Faculty Advisors
The HPN faculty advisors are Dr. Michael Liebschner and Dr. Maria Oden, both faculty in the Rice University Department of Bioengineering. Dr. Liebschner is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and Dr. Oden is a Lecturer and Laboratory Coordinator in Bioengineering.
External Collaborators
Tara Ruttley, Biomedical Systems Division, Johnson Space Center
The Osteonexus is being developed in tandem with researchers and specialists at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). This division is tasked with conducting space-based human research and providing engineering solutions that enhance the performance of and ensure the health and safety of all crewmembers. Tara Ruttley, the Lead Hardware Engineer for the Health Maintenance System on the International Space Station, is serving as our project mentor and liaison to this research group.
On November 7th, 2005, HPN met with Dr. Gugenheim (MD), a board certified orthopedic surgeon at Texas Orthopedic Hospital. Dr. Gugenheim is also a clinical associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and a clinical assistant professor in orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Dr. Gugenheim provided us with significant information regarding external fixation, treatment strategies, and many other facets of fracture healing.
On October 7th, 2005, HPN met with Dr. Roman Skoracki (MD), an assistant professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. While Dr. Skoracki is aware of alternate treatment methods such as ultrasound, electromagnetic fields, and vibration, his primary expertise is in fixation strategies. HPN plans to stay in contact with Dr. Skoracki and to consult with him at various stages of the design process.
Special Thanks
Pia Denzmore
Pia Denzmore is a senior astrophysics student at Rice University. She has done research on star formation studies with the GLIMPSE team at the University of Wisconsin Madison and the Spitzer Legacy Project in conjunction with NASA. Pia is a member of the American Astronomical Society and has greatly helped HPN with astronomy related questions.