Structural Changes
by Nina Welding

Fund-raisers leading a building campaign for a new hospital, school, or church often say "It's not about a building." They stress that the structure is simply a tool to increase the performance and impact of the health care, education and outreach, or religious activities performed within its walls. But sometimes it is about a building. Sometimes a building is the catalyst that sparks a rise to excellence, affecting a neighborhood, a community, or a world.

In July 2006 five faculty from the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, one from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and their graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will move from laboratories in Fitzpatrick Hall to a 25,000-sq.-ft. state-of-the-art facility dedicated to multidisciplinary research related to biomedical engineering applications.

Located on the north side of campus next to the Hessert Laboratory for Aerospace Research, the new building is visible evidence of the commitment the University has made to biomedical research. "This is not a me-too program or facility," says Glen L. Niebur, associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering. "Although Notre Dame began biomedical research later than many universities, we have been very successful in teaming with other institutions, with medical schools, and with a variety of industry partners nationwide, including several major orthopedic manufacturers located in Warsaw, Indiana."

Lack of a medical school on campus has not affected the development of the bioengineering program or the building, which houses laboratories for nano-mechanical characterization, biomaterials processing and characterization, cell and tissue culture, and tissue engineering. A tribology laboratory, tissue mechanics lab, manufacturing area, biomedical imaging lab, and histology and specimen preparation area are also part of the new facility.

"Moving into a new building is always exciting, particularly since we [the faculty moving into the facility] were able to work very closely with the architects to design cutting-edge research space," says Timothy C. Ovaert, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering. A key benefit of the new building, according to Ovaert, will be the synergistic environment created by placing faculty and students who share common interests together. "We will be able to focus more on research and interaction with other groups, instead of logistics."

Ryan Roeder, assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, is looking forward to the new space for a number of reasons. "As flexible as the space in Fitzpatrick Hall has been, it was not designed for biomaterials processing or cell and tissue culture," he says. "I am also looking forward to having all of my graduate students in the same space and being able to work closely with them and with other faculty." For the past three years Roeder has been partially utilizing the lab space of JoEllen Welsh, professor of biological sciences. "Dr. Welsh has been very generous in allowing us to do all of our cell culture in her lab space, which puts an added burden on those facilities," says Roeder.

Because most of the faculty who will be occupying the new building hold degrees in more traditional engineering disciplines, questions they often field include "What can engineers contribute to a biomedical revolution?" Engineers play a huge role in biomedical engineering. Combining the traditional strengths of engineers -- a knowledge of materials and mechanical systems, experience in the design and control of systems, and expertise in materials processing -- with the strengths of biologists and surgeons can impact society. It's happening at Notre Dame.

For example, Steven R. Schmid, associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, and James J. Mason, formerly a faculty member and now a researcher at Zimmer, Inc., worked with the Warsaw, Indiana, based company -- a leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of orthopedic implants and fracture management products -- to produce devices that could be used in minimally invasive surgical procedures. Together, the team pioneered a hip fracture implant featuring curable, metallic and polymer components that allow for a 25mm surgical incision instead of the traditional 300mm incision. The new implant and replacement procedure causes less trauma and promotes a shorter hospital stay and faster rehabilitation process. Zimmer began clinical trials of the device in February 2005. With more than 350,000 hip fractures occurring in the U.S. annually, and approximately four percent of the patients who undergo hip fracture repair surgery dying during the initial hospital stay and another 40 percent needing long-term care, the potential impact is huge.

Similar projects on the horizon for Notre Dame researchers include a mechanically stable blood substitute, a bioartificial liver assist device, the development of synthetic bone substitutes, and studies of microdamage in bone (in relation to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis).

In addition, the Ernestine Raclin and O.C. Carmichael Jr. Hall, which houses the Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend and the W.M. Keck Center for Transgene Research, was opened in 2005, expanding collaborative opportunities for engineering faculty.

Much has been accomplished to date, but much more will be accomplished as faculty continue to explore the intersection of engineering, biology, and medicine. "Our efforts, which mesh so well with the Catholic mission of the University," says Schmid, "will impact the quality of life as we know it ... in very tangible and direct ways."