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McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory

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Soslowsky Laboratory

Jonathon Blank, PH.D.

Post Doctoral Researcher
University of Pennsylvania

Hometown

Kent, Ohio

Education

PhD, Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2023
MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2020
BS, Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2018

Areas of Interest

Orthopaedic Biomechanics, Soft Tissue Structure-Function, Noninvasive Sensing & Imaging

Honors

  • 2020 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
  • Runner up, PhD Student Paper Competition, 2023 Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference
  • Third place, MS Student Paper Competition, 2019 Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference

Publications

  1. Blank JL, Thelen DG. “Adjacent Subcutaneous Tissues Reduce Shear Wave Speeds in Axially Loaded Tendons.” EngrXiv. 2023.
  2. Blank JL, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Regional Shear Wave Speed Predicts Regional Axial Stress in Nonuniformly Loaded Fibrous Soft Tissues” EngrXiv. 2023.
  3. Blomquist MB, Blank JL, Schmitz DG, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Shear wave tensiometry tracks reductions in collateral ligament tension due to incremental releases” Journal of Orthopedic Research. Vol. 41-3, pp. 524-533. 2022.
  4. Blank JL, Blomquist MB, Arant LA, Cone SG, Roth JD. “Characterizing musculoskeletal soft tissue mechanics based on shear wave propagation - a systematic review of current methods and reported measurements.” Annals of Biomedical Engineering. Vol. 50, pp. 751-768. 2022. 
  5. Blank JL, Thelen DG, Allen MS, Roth JD. “Sensitivity of the Shear Wave Speed-Stress Relationship to Soft Tissue Material Properties and Fiber Alignment.” Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. Vol. 125, pp. 104964. 2021. 
  6. Blank JL, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Shear Wave Speeds Track Axial Stress in Porcine Collateral Ligaments.” Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. Vol. 105, pp. 103705. 2020. 
  7. Blank JL, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Ligament Shear Wave Speeds are Sensitive to Tensiometer-Tissue Interactions: A Parametric Modeling Study.” Computer Methods, Imaging and Visualization in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering.Vol. 36, pp. 48-59. 2020. 

Conference Abstracts and Presentations

  1. Blank JL, Patel SA, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Shear Wave Speeds Predict Fatigue-Induced Microdamage in Tendons.” American Society of Biomechanics, Knoxville, TN, August 2023. 
  2. Blank JL, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Shear Strain Stiffening In Ligaments Arises from Unaligned Fibers and is Amplified by Axial Strain.” Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference, Vail, CO, June 2023.  
  3. Blank JL, Thelen DG. “Adjacent Subcutaneous Tissues Reduce Shear Wave Speeds in Axially Loaded Tendons In Silico.” 4th Annual Computing in Engineering Forum, Virtual, September 2022.  
  4. Blank JL, Welte L, Cone SG, Thelen DG. “Multi-Layered Finite Element Model Provides Insights Into the Influence of Adjacent Tissues on Shear Wave Propagation in the Achilles Tendon.” ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference – Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Control, St. Louis, MO, August 2022.  
  5. Blank JL, Thelen DG, Allen MS, Roth JD. “Shear Wave as a Noninvasive Measurement for Regional Tendon Stress.” Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference, Eastern Shore, MD, June 2022.  
  6. Allen MS, Blank JL, Arant LR, Roth JD, Thelen DG. “A Numerical Approach to Estimate Bulk Wave Speeds and Dispersion.” Acoustical Society of America, Denver, CO, May 2022.  
  7. Blank JL, Thelen DG, Allen MS, Roth JD. “Sensitivity of the Shear Wave Speed-Stress Relationship in Connective Tissues to Material Properties and Microstructure - A Probabilistic Finite Element Study.” 17th International Symposium on Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering and the 5th Conference on Imaging and Visualization, Virtual, September 2021. 
  8. Blank JL, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Sensitivity of the Shear Wave Speed-Stress Relationship to Ligament Fiber Alignment – A Probabilistic Finite Element Study.” Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference, Virtual, June 2021.  
  9. Cone SG, Blank JL, Thelen DG. “Shear Wave Speed and Local Stress Vary as a Factor of Fiber Stiffness and Orientation in Patellar Tendons with Modeled Scar Tissue.” Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference, Virtual, June 2020.  
  10. Blank JL, Cone SG, Allen MS, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Investigation of Interfibrillar Mechanics on Shear Wave Propagations in Non-Uniformly Loaded Ligaments.” Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference, Virtual, June 2020.  
  11. Blomquist MB, Blank JL, Schmitz DG, Thelen DG, Roth JD. “Characterizing the Relationship Between Shear Wave Speed and Tension in Collateral Ligaments Following Release During Total Knee Arthroplasty.” Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference, Virtual, June 2020.  
  12. Cone SG, Blank JL, Lang PJ, Thelen DG. “Tissue Resection Alters Regional Tissue Mechanics of Patellar Tendons.” International Symposium on Ligaments and Tendons, Phoenix, AZ, February 2020. 
  13. Roth JD, Blank JL, Thelen DG. “Shear Wave Speed is Sensitive to Tensiometer-Tissue Interactions: A Parametric Modeling Study.” 16th International Symposium on Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering and the 5th Conference on Imaging and Visualization, New York, NY, August 2019. 

Jon joined the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory in the Fall of 2023. He enjoys golf, playing piano, making pasta, and playing with his cat.

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