Julien Meaud

Julien Meaud

Julien Meaud

Associate Professor

Julien Meaud joined Georgia Tech as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in August 2013. Before joining Georgia Tech, he worked as a research fellow in the Vibrations and Acoustics Laboratory and in the Computational Mechanics Laboratory at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 

Dr. Meaud investigates the mechanics and physics of complex biological systems and the mechanics and design of engineering materials using theoretical and computational tools. 

One of his research interests is auditory mechanics. In this research, he develops computational multiphysics models of the mammalian ear based on the finite element method. The mammalian ear is a nonlinear transducer with excellent frequency selectivity, high sensitivity, and good transient capture. The goal of this basic scientific research is to better understand how the mammalian ear achieves these characteristics. This research could have important clinical applications as it could help in the development of better treatment and the improvement of diagnostic tools for hearing loss. It could also have engineering applications, such as the design of biometic sensors. This research is truly interdisciplinary as it includes aspects of computational mechanics, structural acoustics, nonlinear dynamics, biomechanics and biophysics. 

Dr. Meaud is also interested in the mechanics, design and optimization of composite materials, particularly of their response to cyclic loads. Tradtional engineering and natural materials with high damping (such as rubber) tends to have low stiffness. However, the microarchitecture of composite materials that consist of a lossy polymer and a stiff constituent can be designed to simultaneously obtain high stiffness and high damping. Using computational tools such as finite element methods and topology optimization, the goal of Dr. Meaud's research is to design composite materials with these unconventional properties. One of his future goal is to extend the design of these materials to the finite strain regime and high frequency ranges, in order to obtained materials tailored for the targetted application. This research includes aspects of mechanics of materials, computational mechanics and structural dynamics. 

In Dr. Meaud's research group, students will learn theoretical and computational techniques that are used extensively to solve engineering problems in academic research and industry. Students will develop knowledge and expertise in a broad array of mechanical engineering areas. The knowledge that students will gain in computational mechanics, nonlinear and structural dynamics, structural acoustics, dynamics and composite materials could be applied to many domains in their future career.

julien.meaud@me.gatech.edu

404-385-1301

Office Location:
Love 129

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Research Focus Areas:
  • Neuroscience
  • Systems Biology
  • Additional Research:
    Meaud investigates the mechanics and physics of complex biological systems and the mechanics and design of engineering materials using theoretical and computational tools. One of his research interests is auditory mechanics. In this research, he develops computational multiphysics models of the mammalian ear based on the finite element method. The mammalian ear is a nonlinear transducer with excellent frequency selectivity, high sensitivity, and good transient capture. The goal of this basic scientific research is to better understand how the mammalian ear achieves these characteristics. This research could have important clinical applications as it could help in the development of better treatment and the improvement of diagnostic tools for hearing loss. It could also have engineering applications, such as the design of biometic sensors. This research is truly interdisciplinary as it includes aspects of computational mechanics, structural acoustics, nonlinear dynamics, biomechanics and biophysics. Dr. Meaud is also interested in the mechanics, design and optimization of composite materials, particularly of their response to cyclic loads. Tradtional engineering and natural materials with high damping (such as rubber) tends to have low stiffness. However, the microarchitecture of composite materials that consist of a lossy polymer and a stiff constituent can be designed to simultaneously obtain high stiffness and high damping. Using computational tools such as finite element methods and topology optimization, the goal of Dr. Meaud's research is to design composite materials with these unconventional properties. One of his future goal is to extend the design of these materials to the finite strain regime and high frequency ranges, in order to obtained materials tailored for the targetted application. This research includes aspects of mechanics of materials, computational mechanics and structural dynamics.

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    Raymond P. Vito

    Raymond P. Vito

    Raymond Vito

    Professor Emeritus

    Having retired as Vice Provost, Dr. Vito is a Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering and currently works part-time. He was one of the founders of The InVenture Prize and has been pivotal in the creation, development, evolution and delivery of the CREATE-X program. His startup expertise is in the area of medical devices, an area where he has conducted research and holds several patents.

    Dr. Vito began his research career in nonlinear vibrations but switched within two years of receiving his Ph.D. to biomechanics, especially soft tissue mechanics. He began at Tech in 1974 as an Assistant Professor. Prior, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at McMaster University, Canada.

    rpvito@gatech.edu

    404-894-2792

    Office Location:
    Petit Biotechnology Building, Office 2308

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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
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    Dr. Vito's research interest is in the mechanical determinants of rupture of atherosclerotic plaque. Plaque rupture is important in stroke and heart attack because it precipitates the formation of a thrombus (blood clot) which then breaks away and causes an obstruction of flow. Experiments and modeling are used to determine what compositional factors predispose a plaque to rupture. Dr. Vito collaborates with people interested in detecting vulnerable plaque using magnetic resonance imaging and with others who want to intervene with drugs or genetic manipulation to reduce the likelihood of plaque rupture. His current research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

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    J. Brandon Dixon

    J. Brandon Dixon

    J. Brandon Dixon

    Professor

    Dr. Dixon began at Georgia Tech in August 2009 as an Assistant Professor. Prior to his current appointment, he was a staff scientist at Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - Lausanne) doing research on tissue-engineered models of the lymphatic system. Dr. Dixon received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering while working in the Optical Biosensing Laboratory, where he developed an imaging system for measuring lymphatic flow and estimating wall shear stress in contracting lymphatic vessels. 

    Dr. Dixon's research focuses on elucidating and quantifying the molecular aspects that control lymphatic function as they respond to the dynamically changing mechanical environment they encounter in the body. Through the use of tissue-engineered model systems and animal models, our research is shedding light on key functions of lymphatic transport, and the consequence of disease on these functions. One such function is the lymphatic transport of dietary lipid from the intestine to the circulation. Recent evidence from our lab suggests that this process involves active uptake into lymphatics by the lymphatic endothelial cells. There are currently no efficacious cures for people suffering from lymphedema, and the molecular details connecting lymphedema severity with clinically observed obesity and lipid accumulation are unknown. Knowledge of these mechanisms will provide insight for planning treatment and prevention strategies for people facing lipid-lymphatic related diseases. 

    Intrinsic to the lymphatic system are the varying mechanical forces (i.e., stretch, fluid shear stress) that the vessels encounter as they seek to maintain interstitial fluid balance and promote crucial transport functions, such as lipid transport and immune cell trafficking. Thus, we are also interested in understanding the nature of these forces in both healthy and disease states, such as lymphedema, in order to probe the biological response of the lymphatic system to mechanical forces. The complexity of these questions requires the development of new tools and technologies in tissue engineering and imaging. In the context of exploring lymphatic physiology, students in Dr. Dixon's laboratory learn to weave together techniques in molecular and cell biology, biomechanics, imaging, computer programming, and image and signal processing to provide insight into the regulation of lymphatic physiology. Students in the lab also have the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary environment, as we collaborate with clinicians, life scientists, and other engineers, thus preparing the student for a career in academia and basic science research, or a career in industry.

    dixon@gatech.edu

    404-385-3915

    Office Location:
    Petit Biotechnology Building, Office 2312

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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Cell Manufacturing
  • Drug Design, Development and Delivery
  • Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • Regenerative Medicine

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    Susan Thomas

    Susan Thomas

    Susan Thomas

    Professor
    Associate Director, Integrated Cancer Research Center
    Co-Director, Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Research Center

    Susan Napier Thomas holds the Woodruff Professorship and is a Professor (full) with tenure of Mechanical Engineering in the Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience at the Georgia Institute of Technology where she holds adjunct appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Biological Science and is a member of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Prior to this appointment, she was a Whitaker postdoctoral scholar at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (one of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology) and received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Bioengineering cum laude from the University of California Los Angeles and her Ph.D. in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department as a NSF Graduate Research Fellow from The Johns Hopkins University. For her contributions to the emerging field of immunoengineering, she has been honored with the 2022 Award for Young Investigator from Elsevier's journal Biomaterials for "outstanding contributions to the field" of biomaterials science, the 2018 Young Investigator Award from the Society for Biomaterials for "outstanding achievements in the field of biomaterials research" and the 2013 Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society "in recognition of high level of originality and ingenuity in a scientific work in biomedical engineering." Her interdisciplinary research program is supported by multiple awards on which she serves as PI from the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, amongst others.

    susan.thomas@gatech.edu

    404-385-1126

    Office Location:
    Petit Biotechnology Building, Office 2315

    Website

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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Biomaterials
  • Cancer Biology
  • Drug Design, Development and Delivery
  • Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Additional Research:
    Thomas's research focuses on the role of biological transport phenomena in physiological and pathophysiological processes. Her laboratory specializes in incorporating mechanics with cell engineering, biochemistry, biomaterials, and immunology in order to 1) elucidate the role mechanical forces play in regulating seemingly unrelated aspects of tumor progression such as metastasis and immune suppression as well as 2) develop novel immunotherapeutics to treat cancer. Cancer progression is tightly linked to the ability of malignant cells to exploit the immune system to promote survival. Insight into immune function can therefore be gained from understanding how tumors exploit immunity. Conversely, this interplay makes the concept of harnessing the immune system to combat cancer an intriguing approach. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we aim to develop a novel systems-oriented framework to quantitatively analyze immune function in cancer. This multifaceted methodology to study tumor immunity will not only contribute to fundamental questions regarding how to harness immune response, but will also pave the way for novel engineering approaches to treat cancer such as with vaccines and cell- or molecular-based therapies.

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    Costas Arvanitis

    Costas Arvanitis

    Costas Arvanitis

    Associate Professor

    Dr. Arvanitis joined Georgia Institute of Technology as a joint Assistant Professor at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering in August 2016. Before joining Georgia Institute of Technology he was Instructor (Research Faculty) at Harvard Medical Scholl and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Arvanitis has also worked as a research fellow in the Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford.

    costas.arvanitis@gatech.edu

    404-385-5373

    Office Location:
    Molecular Science and Engineering Building, Room 4100Q

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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Neuroscience
  • Additional Research:
    Therapeutic applications of ultrasound: Costas Arvanitis' research investigates the therapeutic applications of ultrasound with an emphasis on brain cancer, and central nervous system disease and disorders. His research is focused on understanding the biological effects of ultrasound and acoustically induced microbubble oscillations (acoustic cavitation) and using them to study complex biological systems, such as the neurovascular network and the tumor microenvironment, with the goal of developing novel therapies for the treatment of cancer and central nervous system diseases and disorders.

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    Michael Varenberg

    Michael Varenberg

    Michael Varenberg

    Adjunct Assistant Professor

    Dr. Varenberg’s research area is Tribology – the science and technology of interacting surfaces that allow for game-changing advancements ranging from making fire and inventing wheel in the past, to enabling human joint replacement in the present. Dr. Varenberg’s main focus is on bionic tribology and green tribology, but, to enhance the public’s interest in tribology science, he also seeks to uncover tribology from daily life, with examples of works on safety razors and table tennis paddles.

    varenberg@gatech.edu

    404-385-3787

    Office Location:
    MRDC 4208

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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Biomaterials

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    Yuhang Hu

    Yuhang Hu

    Yuhang Hu

    Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

    Dr. Yuhang Hu Joined the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology as an assistant professor in August 2018. Prior to that, Dr. Hu was an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2015 to 2018. She received her Ph.D. from Harvard University in the area of Solid Mechanics. She worked in the area of Materials Chemistry as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard from 2011 to 2014.

    yuhang.hu@me.gatech.edu

    404-894-2555

    Office Location:
    MRDC 4107

    Website

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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Biomaterials
  • Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Additional Research:
    Our study focuses on Soft Active Materials especially those consisting both solid and liquid, such as gels, cells and soft biological tissues. Our research is at the interface between mechanics and materials chemistry. Our studies span from fundamental mechanics to novel applications.

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    Aaron Young

    Aaron Young

    Aaron Young

    Associate Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
    Director, EPIC Lab

    Aaron Young is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering and is interested in designing and improving powered orthotic and prosthetic control systems for persons with stroke, neurological injury or amputation. His previous experience includes a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan in the Human Neuromechanics Lab working with exoskeletons and powered orthoses to augment human performance. He has also worked on the control of upper and lower limb prostheses at the Center for Bionic Medicine (CBM) at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. His master's work at CBM focused on the use of pattern recognition systems using myoelectric (EMG) signals to control upper limb prostheses. His dissertation work at CBM focused on sensory fusion of mechanical and EMG signals to enable an intent recognition system for powered lower limb prostheses for use by persons with a transfemoral amputation.

    aaron.young@me.gatech.edu

    404.385.5306

    Office Location:
    GTMI 433

    Exoskeleton and Prosthetic Intelligent Controls (EPIC) Lab

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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Human Augmentation
  • Miniaturization & Integration
  • Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • Additional Research:

    Powered prosthesis; EMG signal processing. Young's research is focused on developing control systems to improve prosthetic and orthotic systems. His research is aimed at developing clinically translatable research that can be deployed on research and commercial systems in the near future. Some of the interesting research questions are how to successfully extract user intent from human subjects and how to use these signals to allow for accurate intent identification. Once the user intent is identified, smart control systems are needed to maximally enable individuals to accomplish useful tasks. For lower limb devices, these tasks might include standing from a seated position, walking, or climbing a stair. We hope to improve clinically relevant measures with powered mechatronic devices, including reducing metabolic cost, improving biomechanics and decreasing the time required to perform daily tasks of living.


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    W. Hong Yeo

    W. Hong Yeo

    W. Hong Yeo

    Associate Professor, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
    Faculty, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
    Director, WISH Center

    W. Hong Yeo is a TEDx alumnus and biomechanical engineer. Since 2017, Yeo is an assistant professor of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Program Faculty in Bioengineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Before joining Georgia Tech, he has worked at Virginia Commonwealth University Medicine and Engineering as an assistant professor from 2014-2016. Yeo received his BS in mechanical engineering from INHA University, South Korea in 2003 and he received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and genome sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle in 2011. From 2011-2013, he worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Beckman Institute and Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on the fundamental and applied aspects of nanomechanics, biomolecular interactions, soft materials, and nano-microfabrication for nanoparticle biosensing and unusual electronic system development, with an emphasis on bio-interfaced translational nanoengineering. is an Editorial Board Member of Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) and Scientific Pages of Bioengineering, and Review Editor of Frontiers of Materials (Frontiers Publishing Group). He serves as a technical committee member for IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference and Korea Technology Advisory Group at Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles, and has three issued and more than five pending patents. His research has been funded by MEDARVA Foundation, Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust, CooperVision, Inc., Korea Institute of Materials Science, Commonwealth Research Commercialization, and State Council of Virginia. Yeo is a recipient of a number of awards, including BMES Innovation and Career Development Award, Virginia Commercialization Award, Blavatnik Award Nominee, NSF Summer Institute Fellowship, Notable Korean Scientist Awards, and Best Paper/Poster Awards at ASME conferences.

    woonhong.yeo@me.gatech.edu

    404.385.5710

    Office Location:
    Pettit 204

    ME Profile Page

  • Center for Human-Centric Interfaces & Engineering
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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Flexible Electronics
  • Human Augmentation
  • Micro and Nano Device Engineering
  • Miniaturization & Integration
  • Neuroscience
  • Additional Research:

    Human-machine interface; hybrid materials; bio-MEMS; Soft robotics. Flexible Electronics; Human-machine interface; hybrid materials; Electronic Systems, Devices, Components, & Packaging; bio-MEMS; Soft robotics. Yeo's research in the field of biomedical science and bioengineering focuses on the fundamental and applied aspects of biomolecular interactions, soft materials, and nano-microfabrication for the development of nano-biosensors and soft bioelectronics.


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    Todd Sulchek

    Todd Sulchek

    Todd Sulchek

    Professor, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
    Appointments in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Biology

    Todd Sulchek is an associate professor in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech where he conducts fundamental and applied research in the field of biophysics. His research program focuses on the mechanical and adhesive properties of cell and biological systems and the development of microsystems to aid in their study. His research employs tools, including, MEMS, microfluidics, imaging, and patterning to understand or enable biological systems. His interests include cancer diagnostics, stem cell biomanufacturing, novel therapeutics, and ultracheap engineering tools. He is a member of the interdisciplinary Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. Dr. Sulchek also holds program faculty positions in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering and has a courtesy appointment in the School of Biology. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford in Applied Physics under Calvin Quate and received a bachelors in math and physics from Johns Hopkins. He was a postdoc and staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. He joined Georgia Tech in 2008 as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award, the BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, the Lockheed Inspirational Young Faculty award, and the 2012 Petit Institute Above and Beyond Award. To date he has published 42 journal papers and has filed or been issued 7 patents. Prof. Sulchek is a strong supporter of undergraduate research, and he participates in a variety of undergraduate education activities including the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and includes over 8 undergraduate authors in the past year.

    todd.sulchek@me.gatech.edu

    404.385.1887

    Office Location:
    Petit 2309

    Sulchek Lab

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    Research Focus Areas:
  • Drug Design, Development and Delivery
  • Micro and Nano Device Engineering
  • Miniaturization & Integration
  • Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
  • Nanomaterials
  • Additional Research:
    Biomedical Devices; bio-MEMS; biosensors; Drug Delivery; Advanced Characterization. Dr. Sulchek's research focuses primarily on the measurement and prediction of how multiple individual biological bonds produce a coordinated function within molecular and cellular systems. There are two complementary goals. The first is to understand the kinetics of multivalent pharmaceuticals during their targeting of disease markers; the second is to quantify the host cell signal transduction resulting from pathogen invasion. Several tools are developed and employed to accomplish these goals. The primary platform for study is the atomic force microscope (AFM), which controls the 3-D positioning of biologically functionalized micro- and nanoscale mechanical probes. Interactions between biological molecules are quantified in a technique called force spectroscopy. Membrane protein solubilized nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) are also used to functionalize micro/nano-scale probes with relevant biological mediators. This scientific program requires the development of enabling instrumentation and techniques, which include the following: Advanced microscopy and MEMs; Nanomechanical linkers, which provide a convenient platform to control biomolecular interactions and study multivalent molecular kinetics; Biological mimetics, which provide a simple system to study cell membranes and pathogens. UltIMaTely, this work is used to optimize molecular drug targeting, improve chem/bio sensors, and develop more efficient pathogen countermeasures.

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