JILL HIGGINSON
X. LUCAS LU
JILL HIGGINSON leads research aimed at improving understanding of muscle coordination for normal and pathological movements through coupled experimental and simulation studies. Higginson’s group uses state-of-the-art modeling and optimization techniques to develop a cause-and-effect framework that relates muscle impairments to gait deviations. Experiments involve three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic analysis and electromyography (EMG) recording during treadmill and overground gait. Modeling and optimization are used to develop simulations based on experimental data.
X. LUCAS LU and his collaborators are addressing several bioengineering problems. The first is prevention of posttrauma osteoarthritis. Although arthritis is generally associated with aging, it can also result from the type of trauma experienced by young soldiers and athletes. With support from the Department of Defense, Lu has teamed with surgeons and biologists to study the effectiveness of statins in the treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis. Statins are FDA-approved and prescribed to hundreds of millions of people in the US for cholesterol control. Lu’s group is also performing a big data study to analyze the statin use and osteoarthritis occurrence in the Delaware population.
Ongoing research projects are related to muscle deficits and subject-specific interventions for poststroke hemiparetic gait, simulation-based analysis of muscle coordination in healthy and pathological gait, and interactions between cognitive function and gait performance. Recent papers have focused on measurements of propulsion and dynamic structure of lower limb joint angles during walking post-stroke.
He is also investigating the mechanics and lubrication of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Using novel mechanical technology and finite element simulation, Lu is studying the structure-function correlation of the cartilaginous tissues in the TMJ and its lubrication mechanism. He is also working with a team of oral surgeons to investigate the use of natural polyphenols for the treatment of TMJ disorders.
The overarching goal of the work is to form a scientific rationale for therapeutic interventions to improve movement. Higginson is also co-PI with X. Lucas Lu on an NSF program to provide a biomechanics research experience for undergraduate students on the UD campus each summer.
Another area of interest for Lu is rehabilitation for microfracture surgery to repair cartilage lesions. Young athletes suffering from trauma-induced cartilage loss are often treated with microfracture surgery, a minimally invasive procedure that creates tiny punctures in the bone to stimulate bone marrow growth in the damaged area. Lu is working with physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons to optimize the rehabilitation protocol after surgery and to enhance the deposition and quality of newly repaired tissue at the injury site. UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 23