Title:

Some Challenges in the Design and Application of Simulator Experiments to Biomechanics and Biomaterials Research

Abstract:

This talk will demonstrate how simulator experiments can be combined with physical experiments to solve problems of Biomechanics and the tissue engineering of Biomaterials. Biomechanics applies mechanical engineering principles to understand the movements of living things. The use of statistical methods to help devise treatments of anomalies in the movements of living systems will be described. Three classes of problems will be introduced to illustrate this interdisciplinary Biomechanics/Statistical approach. We will consider (1) the design of prosthetic joints, (2) the identification of the root causes of prosthetic joint failures, and (3) the development of replacement meniscal tissue.

Bio:

Professor Santner has contributed to the design and analysis of Selection and Ranking experiments, to the analysis of Discrete Data and most recently to the design and analysis of experiments that use deterministic computer simulator as research platforms. He has been a visiting professor at Purdue, Duke University, the University of Washington, and the University of Munich. Santner is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  Today's talk will describe several interdisciplinary problems which are at the confluence of Biomechanical Engineering and the Statistical analysis of finite element model data.