The biological sciences seminar series welcomes Dr. Spencer Lake, associate professor in mechanical engineering and materials science at Washington University, will present "The Role of Elastic Fibers in Tendon Mechanics." 

Spencer Lake is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science and Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. He directs the Musculoskeletal Soft Tissue Lab where research projects seek to enhance fundamental understanding of soft tissue biomechanics to improve strategies to prevent and treat degeneration and injury. His work has designed experimental methods to elucidate multi-scale tendon mechanics, developed new model systems to study challenging clinic conditions like elbow injury and joint contracture, and advanced imaging techniques to quantify real-time microstructural organization of connective tissues under load. Dr. Lake’s research has resulted in 90+ journal articles and 190+ conference abstracts, and has been funded by the NIH, NSF, and several research foundations. He is the recipient of a number of research and teaching awards and is a fellow of the ASME.