Sandra Shefelbine
Associate Dean of Space and Special Initiatives,
Office of the Dean
Professor,
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Professor,
Bioengineering
Office
- 222 ISEC
- 617.373.3199
Lab
- 260 ISEC
Research Focus
Multi-scale bone biomechanics–how the structure and composition of bone influences its mechanical properties; mechano-adaptation of bone and joint– how tissue responds to mechanical signals
Education
- PhD (2002), Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
- MPhil (1998) Engineering Design, Cambridge University
- BSE (1997) Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University
Honors & Awards
- 2020 Fulbright Futures Scholarship, University of Melbourne
- 2020 American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers Fellow
- 2011 Imperial College London Rector’s Medal of Excellence in Teaching
- 2010 Royal Academy of Engineering Exxon Mobil Teaching Award
- 2010 Faculty of Engineering Outstanding Teaching Award
- 2010 Department of Bioengineering student selected ‘Best Teacher’ Award
- 2005 RCUK Academic Fellowship
- 2002 National Science Foundation International Research Fellowship
Teaching Interests
- Solid mechanics
- Dynamics
- Musculoskeletal biomechanics
Research Overview
Multi-scale bone biomechanics–how the structure and composition of bone influences its mechanical properties; mechano-adaptation of bone and joint– how tissue responds to mechanical signals
Shefelbine Lab
Shefelbine Lab conducts the following research:
Musculoskeletal mechanoadaptation: Bones are responsive to load: with increased loading, bone formation occurs, with decreased loading bone resorption occurs. Our research explores the mechano- sensitivity of bone using clinical observations, experimental models, and computational simulations.
Advanced skeletal technologies: Investigation of bone sometimes requires development of new technologies. In collaborations, this lab has developed new technologies to measure or assess musculoskeletal biomechanics.
Multiscale mechanics of bone: Bone is a natural composite material consisting of protein (mainly collagen), mineral (hydroxyapatite), and water. Like many other natural composites bone exhibits a unique combination of mechanical properties, in particular high strength and toughness. This work explores how changes in the bone building blocks at the molecular level influence its hierarchical architecture and how structural features interact across a wide range of length scales.
Selected Research Projects
- In Vivo Mechanotransduction During Limb Growth
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Manipulating Fluid Flow in Mechanoadaptation of Bone
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Mechanobiology of Joint Morphogenesis: Manipulating Salamander Limbs
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
Research Centers and Institutes
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- Meslier QA, Shefelbine SJ (2023) Using Finite Element Modeling in Bone Mechanoadaptation. Curr Osteoporos Rep 21:105–116.
- Comellas E, Shefelbine SJ (2022) The role of computational models in mechanobiology of growing bone. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 10:973788.
- Meslier QA, DiMauro N, Somanchi P, Nano S, Shefelbine SJ (2022) Manipulating load-induced fluid flow in vivo to promote bone adaptation. Bone 165:116547.
- Piet J, Adamo S, Hu D, Baron R, Shefelbine SJ (2022) Marrow aspiration in aged mice: intramedullary osteogenesis, reduced mechano-adaptation, increased marrow fat. Connect Tissue Res 63:97–111.
- Comellas E, Farkas JE, Kleinberg G, Lloyd K, Mueller T, Duerr TJ, Muñoz JJ, Monaghan JR, Shefelbine SJ (2022) Local mechanical stimuli correlate with tissue growth in axolotl salamander joint morphogenesis. Proc Biol Sci 289:20220621.
- Kleinberg G, Wang S, Comellas E, Monaghan JR, Shefelbine SJ (2022) Usability of deep learning pipelines for 3D nuclei identification with Stardist and Cellpose. Cells Dev 172:203806.
- Ben Tahar S, Garnier J, Eller K, DiMauro N, Piet J, Mehta S, Bajpayee AG, Shefelbine SJ (2023) Adolescent obesity incurs adult skeletal deficits in murine induced obesity model. J Orthop Res Off Publ Orthop Res Soc 41:386–395.
- B.K. Connizzo, J.M. Piet, S.J. Shefelbine, A.J. Grodzinsky Age-Associated Changes in the Response of Tendon Explants to Stress Deprivation is Sex-Dependent, Connective Tissue Research, 61(1), 2020, 48-6
- R.P. Main, S.J. Shefelbine, L.B. Meakin, M.J. Silva, M.C.H van der Meulen, B.M. Willie, Murine Axial Compression Tibial Loading Model to Study Bone Mechanobiology: Implementing the Model and Reporting Results, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 38, 2020, 233–252
- B. Depalle, C.M. McGilvery, S. Nobakhti, N. Aldegaither, S.J. Shefelbine, A.E. Porter, Osteopontin Regulates Type I Collagen Fibril Formation In Bone Tissue, Acta Biomaterialia, 2020
- S.M. Sadeghian, C.L. Lewis, S.J. Shefelbine Predicting Growth Plate Orientation with Altered Hip Loading: Potential Cause of Cam Morphology, Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 19(2), 2020, 701-712
- V. Kondiboyina, L.B. Raine, A.F. Kramer, N.A. Khan, C.H. Hillman, S.J. Shefelbine, Skeletal Effects of Nine Months of Physical Activity in Obese and Healthy-Weight Children, Medicine and Sci- ence in Sports and Exercise, 52(2), 2020, 434-440
- A.E. Draghici, J.A. Taylor, M.L. Bouxsein, S.J. Shefelbine Effects of FES-Rowing Exercise on the Time-Dependent Changes in Bone Microarchitecture After Spinal Cord Injury: A Cross-Sectional Inves-tigation, JBMR Plus, 3(9), 2019, e10200
- J. Piet, D. Hu, Q. Meslier, R. Baron, S.J. Shefelbine Increased Cellular Presence After Sciatic Neurectomy Improves the Bone Mechano-adaptive Response in Aged Mice, Calcified Tissue International, 105(3), 2019, 316–330
May 27, 2025
PhD Students Volunteer at Elementary School Science Fair
Six BioE and MIE PhD students volunteered at the annual Broadmeadow Elementary School Science Fair in Needham, Massachusetts, alongside MIE/BioE Professor Sandra Shefelbine, where K-5th grade students presented individual projects.
Feb 07, 2025
Spring 2025 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several COE, COS, and Khoury students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Spring 2025 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Jan 31, 2025
2024 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above. The list below includes those who published a paper in 2024 or later.
Jul 24, 2024
PhD Spotlight: Vineel Kondiboyina, PhD’24, Bioengineering
Vineel Kondiboyina, PhD’24, bioengineering, focused his research on the mechanobiology of limb growth. Using mechanical testing, computational modeling, and biochemical characterization, he explored the dynamics of tissue stiffness and composition changes during limb development.
Jul 08, 2024
Fall 2024 AJC Merit Research Scholars
Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Northeastern’s AJC Merit Research Scholarship, which will fund a July to December 2024 co-op in the laboratory of a Northeastern University STEM faculty member.
Jul 05, 2024
Finding Her Passion in Biomechanics Through Co-ops
Co-ops at Insulet and the U.S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center helped Elizabeth Klemm, E’23, bioengineering and biomedical engineering, determined her career path. She continued at the Soldier Center after graduating, focusing on helmet mass research and how the distribution of that mass may impact soldier performance.
May 08, 2024
2024 URF Scholars Recipients
Several engineering students received 2024 URF Scholars Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. URF Scholars are students who are graduating this year and who have earned a PEAK Experiences Award, applied for a distinguished fellowship, or participated in graduate school advising.
Feb 01, 2024
Celebrating Bioengineering at Northeastern: Visions for the Future
The Department of Bioengineering hosted a 10 year anniversary celebration to commemorate what the department has accomplished and showcase its plans for the future.
Dec 21, 2023
Moving Toward a Future in Bioengineering Research
By succeeding academically, thriving in two co-ops, participating in student groups, and working with a mentor, Hannah Kim, E’24, bioengineering, is set to pursue an advanced degree with a research focus on tissue mechanics and tissue biology.
Dec 07, 2023
2023 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above.