Spencer Szczesny, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
University of Pennsylvania
Hometown
Marlboro, NJ
Education
Ph.D. Bioengineering, 2015, Univ. of PennsylvaniaM.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2005, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyB.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2003, Univ. of Pennsylvania
Areas of Special Interest
Mechanobiology of tendon stem/progenitor cells; Hierarchical mechanics of collagenous soft tissues
Awards
2016 New Investigator Recognition Award Finalist, Orthopaedic Research Society
2015 Acta Student Award for 2014 publication in Acta Biomaterialia
2015 First Place, PhD Student Competition, Summer B3 Conference (SB3C)
2014 President Gutmann Leadership Award, Univ. of Pennsylvania
2013 First Place, PhD Student Competition, ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference
2005 Charlemagne Scholarship, RWTH Aachen University
2005 Max Kade Foundation Scholarship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2003 Hugo Otto Wolf Memorial Prize, University of Pennsylvania
2003 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention
Publications
Szczesny SE, Caplan JL, Pedersen P, Elliott DM (2015) Quantification of interfibrillar shear stress in aligned soft collagenous tissues via notch tension testing. Sci Rep 5: 14649.
Szczesny SE, Elliott DM (2014) Incorporating plasticity of the interfibrillar matrix in shear lag models is necessary to replicate the multiscale mechanics of tendon fascicles. J Mech Behav Biomed 40: 325-338.
Szczesny SE, Edelstein RS, Elliott DM (2014) DTAF dye concentrations commonly used to measure microscale deformations in biological tissues alter tissue mechanics. PLoS ONE 9(6): e99588.
Szczesny SE, Elliott DM (2014) Interfibrillar shear stress is the loading mechanism of collagen fibrils in tendon. Acta Biomater 10(6): 2582-2590.
Kichula ET, Wang H, Dorsey SM, Szczesny SE, Elliott DM, Burdick JA, Wenk JF (2014) Experimental and computational investigation of altered mechanical properties in myocardium after hydrogel injection. Ann Biomed Eng 42(7): 1546-1556.
Driscoll TP, Nakasone RH, Szczesny SE, Elliott DM, Mauck RL (2013) Biaxial mechanics and inter-lamellar shearing of stem-cell seeded electrospun angle-ply laminates for annulus fibrosus tissue engineering. J Orthop Res 31(6): 864-870.
Szczesny SE, Peloquin JM, Cortes DH, Kadlowec J, Soslowsky LJ, Elliott DM (2012) Biaxial tensile testing and constitutive modeling of human supraspinatus tendon. J Biomech Eng 134(2): 021004.
Matuszewski PE, Chen YL, Szczesny SE, Lake SP, Elliott DM, Soslowsky LJ, Dodge GR (2012) Regional variation in human supraspinatus tendon proteoglycans: decorin, biglycan, and aggrecan. Conn Tiss Res 53(5): 343-348.
Lee CS, Szczesny SE, Soslowsky LJ (2011) Remodeling and repair of orthopedic tissue: Role of mechanical loading and biologics; Part 2: Cartilage and Bone. Am J Orthop 40(3): 122-128.
Szczesny SE, Lee CS, Soslowsky LJ (2010) Remodeling and repair of orthopedic tissue: Role of mechanical loading and biologics; Part 1: Tendon and ligament; meniscus. Am J Orthop 39(11): 525-530.
Smith LJ, Martin JT, Szczesny SE, Ponder KP, Haskins ME, Elliott DM (2010) Structural and biomechanical foundations of lumbar spine deformity in mucopolysaccharidosis type VII. J Orthop Res 28(5): 616-622.
Ibrahim NG, Natesh R, Szczesny SE, Ryall K, Eucker SA, Coats B, Margulies SS (2010) In Situ Deformations in the Immature Brain During Rapid Rotations J Biomech Eng 132(4): 044501.
Abstracts
Szczesny SE, Liu PC, Driscoll TP, Mauck RL, Chao PG (2016) Engineered Nanofiber Crimp Alters Scaffold Mechanics and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Mechanotransduction. Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Orlando, FL. (Podium, NIRA Finalist)
Heo SJ, Szczesny SE, Saleh KS, Mauck RL (2016) Expansion of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Nanofibrous Scaffolds Preserves Their ‘Naïve’ Mechanobiologic State. Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Orlando, FL. (Podium)
Heo SJ, Szczesny SE, Cosgrove BD, Saleh KS, Duncan RL, Mauck RL (2016) Cell Contractility Established By RhoA/ROCK And TGFβ/BMP Signaling Mediates Load Induced Chromatin Condensation. Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Orlando, FL. (Podium)
Bansal S, Qu F, Neuwirth AL, Keah NM, Szczesny SE, Mauck RL, Zgonis MH (2016) Insight into Meniscus Tie Fiber Function: Disorganized Layers within an Aligned Fibrous Network Preserve Bulk Mechanics and Promote Strain Reconstitution in the Context of a Radial Tear. Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Orlando, FL. (Podium)Szczesny SE, Fetchko KL, Caplan JL, Pedersen P, Elliott DM (2015) Evidence that interfibrillar load transfer in tendon is supported by a network of small diameter collagen fibrils. Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference, Snowbird, UT. (Podium)
Szczesny SE, Elliott DM (2014) Demonstration and direct measurement of interfibrillar shear stress in tendon via notch tension testing. World Congress of Biomechanics, Boston, MA. (Poster)
Szczesny SE, Elliott DM (2013) Microscale notch tension testing demonstrates existence of interfibrillar shear stress. International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials and Tissues, Sitges, Spain. (Podium)
Szczesny SE, Elliott DM (2013) Shear force interactions between collagen fibrils suggested by multiscale mechanical testing and modeling of tendon. Collagen Gordon Research Conference, New London, NH. (Poster)
Szczesny SE, Elliott DM (2013) Evidence for interfibrillar shear load transfer between sliding fibrils in tendon. ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, Sunriver, OR. (Podium, First Place, PhD Student Competition)
Jacobs NT, Cortes DH, Szczesny SE, Vresilovic EJ, Elliott DM (2012) Material properties over-estimated by boundary conditions in biaxial tension can be corrected using finite element analysis. ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, Farjardo, Puerto Rico. (Podium)
Tous E, Ifkovits JL, Dorsey SM, Szczesny SE, Koomalsingh KJ, Shuto T, Soedu T, Gorman JH, Elliott DM, Gorman RC, Burdick JA (2012) Tunable hyaluronic acid hydrogels to alter and understand left ventricular remodeling. ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, Farjardo, Puerto Rico. (Poster)
Szczesny SE, Peloquin JM, Cortes DH, Kadlowec J, Soslowsky LJ, Elliott DM (2012) Biaxial Tensile Testing and Constitutive Modeling of Human Supraspinatus Tendon. Northeast Bioengineering Conference, Philadelphia, PA. (Poster)
Szczesny SE, Liu SS, Peloquin J, Elliott DM, Soslowsky LJ (2012) Regional material properties of the infraspinatus tendon differ from those of the supraspinatus. Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Francisco, CA. (Podium)
Driscoll TD, Nakasone RH, Szczesny SE, Elliott DM, Mauch RL (2012) Biaxial mechanics and inter-lamellar shearing of electrospun bilayers for annulus fibrosus tissue engineering. Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Francisco, CA. (Poster)
Szczesny SE, Peloquin J, Ilkhani-Pour S, Cortes DH, Kadlowec JA, Soslowsky LJ, Elliott DE (2011) Continuity and affine fiber kinematics in biaxial tension of the supraspinatus tendon, ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, Farmington, PA. (Podium)
Jacobs NT, Cortes DH, Szczesny SE, Vresilovic EJ, Elliott DM (2011) Effect of boundary conditions on stress-strain uniformity in biaxial tension of annulus fibrosus. Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Long Beach, CA. (Poster)
Matuszewshi PE, Chen YL, Szczesny SE, Lake SP, Elliott DM, Soslowsky LJ, Dodge GR (2011) Regional variations in proteoglycans decorin, biglycan, and aggrecan: Implications to mechanical behavior of the supraspinatus tendon. Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Long Beach, CA. (Podium)
Smith LJ, Martin JT, Szczesny SE, Ponder KP, Haskins ME, Elliott DM (2009) Mucopolysaccharidosis VII and the developing lumbar spine: consequences for annulus fibrosus and vertebral end plate mechanical properties. ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, Lake Tahoe, CA. (Podium)
Ryall K, Ibrahim N, Szczesny S, Natesh R, Eucker S, Margulies S (2008) Direct visualization of brain distrotion during rapid rotational accelerations, BMES Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. (Poster)
Szczesny S, Jetzki S, Leonhardt S (2006) Review of current actuator suitability for use in medical implants, Annual International Conference of IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, New York, NY. (Poster)
Szczesny S, Winter A (2004) Design of a gimbaled compliant mechanism stage for precision motion and dynamic control in Z, Tx, and Ty directions, Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference, Salt Lake City, UT. (Podium)
Culpepper M, Szczesny S (2004) Design of a compliant revolute mechanism for accurate dynamic characterization of automotive steering columns, Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference, Salt Lake City, UT. (Podium)