Student Projects

Overview

Generally any of the proposed research projects can be performed at different levels of complexity, from a 3 month undergraduate research project to pursuing a master by research or PhD degree. Have a look at the various research areas shown on our related webpages so that you could identify one (or several areas) that are of particular interest to you.

Supervisors

Staff members of our group are experienced in supervision of research projects. We generally provide plenty of consultation time and academic support during the project. However, we expect students to do .their homework. and also give timely notice if any problems are encountered, so that we are able to resolve these and make good progress for completion of the project. We also encourage that students publish journal and conference papers as they do their research, as this is beneficial on several levels. If you have any questions regarding research topics we are happy to further discuss them with you.

Some Selected Research Projects

While the list of projects given below is not "inclusive" - it represents a variety of different research topics which we are interested in:

Cartilage mechanics and biosynthesis of cartilage: How does cartilage perform its biological function? How can this tissue be regenerated after injury?
Bone regulation . from health to disease: How do bone cells interact with each other to rebuild new bone? Why does osteoporosis occur and how can we effectively treat this disease?
Cancer metastasis formation in bone: Why do cancer cells metastasis to bone? How do cancer cell utilize bone cells in order to grow? Can we interrupt this interaction in order to slow down tumor growth?
Prostate cancer development:
Wnt signaling in mammalian cells:
Design of a glaucoma implant:
Development of a computational tool to predict preterm birth: Can we identify risk factors for women giving birth prematurely? What are determinants of premature birth? Is it possible to use statistical methods to estimate this risk?
Signal mechanotransduction in bone: How do bone cells sense their mechanical environment? How is mechanical loading integrated in the bone remodeling process? We aim to develop a coupled fluid-solid deformation model which helps answering some of these questions.
Optimization of 3D scaffolds used as bone replacement materials: What are ideal pore structures of bone replacement materials so that bone cells can grow? Can we design materials which have similar mechanical properties as bone?