Elise F. Morgan, PhD
Interim Dean
Boston University College of Engineering

PhD, University of California, Berkeley
MS, University of California, Berkeley
BS, Stanford University



Elise Morgan is the Maysarah K. Sukkar Professor of Engineering Design and Innovation and the Director of the Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology at Boston University. She has faculty appointments in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (primary), the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Dr. Morgan received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California Berkeley and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Surgery at Stanford University.

Dr. Morgan’s research laboratory focuses on the mechanical behavior and mechanobiology of skeletal tissues at multiple length scales. Her lab uses experimental and computational methods to explore how the deformation and failure behavior of tissues depend on the tissue microstructure; and conversely, how the differentiation and adaptation of tissues and cells are modulated by their mechanical microenvironment.

Dr. Morgan has received research funding from the NIH, the NSF, and multiple industry sources and private foundations. From 2016-2018, she was the Chair of the Skeletal Biology, Structure, and Regeneration study section of the NIH Center for Scientific Review. She is the recipient of several research and teaching awards, including the 2013 Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and is the co-founder of a STEM outreach program, Summer Pathways, for high-school girls. Dr. Morgan currently serves as the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development in the College of Engineering. She is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Biomechanics, is an member of the editorial board of Bone, and is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

I am strongly committed to expanding access, opportunity, equity and inclusion for all individuals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In my classroom teaching, academic advising, research supervision, mentoring of trainees and early career faculty, and outreach activities, I seek to shift the culture of academia and STEM workforces towards embracing mutual differences and celebrating individuals' authentic selves and unique contributions.

As the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development in the College of Engineering, I implemented the first college-wide policy on faculty mentoring and created a career development panels, working closely with individual departments and the Dean to ensure early career faculty receive effective sponsorship, mentorship, and other resources to foster inclusion and thriving. I have also worked closely with the Assistant Dean for Outreach and Diversity in ENG, with the BU-wide office Advance, Recruit, Retain, Organize Women in STEM (ARROWS), and on committees within my professional societies to advance DEIA in the faculty, staff, and student bodies. I led the first climate survey for PhD students in my home department (mechanical engineering). I am also a co-founder of Summer Pathways, a STEM residential outreach program for high school girls in the Boston area (https://www.bu.edu/mysummer/academics/summer-pathways-in-science-and-engineering/). Over my career, I have provided one-on-one mentoring to nearly 100 trainees (postdoc, graduate students, undergraduate students, and high school students) and early career faculty.

Recognition and Institutional Roles Related to DEIA
2020-present: Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, College of Engineering
2018-present: member of Advisory Board, Advance, Recruit, Retain, Organize Women in STEM (ARROWS), Boston University
2019-2020: member of Working group on Preventing Gender-Based Harassment, Boston University
2015: 100 Inspiring Women in STEM; Insight into Diversity

Maysarah K Sukkar Professor of Engineering Design and Innovation
Boston University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering


Director
Boston University College of Engineering
Center for Multiscale and Translational Mechanobiology


Director
Boston University College of Engineering
Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging Core Facility




NRT-URoL: A Convergent Training Program on Biological Control
08/01/2023 - 07/31/2028 (Multi-PI)
PI: Elise F. Morgan, PhD
National Science Foundation
DGE-2244366

Therapeutic Potentials of a New Long Noncoding RNA in Diabetic Bone Wound Repair
08/16/2022 - 07/31/2027 (Subcontract PI)
Trustees of Tufts College, Inc NIH NIDDK
1R01DK131444-01A1

Tailoring of cellular mechanical microenvironments to rescue age-related impairments in bone regeneration
09/30/2022 - 05/31/2027 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5R01AG073671-03

3-D Visualization and Prediction of Vertebral Fractures
09/01/2019 - 08/31/2024 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases
3R01AR054620-14S1

A Systems Genetics Approach to Identify BMD Genes
04/01/2018 - 02/29/2024 (Multi-PI)
PI: Elise F. Morgan, PhD
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases
5R01AR071657-05

Fellowship for Patrick Williams (July through December 2021)
07/01/2021 - 12/31/2021 (PI)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.


Clinical Orthopedic and Musculoskeletal Education and Training (COMET) Program (T32 Student Billing Agreement for Patrick Williamson)
07/01/2019 - 06/30/2021 (Subcontract PI)
The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. NIH NIAMS
5T32AR055885-12

3-D Visualization and Prediction of Vertebral Fractures
09/01/2014 - 08/31/2019 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases
5R01AR054620-10

Fellowship for Patrick Williamson (Fall/Spring 2019)
09/03/2018 - 06/30/2019 (PI)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.


The mechanistic role of subchondral bone cysts and bone marrow lesions as markers of cases for hip arthroplasty
07/01/2017 - 12/31/2018 (Co-Investigator)
PI: Eric Smith, MD
Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation


Showing 10 of 18 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2024 Tailoring of cellular mechanical microenvironments to rescue age-related impairments in bone regeneration 5R01AG073671-03
2023 Tailoring of cellular mechanical microenvironments to rescue age-related impairments in bone regeneration 5R01AG073671-02
2022 A Systems Genetics Approach to Identify BMD Genes 3R01AR071657-05S1
2022 A Systems Genetics Approach to Identify BMD Genes 5R01AR071657-05
2022 3-D Visualization and Prediction of Vertebral Fractures 5R01AR054620-14
2021 A Systems Genetics Approach to Identify BMD Genes 5R01AR071657-04 1
2021 3-D Visualization and Prediction of Vertebral Fractures 3R01AR054620-13S1 18
2021 3-D Visualization and Prediction of Vertebral Fractures 5R01AR054620-13 18
2020 3-D Visualization and Prediction of Vertebral Fractures 3R01AR054620-11S1 18
2020 A Systems Genetics Approach to Identify BMD Genes 5R01AR071657-03 1
Showing 10 of 39 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Snapp KL, Verdier B, Gongora AE, Silverman S, Adesiji AD, Morgan EF, Lawton TJ, Whiting E, Brown KA. Superlative mechanical energy absorbing efficiency discovered through self-driving lab-human partnership. Nat Commun. 2024 May 21; 15(1):4290. PMID: 38773093; PMCID: PMC11109101; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48534-4;
     
  2. Fleps I, Newman HR, Elliott DM, Morgan EF. Geometric determinants of the mechanical behavior of image-based finite element models of the intervertebral disc. J Orthop Res. 2024 Jun; 42(6):1343-1355. PMID: 38245852; PMCID: PMC11055679; DOI: 10.1002/jor.25788;
     
  3. Josephson TO, Morgan EF. Harnessing mechanical cues in the cellular microenvironment for bone regeneration. Front Physiol. 2023; 14:1232698. PMID: 37877097; PMCID: PMC10591087; DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1232698;
     
  4. Marty AG, Barbone PE, Morgan EF. Multiscale theoretical model shows that aging-related mechanical degradation of cortical bone is driven by microstructural changes in addition to porosity. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2023 Sep; 145:106029. PMID: 37499524; PMCID: PMC10528045; DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106029;
     
  5. Hussein AI, Carroll D, Bui M, Wolff A, Matheny H, Hogue B, Lybrand K, Cooke M, Bragdon B, Morgan E, Demissie S, Gerstenfeld L. Oxidative metabolism is impaired by phosphate deficiency during fracture healing and is mechanistically related to BMP induced chondrocyte differentiation. Bone Rep. 2023 Jun; 18:101657.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37425193; PMCID: PMC10323218; DOI: 10.1016/j.bonr.2023.101657;
     
  6. Gongora AE, Snapp KL, Pang R, Tiano TM, Reyes KR, Whiting E, Lawton TJ, Morgan EF, Brown KA. Designing lattices for impact protection using transfer learning. Matter. 2022; 5(9):2829-46.
  7. Fleps I, Morgan EF. A Review of CT-Based Fracture Risk Assessment with Finite Element Modeling and Machine Learning. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2022 Oct; 20(5):309-319. PMID: 36048316; PMCID: PMC10941185; DOI: 10.1007/s11914-022-00743-w;
     
  8. Abood A, Mesner L, Rosenow W, Al-Barghouthi BM, Horowitz N, Morgan EF, Gerstenfeld LC, Farber CR. Identification of Known and Novel Long Noncoding RNAs Potentially Responsible for the Effects of Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Genomewide Association Study (GWAS) Loci. J Bone Miner Res. 2022 Aug; 37(8):1500-1510.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35695880; PMCID: PMC9545622; DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4622;
     
  9. Sadoughi S, Bevill G, Morgan EF, Palepu V, Keaveny TM, Wear KA. Biomechanical structure-function relations for human trabecular bone - comparison of calcaneus, femoral neck, greater trochanter, proximal tibia, and vertebra. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin. 2023 Apr; 26(5):508-516. PMID: 35579530; PMCID: PMC9669279; DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2022.2069465;
     
  10. Nakasone A, Guang Y, Wise A, Kim L, Babbin J, Rathod S, Mitchell AJ, Gerstenfeld LC, Morgan EF. Structural features of subchondral bone cysts and adjacent tissues in hip osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2022 Aug; 30(8):1130-1139.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35569801; PMCID: PMC9296569; DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2022.03.013;
     
Showing 10 of 120 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 120 publications over 24 distinct years, with a maximum of 11 publications in 2008 and 2021

YearPublications
19971
20013
20022
20032
20044
20053
20074
200811
20099
20104
20115
20127
20138
20148
20158
20162
20176
20184
20193
20204
202111
20226
20233
20242

2016-2018 National Institutes of Health: Chair, Study Section: Skeletal Biology, Structure, and Regeneration
2015 American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering: Fellow
2015 Insight into Diversity: 100 Inspiring Women in STEM
2014-2016 National Institutes of Health: Member, Study Section: Skeletal Biology, Structure, and Regeneration
2014 College of Engineering, Boston University: Faculty Service Award
2013 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award
2012-2017 College of Engineering, Boston University: Distinguished Faculty Fellow
2010-2011 National Institutes of Health: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for Senior Fellows
2009 College of Engineering, Boston University: Early Career Research Excellence Award
2006 International Osteoporosis Foundation and Servier Research Group: Young Investigator Research Award
2000 University of California, Berkeley: Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award
1999 American Society of Mechanical Engineers: First Place, Master’s Paper Competition
1997-2000 National Science Foundation Graduate Research: Fellowship
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Mechanobiology
Biomechanics
Fracture Healing
Autonomous Research
Spine Fractures
Mechanopathology
Bone Regeneration

Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
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  • Diversity Mentor
  • Research / Scholarly Mentor
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