
Working Group
Sept. 2010 – present Governing Council for the Harvard-MIT Health Science Technology
Technology Program (HST)
Sept. 2010 – present Singapore-MIT Alliance 3 (SMA3) Governing Board (Co-Chaired by
Provost)
Sept. 2010 – present Compton Lecture Advisory Committee (Reporting to the President)
Sept. 2010 – present International Advisory Committee (Reporting to the President)
Sept. 2010 – present Enrollment Management Group (EMG)
Sept. 2010 – present MIT Council on Educational Technology (MITCET, Reporting to the
Provost)
Sept. 2010 – present
Dean’s Group (Chaired by the Provost)
Sept. 2010 – present
Committee on Graduate Programs (CGP)
Sept. 2010 – present
Academic Appointments Sub-Group (Chaired by the President)
Sept. 2010 – present
Academic Council (Chaired by the President)
Sept. 2010 – May 2011 Faculty Policy Committee (FPC, President’s Delegate)
Jan. 2011 – May 2011 Infinite Mile Staff Award Selection Committee
Sept. 2010 – Jan. 2011 Student Engagement Committee
Committees Assembled and Report to the Dean for Graduate Education
April 2012 – Sept. 2012 Ad hoc Committee on Student Entrepreneurship
Jan 2012 – present
Committee on Graduate Admissions
Jan 2012 – present
Ad hoc Committee on Graduate Professional Development
10
May 2011 – Jan. 2012 Ad hoc Committee on Teaching and Learning Spaces (TLS, steering
committee also includes Dean for Undergraduate Education, Associate Provost
and Director of Libraries)
May 2011 – Jan. 2012 Ad hoc Committee on Technology-Enabled Education (also reports to the Dean
for Undergraduate Education)
Jan. 2011 – May 2011 Task Force on Improving Graduate Admissions
Other
- Founding and Current Faculty Director of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
international exchange program with Israel (MISTI MIT-Israel)
- Faculty Advisory Board, Office of Minority Education (OME-FAC)
- MIT NSF Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Co-Team Leader,
Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) & Internal Advisory Committee
- Co-Chair, Monthly Faculty of Color Seminar Dinners
-Mentor, Undergraduate Laureates and Leaders Program, Office of Minority Education
-Mentor, Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT)
-MIT Career Reengineering Program – Faculty Exploration Series, participant in outreach workshop
13.
2011 External Committees and Professional Activities
Research
- Editorial Board, Science published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS)
- Editorial Board, Advanced Biomaterials published by WILEY-VCH GmbH & Co KgaA
- Advisory Board Member, “The Open Nanomedicine Journal,” published by Benthem Open
- International Advisory Board, 2012 US Materials Education Symposium, Granta Design
- Chairperson and Organizer, “Workshop on Property Amplifications in Biomaterials: Beyond Rule of
Mixtures,” Sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Office
-Proposal Reviewer, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Directorate of Mathematics,
Information, and Life Sciences
-Proposal Reviewer, Army Research Office
-Reviewer, Materials Research Centers and Teams (MRCT) proposals
- Participant, AFOSR Nanobiomanufacturing Strategic Planning Workshop (Dayton, Ohio)
-Judge, MIT TechFair THINK (“Technology for Humanity guided by Innovation, Networking, and
Knowledge,” which is a national high school outreach to encourage high school students to seek
innovative technological solutions for humanistic problems)
-NSF Committee of Visitors (COV), Division of Materials Research
-Session Chair, 4th International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials & Tissues, Marriott
WaikoloaBeach Resort and Spa, Waikoloa, HI.
-Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) – Consultant
-Interviewee, U.S. Military Channel documentary
Graduate Education
-November, 2011 Council for Graduate Schools Consultation, Dartmouth College, Graduate School
Review, External Consultant
-September, 2011 University of Cincinnati, graduate program external review as part their strategic
planning process for the University UC2019: Strategy for Excellence in Doctoral Education
14.
2011 Research Highlights (1-2 Paragraphs. Narrative structure using
full sentences please!)
11
I provide a few examples of research highlights from 2011 below.
Quantitative microstructural studies of the armor of the marine threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus
aculeatus). In this study, a quantitative investigation of the microstructure and composition of fieldcaught marine Gasterosteus aculeatus (threespine stickleback) armor is presented, which provides useful
phylogenetic information and insights into biomechanical function. Micro-computed tomography (lCT)
was employed to create full three-dimensional images of the dorsal spines and basal plate, lateral plates,
pelvic girdle and spines and to assess structural and compositional properties such as the spatial
distribution of thickness (~100–300 lm), the heterogeneous cross-sectional geometry (centrally
thickened), plate-to-plate juncture and overlap (~50% of the plate width), and bone mineral density (634–
748 HA/cm3). The convolution of plate geometry in conjunction with plate-to-plate overlap allows a
relatively constant armor thickness to be maintained throughout the assembly, promoting spatially
homogeneous protection and thereby avoiding weakness at the armor unit interconnections. Plate-to-plate
junctures act to register and join the plates while permitting compliance in sliding and rotation in selected
directions. Mercury porosimetry was used to determine the pore size distribution and volume percent
porosity of the lateral plates (20–35 vol.%) and spines (10–15 vol.%). SEM and microCT revealed a
porous, sandwich-like cross-section beneficial for bending stiffness and strength at minimum weight.
Back-scattered electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis were utilized to quantify the
weight percent mineral content (58–68%). Scanning electron microscopy and surface profilometry were
used to characterize the interior and exterior surface topography (tubercles) of the lateral plates. The
results obtained in this study were analyzed in the context of mechanical function, performance, fitness,
and survivability.
12
Song, J., Reichert, S. Kallai, I., Gazit, D., Wund, M., Boyce, M. C., and C. Ortiz, “Quantitative
Microstructural Studies of the Armor of the Marine Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus),”
Journal of Structural Biology, 171(3), 318-331, 2010. PDF
Direct Quantification of the Mechanical Anisotropy and Fracture of an Individual Exoskeleton Layer via
Uniaxial Compression of Micropillars. A common feature of the outer layer of protective biological
exoskeletons is structural anisotropy. Here, we directly quantify the mechanical anisotropy and fracture of
an individual material layer of a hydroxyapatite-based nanocomposite exoskeleton, the outmost ganoine
of Polypterus senegalus scale. Uniaxial compression was conducted on cylindrical micropillars of
ganoine fabricated via focused ion beam at different orientations relative to the hydroxyapatite rod long
axis. Engineering stress versus strain curves revealed significant elastic and plastic anisotropy, off-axial
strain hardening, and noncatastrophic crack propagation within ganoine. Off-axial compression showed
the lowest elastic modulus and yield stress, while compression at θ = 0 showed the highest E and σY. A
3D elasticplastic composite nanostructural finite element model revealed this anisotropy was orrelated to
the alignment of the HAP rods and could facilitate energy dissipation and damage localization, thus
preventing catastrophic failure upon penetration attacks.
Han, L., Wang, L, Song J., Boyce, M.S. and C. Ortiz, "Direct Quantification of the Mechanical
Anisotropy and Fracture of an Individual Exoskeleton Layer via Uniaxial Compression of Micropillars,"
Nano Letters, 11(9), 3868-3874, 2011. PDF
Stiffness and strength of suture joints in nature. Suture joints are remarkable mechanical structures found
throughout nature composed of compliant interlocking seams connecting stiffer components. This study
investigates the underlying mechanisms and the role of geometry governing the unique mechanical
behavior of suture joints. Analytical and numerical composite models are formulated for two suture
geometries characterized by a single repeating wavelength (e.g., triangular and rectangular). Stiffness,
13
strength, and local stress distributions are predicted to assess variations in deformation and failure
mechanisms. A unique homogeneous stress field is observed throughout both the skeletal and interfacial
components of the triangular geometry, thus providing advantages in load transmission, weight, stiffness,
strength, energy absorption, and fatigue over the rectangular geometry. The results obtained have
relevance to biomimetic design and optimization, suture growth and fusion, and evolutionary phenotype
diversity.
Li, Y., Ortiz, C., and M. C. Boyce, "Stiffness and Strength of Suture Joints in Nature,"Physical Review
E, 84, 062904, 2011. PDF
Poroelasticity of cartilage at the nanoscale. Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based oscillatory loading
was employed in conjunction with finite element modeling to quantify and predict the frequencydependent mechanical properties of the superficial zone of young bovine articular cartilage at deformation
amplitudes  ~ 15 nm; i.e., at macromolecular length scales. Using a spherical probe tip (R ~ 12.5 μm),
the magnitude of the dynamic complex indentation modulus, |E*|, and phase angle, φ, between the force
and tip displacement sinusoids, were measured in the frequency range, f ~ 0.2-130 Hz at an offset
indentation depth of 0 ~ 3 μm. The experimentally measured |E*| and φ corresponded well with that
predicted by a fibril-reinforced poroelastic model over a 3-decade frequency range. The peak frequency
of phase angle, fpeak, was observed to scale linearly with the inverse square of the contact distance
between probe tip and cartilage, 1/d2, as predicted by linear poroelasticity theory. The dynamic
mechanical properties were observed to be independent of the deformation amplitude ranging from  = 7
14
to 50nm. Hence, these results suggest that poroelasticity was the dominant mechanism underlying the
frequency-dependent mechanical behavior observed at these nanoscale deformations. These findings
enable ongoing investigations of the nanoscale progression of matrix pathology in tissue-level disease.
Nia, H. T., Han, L., Li, Y., Ortiz, C. and A.J. Grodzinsky “Poroelasticity of Cartilage at the Nanoscale,”
Biophysical Journal, 101(9), 2304-2313, 2011. PDF
Geometrically Controlled Mechanically Responsive Polyelectrolyte Tube Arrays. Over the last two
decades, there has been extensive work on stimulus-responsive materials and structures that undergo
actuation, swelling, variable permeability and wettability, and aggregation in the presence of external
environmental stimulus, e.g., pH, ionic strength, temperature, and pressure. However, the design,
fabrication, characterization, and fundamental understanding of mechanically responsive, or
“mechanomutable”, materials that change their mechanical properties in response to external stimuli are
still in relatively early stages. In this study, the coupling between inherent material properties and
deformation mechanisms known to take place for anisotropic geometries, such as bending, buckling, and
twisting, are explored in order to tune mechanical responsiveness. High-resolution atomic force
microscopy (AFM)-based nanoindentation experiments are utilized to quantify and study the responsive
mechanical behavior of cylindrical polyelectrolyte tube arrays. The experimental results are compared to
the predictions of microstructurally specifi c fi nite element models, which probe the underlying
deformation mechanisms, based on our previous model considering bending and buckling of
individual tubes. The results demonstrate that geometry can be used to systematically vary
mechanomutability in this model system. Such mechanically responsive systems hold great potential for
15
use as dynamic substrates for fundamental studies of cell behavior, control of particle transport in
microfluidic devices and on substrates, morphing structures, switchable shock absorbers, and autonomous
motion.
Han, L., Wang, L., Khek-Khiang, C., Cohen, R. E., Rubner, M. F., Boyce, M. C., and C. Ortiz, “
Geometrically-Controlled Mechanically Responsive Polyelectrolyte Tube Arrays,” Advanced Materials,
23, 4667-4673, 2011. PDF
15.
Research Funding
Title
Funding
Source
Duration
Funding /
Year for
Individual
Institute of Soldier Nanotechnologies 3.5.1
Biological & Bio-inspired Reconfigurable
Flexible and Protective Joints
Institute for Soldier
Nanotechnologies /
Army Research
Office
NSF- CMMI
(Division of Civil,
Mechanical and
Manufacturing
Innovation)
NSF Center for
Materials Science
and Engineering
Interdisciplinary
Research Group
(IRG Team Leader)
Department of
Defense - Naval
Postgraduate
School
6/1/2002 –
12/31/2012
$75,000
09/15/2008 –
08/31/2012
$50,000
8/1/2007 –
8/1/2013
$73,000
06/17/2009 –
05/31/2014
$923,000
Nanomechanics of Cartilage Extracellular
Matrix Macromolecules from Aged, Diseased,
and Engineered Tissues
Mechanomutable Nanomaterials
Natural Armor: An Untapped Encyclopedia of
Engineering Designs for Protective Defense
Applications
16
Nanotechnological Studies of Stem-Cell Based
Engineered Tissues for Invertebral Disc
Regeneration
Morphometric Design and Mechanics of Bioinspired Prototypes
Workshop on Property Amplification in
Biomaterials: Beyond the Rule of Mixtures
Cartilage Degeneration and Repair By
ADAMTSs and Hyaluronan Binding Proteins
MISTI Global Seed
Fund (Collaboraive
Proposal with D.
Gazit, Hebrew
University of
Jerusalem, Israel)
Army Research
Office Institute for
Collaborative
Biotechnologies
(ICB)
Army Research
Office (ARO)
Rush University
Medical Center /
NIH
01/01/2009 –
10/01/2010
$11,400
12/01/201005/31/2012
$100K
01/01/2011 –
12/31/2012
08/01/2011 –
01/31/2013
$49,500
$25,000
Total Annual Funding: $1,306,900
16A. Participation in the Undergraduate Educational Commons
Activity
Participated Role
Yes/No
Reading Freshman Admissions
Folders
Participating in Freshman
Orientation (Freshman Picnic FPOP)
Teaching in the GIRS
Freshman Advising / Mentoring and
Freshman Seminars
Involvement in Committees such as
CUP, CoD etc.
Participating in Commencement
Serving as a Housemaster or House
Fellow
UROP Supervision
Participation in IAP Activities
Teaching/Leadership in Special
Programs for Freshmen (e.g., ESG)
July 2011
Yes
Yes
Invited Speaker, MITES
(Minority Introduction to
17
Supervised 4 UROPS
Natural Armor
August 2011
Engineering and Science)
Seminar
Invited Speaker, MSRP
(Minority Summer Research
Program) Banquet Talk
August 2011
Interphase Luncheon, Opening
Remarks (Cambridge, MA)
2011
-Mentor, Undergraduate
Laureates and Leaders
Program, Office of Minority
Education
Participant, Society of
Hispanic Professional
Engineers - Finger Foods
with Faculty
2011
An Era for Bold Scholarship
The MIT educational experience
16B. Participation in Department Student Events / Programming (NEW)
Activity
Participated Role
Yes/No
MADMEC
DMSE Freshmen Pre-orientation
Wulff Lecture
SUMS Dinner / Events
DMSE New Majors Reception
Exploring the Majors Fair
Undergraduate Thesis Symposium
Parents Weekend
DMSE Open House
Registration Day Picnic
Graduate Hosting
Graduation Reception
DMSE / CMSE Lecture Series
Yes
Attended
Graduate Socials / Events
Yes
Attended
MRS / DMSE Lunch n’ Lecture
18
17.Current Research Group (Current Group Members Only- Omit Group Members Who Have Left
Group)
UROP
Name
Office
Address
Michael Batista
Alex Jelicich
Masters/ MENG
Name
Katia Zolotovsky
Ashley Browning
SENIOR THESIS
Name
Office
Address
12-065
12-022
Primary
Dept.
Office Thesis Title
Address
Dept. of
Media
Architecture Lab
MECHE
12-022
Estimated
Date
Completion
Architectural Analysis of Nature Armor
05/2012
Mechanics of Armored Fish
05/2012
19
PHD
Name
Swati
Varshnay
Matthew
Connors
Hadi Tavakoli
Nia
Ling Li
Eric Arndt
Erica Lin
Ting Ting
Chen
POST DOCS
Name
Lin Han
Yaning Li
Primary
Dept.
Office
Thesis Title
Address
DMSE
Estimated
Date
Completion
Dynamically Actuating Bio-inspired Armor
05/2015
DMSE
12-022
Flexible Natural Armor: Chitons
08/2013
MECHE
NE47387
12-022
12-022
12-022
12-022
Time-Dependent Nanomechanics of Cartilage
06/2012
Transparent Exoskeletons; the Pteropod Clio pyramidata
Structure and Properties of Brachinus Pygidial Gland
Mechanics of Biological Sutures
Materials and Mechanical Design of the Echinoderm,
Colobocentrotus atratus
08/2013
06/2014
09/2014
12/2014
DMSE
DMSE
DMSE
MECHE
Primary
Dept.
Office
Address
Office Phone
E-Mail
Appointment
Expiration Date
DMSE
DMSE
NE47-377
1-025
324-6603
253-5087
linhan@mit.edu
yaningli@mit.edu
05/30/2011
04/30/2011
VISITING SCIENTISTS/ VISITING STUDENTS/ RESEARCH AFFILIATES
None
20