The Organ Lab at IU School of Medicine studies the relationship between bone and muscle mechanics at the whole-organ level, and explores how tissue-level mechanisms influence whole-organ function. To that end, the lab utilizes several in vivo model systems to understand how disease, exercise and pharmaceutical intervention influence bone and muscle structure, cellular activity and biomechanical properties.
Active Research
Led by Jason Organ, PhD the Organ Lab studies these properties in the context of chronic kidney disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, and normal postnatal ontogeny, using a variety of techniques, including imaging (CT, DXA, X-ray), histology (static and dynamic histomorphometry), muscle electrophysiology (in vivo ankle torque, in vitro whole muscle contractility), and bone mechanical testing (bending, compression, reference point indentation).
Muscle progenitor cell-based implants for dynamic laryngeal muscle reconstruction.
NIH R01 DC014070 (Stacey Halum, PI), Role: Co-I, 07/01/2015 to 06/30/2020
Research Funding
The Organ Lab has been funded by the NIH, IUSM/Showalter Research Trust, and the Indiana University Collaborative Research Grant Fund.