Juan C. Lasheras Joins NIH MABS Study Section

Distinguished Professor Juan C. Lasheras from UC San Diego has accepted an invitation from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to serve as a member of the Modeling and Analysis of Biological Systems Study Section, which reviews grant applications for scientific merit as a part of the NIH Center for Scientific Review.

The Modeling and Analysis of Biological Systems Study Section (MABS) reviews NIH grant applications concerned with the development of modeling / enabling technologies for understanding the complexity of biological systems. The scope of these systems ranges from molecular, to supra-molecular, to genes, to organelles, to cellular, to tissue and to organ level studies.

In March 2014, Lasheras and a team of biologists and engineers from UC San Diego published a paper in the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB) in which they reported their discovery that white blood cells move to inflamed sites by walking in a stepwise manner. The cells, the researchers found, periodically form and break adhesions mainly under two “feet,” and generate the traction forces that propel them forward by the coordinated action of contractile proteins.

Their discovery, which was highlighted on the cover of the March 17 issue of JCB, is an important advance toward developing new pharmacological strategies to treat chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, Type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

The paper is titled “Both contractile axial and lateral traction force dynamics drive amoeboid cell motility” Read the UC San Diego press release here.

Modeling and Analysis of Biological Systems

Tools developed by grants funded by the NIH Modeling and Analysis of Biological Systems study section are characteristically applied to further understanding of interactions and integrations through levels and scales and the emergence of patterns that help to explain system behavior.

Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors. 

Professor Lasheras, for example, holds the Stanford S. & Beverly P. Penner Professor in Engineering or Applied Science endowed chair at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Lasheras is a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Jacobs School.

Professor Lashers serves as Director of the Center for Medical Devices and Technology, part of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine at UC San Diego. He is a Faculty Director of the Medical Device Engineering executive master’s degree program at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

Lasheras joins UC San Diego bioengineering professor Andrew McCulloch on the 16-person Modeling and Analysis of Biological Systems Study Section. UC San Diego is the only university with more than one professor on this NIH study section. 

Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society to Honor Dr. Michael I. Baskes with Symposium

The Minerals Metals and Materials Society (TMS) will honor Michael I. Baskes, an adjunct professor in the department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, at the TMS annual meeting in February 2014 through a special symposium entitled: "Progress Towards Rational Materials Design in the Three Decades Since the Invention of the Embedded Atom Method: An MPMD Symposium in Honor of Dr. Michael I Baskes."

Symposium organizers:
Srinivasan Gopalan Srivilliputhur, University of North Texas
Amit Misra, Los Alamos National LaboratoryNeville Moody, Sandia National LaboratoriesStephen Foiles, Sandia National LaboratoriesMark Asta, University of California Alan Needleman, University of North Texas

Sponsorship:

TMS: Nanomechanical Materials Behavior Committee

TMS Symposium Description This symposium will honor the remarkable contributions of Dr. Michael I. Baskes to the field of computational materials science. Along his career Dr. Baskes has pioneered the theoretical and numerical development of models of materials behavior, with emphasis on the role played by atomistic defects on the anisotropic behavior of engineering materials. His many contributions have been critical to establish a strong connection between models and experiments, and to bridge different scales in the pursuit of robust multiscale models with experimental integration.

This symposium intends to bring together materials scientists and engineers to address current theoretical, computational and experimental issues related to microstructure-property relationships in engineering materials, including the deformation of single, polycrystalline materials, and nanocrystalline materials, development of high-fidelity atomistic models for alloys and their application in studying defect physics over experimentally relevant length and timescales, and, most importantly, unresolved challenges and problems in computational materials science in general. Special attention will be paid to research that closely couple experiments with computational modeling across length and time scales.

In 2012, Baskes was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, along with three others with affiliations at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Details below.

Mike I. Baskes has been elected “for contributions to the embedded atom method for predicting the structure and properties of metals and alloys.” Baskes uses computational methods to investigate material properties and has developed models that predict the behavior of helium in metals as well as a model that explains hydrogen isotope recombination.

Juan C. Lasheras has been elected for “studies of atomization, turbulent mixing, and heat transfer and for the development of medical devices.” Lasheras is an international expert working at the intersection of mechanics, biology and medicine. He has made pioneering contributions to the design of novel medical devices; the mechanics of cell migration and invasion; the study of turbulent and two-phase flows; and the efficiency of jet engine propulsion.

Robert Skelton has been elected “for contributions to robust control, system identification, and methodology for control-structure interaction.” Skelton is a leading theorist, whose work combines the disciplines of structures and controls. He has been involved with Skylab and the Hubble Space Telescope as well as a variety of projects here on Earth, from robots to red blood cells.

Peter C. Farrell has been elected “for research and development of devices for treatment of sleep-disordered breathing.” Farrell is the founder, chairman and CEO of San Diego-based ResMed, a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment for treating, diagnosing, and managing sleep-disordered breathing and other respiratory disorders. Farrell is a member of the Council of Advisors of the Dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering.

Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society to Honor Professor Marc A. Meyers with Symposium

The Minerals Metals and Materials Society (TMS) will honor Marc A. Meyers, a materials science professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering at their annual meeting in February 2014 through a special symposium on Dynamic Behavior of Materials. (Meyers is affiliated with Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, and NanoEngineering at the Jacobs School.)

Symposium organizers: Naresh Thadhani, Georgia Institute of Technology and George Thompson Gray, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Sponsorship: TMS/ASM: Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee

Abstract submission is open until July 1. A description of the symposium from the website of TMS2014 is below.

The dynamic behavior of materials encompasses a broad range of phenomena associated with extreme environment and with relevance to technological applications in military and civilian sectors. The field of dynamic behavior of materials comprises diverse phenomena such as deformation, fracture, fragmentation, shear localization, damage dissipation, chemical reactions under extreme conditions, and processing (combustion synthesis; shock compaction; explosive welding and fabrication; shock and shear synthesis of novel materials). It has evolved considerably in the past twenty years and is now at a stage where its significance to all classes of materials including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites is becoming relevant.

It is recognized today, as evidenced by the contributions herein, that materials aspects are of utmost importance in extreme dynamic loading events. The macro mechanical and physical processes that govern the phenomena manifest themselves at the microstructural level, by dazzling complexity of defect configurations and effects. Nevertheless, these processes/mechanisms can be quantitatively treated on the basis of accumulated knowledge. We are entering an exciting stage where our capabilities, from continuum and molecular dynamics computations, enable realistic predictions of materials performances and are starting to guide not only the design process but also our further micromechanical understanding of deformation processes at every level, including the basic dislocation mechanisms. The multiple technologies applications of this field include crashworthiness, machining, and important military effects of armor and projectile designs, ballistic penetrations, and explosive dynamics leading in general to the design of conventional and nuclear weapons. Applications in the medical field are also becoming important, with recent developments aimed at understanding traumatic brain injury and drug delivery. The dynamic behavior of materials during processing, including during compaction, synthesis, welding, forming, etc., is also of considerable importance. The symposium organizers hope that, through the publications of the symposium articles, the materials community will become more exposed to this research field.