Christopher Jacobs

Associate Professor (Research), Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Functional Restoration Director, Rehabilitation Research and Development Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Degrees

Ph.D. Stanford University - Mechanical Engineering (1994)

Awards/Honors

1998 Research Awared of the European Society of Biomechanics
1998 Young Investigator Award of the American Socity of Biomechanics
2000-present Member of the NIH Orthopeadic Study Section
2001-present Editorial Board Member: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering
2001-present Associate Editor: Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
2004 Department of Veterans Affairs, Career Scientist Award

Research Interests

Professor Jacobs' research focuses on current biomechanical research questions in orthopaedic science, applying a multidisciplinary approach at the interface between engineering and clinical science as well as the interface between engineering and biology. Current investigations include the study of mechanosensitivity of bone cells to fluid shear stress and substrate deformations; the change in cancellous bone tissue properties with osteoporosis using mechanical testing combined with large-scale (>1 million elements) finite element modeling; using particle composites to improve the fatigue lifetime of acrylic bone cement; identification of the influence of cartilage constituents on mechanical properties at the molecular level; the effect of injury and repair technique on shoulder stability; the effect of weight training on bone material properties; polyethylene wear in prosthetic knee replacements; and the design and quantitative evaluation of prosthetic implants.

Projects

Department of Veterans Affairs "Center of Excellence on Bone and Joint Rehabilitation Research and Development"
NASA "Loading-induced fluid flow and disuse bone loss"
NIH Mechatransduction in Bone via Oscillatory Fluid Flow
US Army Fluid Flow Sensitivity of Bone Cells as a Function of Age

Patents

"New bone Cement Formulation with an Enhanced Fatigue Lifetime." Patent Number 6020396 Issued February 2, 2000.

Selected Publications

You J, Reilly GC, Zhen X, Yellowley CE, Chen Q, Donahue HJ, Jacobs CR. Osteopontin gene regulation by oscillatory fluid flow via intracellular calcium mobilization and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276:13365-13371, 2001.

You J, Yellowley CE, Donahue HJ, Jacobs CR. Substrate deformation levels associated with routine physical activity are less stimulatory to bone cells relative to loading-induced oscillatory fluid flow. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 133:387-393, 2000.

Jacobs CR. The mechanobiology of cancellous bone structural adaptation. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 37:209-216, 2000.

Jacobs CR, Yellowley CE, Nelson DR, Donahue HJ. A novel application of rainflow cycle counting to time-varying biophysical time data. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 3:31-40, 2000.

Jacobs CR, Davis BR, Rieger CJ, Francis JJ, Saad M, Fyhrie DP. The impact of boundary conditions and mesh size on the accuracy of cancellous bone tissue modulus determination using large scale finite element modeling. Journal of Biomechanics, 32:1159-1164, 1999.

Fernandes P, Rodrigues H, Jacobs C. A model of bone adaptation using a global optimisation criterion based on the trajectorial theory of Wolff. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 2:125-138, 1999.

Black KP, Schneider DJ, Yu JR, Jacobs CR. Biomechanics of the Bankart repair: The relationship between glenohumeral translation and labral fixation site. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 27:339-344, 1999.

Segal LS, Schneider MD, Berlin JM, Bruno A, Davis BR, Jacobs CR. The contribution of the ossific nucleus to the structural stiffness of the capital femoral epiphysis: A porcine models for DDH. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, 19:433-437, 1999.

Barr JD, Hoffman EJ, Davis BR, Edgar KA, Jacobs CR. Microcatheter adhesion of cyanoacrylates: Comparison of normal butyl cyanoacrylates to 2-hexyl cyanoacrylates. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, 10:165-168, 1999.

Jacobs CR, Yellowley CE, Davis BR, Zhou Z, Cimbala JM, Donahue JH. Differential effect of steady versus oscillating flow bon bone cells. Journal of Biomechanics, 31:969-976, ESB Research Award 1998.

Jacobs CR, Eckstein F. Computer simulation of subchondral bone adaptation to mechanical loading in an incongruous joint. The Anatomical Record, 249(3):317-326, 1997. Haut Donahue, T. L., M. L. Hull, M. M. Rashid, C. R. Jacobs, The Sensitivity of Tibiofemoral Contact Pressure to the Size and Shape of the Lateral and Medial Menisci. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 22: 807-814 2004.

Kingery, W.S., Offley, S.C., Guo, T.Z., Davies, M.F., Clark, J.D., Jacobs, C.R., A Substance P Receptor (NK1) Antagonist Enhances the Widespread Osteoporotic Effects of Sciatic Nerve Section, Bone, 33:927-936, 2003.

Reilly, G.C., Haut, T.R., Yellowley, C.E., Donahue, H.J., Jacobs, C.R., Fluid Flow Induced PGE2 Release by Bone Cells is Reduced by Glycocalyx Degradation Whereas Calcium Signals Are Not, Biorheology, 40:591-603, 2003.

Haut Donahue, T.L., Haut, T.R., Yellowley, C.E., Donahue, H.J., Jacobs, C.R., Mechanosensitivity of Bone Cells to Oscillating Fluid Flow-Induced Shear Stress May be Modulated by Chemotransport, Journal of Biomechanics, 36:1363-71, 2003.

Alford, A.I., Jacobs, C.R., Donahue, H.J., Oscillating Fluid Flow Regulates Gap Junction Communication in Osteocytic MLO-Y4 Cells by an ERK1/2 MAP Kinase-dependent Mechanism. Bone, 33: 64-70, 2003.

Haut Donahue, T.L., Hull, M.L., Rashid, M.M., Jacobs, C.R., How the Stiffness of Meniscal Attachments and Meniscal Material Properties Affect Tibio-Femoral Contact Pressure Computed Using a Validated Finite Element Model of the Human Knee Joint, Journal of Biomechanics, 36:19-34, 2003.

Donahue, S.W., Donahue, H.J., Jacobs, C.R., Osteoblastic Cells Have Refractory Periods for Fluid-flow-induced Intracellular Calcium Oscillations for Short Bouts of Flow and Display Multiple Low-Magnitude Oscillations During Long-term Flow, Journal of Biomechanics, 36:35-43, 2003.

You, J., Jacobs, C.R., Steinberg, T.H., Donahue, H.J., P2Y Purinoceptors are Responsible for Oscillatory Fluid Flow Induced Intracellular Calcium Mobilization in Osteoblastic Cells, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277:48724-729, 2002.

Donahue, S.W., Jacobs, C.R., Donahue, H.J., Flow-Induced Calcium Oscillations in Rat Osteoblastic Cells are Age, Loading Frequency, and Shear Stress Dependent, American Journal of Physiology, 281:C1635-1641, 2001.

Saunders, M.M., You, J., Trosko, J.E., Yamasaki, H., Li, Z, Donahue, H.J., Jacobs, C.R., Gap Junctions and Fluid Flow Response MC3T3-E1 Cells, American Journal of Physiology, 281:C1917-1925, 2001.

Haut, T.L., Hull, M.L., Rashid, M.M., Jacobs, C.R., A Finite Element Model of the Human Knee Joint for the Study of Tibio-Femoral Contact, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 124:273-280, 2002.

[ BME Division ] [ BME Faculty ] [ Mechanical Engineering Faculty ]

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