Curriculum Vitae Robert G. Dennis, Ph.D.

PERSONAL DATA:
ROBERT GLENN DENNIS, PH.D.

To download a hard copy of Bob's CV, click on this link (PDF file)

CURRENT ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS:

Assistant Professor, Departments of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI  48109-2007.   bobden@umich.edu

Assistant Research Scientist,  Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI  48109-2007.

Visiting Research Scientist, Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA  02139.     bdennis@ai.mit.edu
 
 

Ph. D.   (1988 – 1996)   Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

M. S.   (1988 – 1992)   Kinesiology (Human Motor Control), Department of Physical Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

M. S.   (1988 – 1992)   Biological Engineering, Bioengineering Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

B.S.E. (M.E.)   (1982 – 1987)   Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

1983-1985   Teaching Assistant/Laboratory Instructor  ME101: Mechanical drawing.  Provided laboratory instruction, assignment and grading of examinations.

1990-1991   Instructor  Biomechanics 330: Introductory mechanics and joint biomechanics.  Redesigned an existing course. Kinesiology Dept., U-Mich.

1990-1991   Instructor  Biomechanics 430: Musculoskeletal Tissue Mechanics.  Designed an entirely new course offering in tissue biomechanics, using an existing course number. Kinesiology Department, University of Michigan.

1993   Teaching Assistant  Physiology 519: Quantitative Physiology.  Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Physiology, University of Michigan.

1998-1999   Instructor  Biomedical Eng. 450: Biomedical Design.  Developed the capstone design course for the newly-formed Department of Biomedical engineering.  Instructed the course for the first two terms it was offered. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Mich.

2001 - Present  Professor, ME450: Design and Manufacturing III (Senior Mechanical Design)

1997 - Present   Guest Lecturer for the following courses:  Bio 428: Cell Biology;  BME 295: Biomedical Eng Survey;  ME 456: Biomechanics;  BME 590: Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics; BME 800, FTE Seminar Series;  CDB 682: Organogenesis of Complex Systems: Skeletal Muscle;  BME 519: Quantitative Physiology. BMME 231: Principles of Tissue Engineering (Albert Banes, Instructor): Skeletal Muscle Tissue Engineering, Annual Lecture at UNC Chapel Hill, NC.

1985-1986   Engineering Intern   Hughes Aircraft Co., Electro-Optical & Data Systems Group.  Designed and tested components and processes for kinetic energy anti-satellite weapons systems.

1987-1988   Electro-Mechanical Engineer   Lectron Products Inc., Rochester Hills, MI  48308.  Designed and numerically modeled electromechanical components for electronic automatic transmissions, fluid level sensors, and electromechanical actuators.

1989-1991   Technician and Machinist   Environmental Research Institute of MI, Ann Arbor, MI.  Designed test fixtures for the materials testing laboratory while in graduate school.

1990-1991   Research Collaborator   Department of Surgery, Section of Thoracic Surgery, U-Mich.  Designed implantable micro-power electronic stimulator systems to re-engineer latissimus dorsi muscle (in vivo) for use in a transposition surgical technique as a biologic left ventricular assist device.  Also numerically modeled aortic flow through a distensible aorta, and designed incidental instrumentation and test fixturing (sonomicrometers, stents, data acquisition system interface electronics).

1992-1996   Research Assistant   Muscle Mechanics Laboratory (Advisor: John A. Faulkner). U-Mich.  During graduate school, provided engineering design and fabrication support for a muscle physiology laboratory.

1993-1996   Owner and Chief Engineer   Bio Logic Engineering Inc., Dexter, MI.  Founded a small instrumentation design company, based in Dexter, MI.  Designed custom instrumentation for automotive, energy, and medical concerns.  Designs included high-precision engine valve positioners for flow test benches at Ford Motor Company, a diagnostic device for blepharoptosis, an optical disdrometer for quantitative measurement of the size and velocity of atmospheric precipitants, and timing and control fixturing for hydrogen sulfide embrittlement testing.

1996-1998   Research Investigator   Institute of Gerontology, U- Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.  First research faculty appointment.  Initiated the Functional Muscle Tissue Engineering research core within the Muscle Mechanics Laboratory at the University of Michigan.

1998-1999   Director  Mechanotransduction Core   Nathan Shock Center of Excellence, IoG, U-M.  Provided support for the design of experiments and instrumentation in the area of mechanotransduction in musculoskeletal tissues.

1998-Present   Assistant Research Scientist Institute of Gerontology, U- Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

1998-2001   Assistant Research Scientist   Dept. of Biomedical Eng., U- Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

1999-Present   Co-founder  Biomechatronics Group  MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Cambridge, MA.  With Hugh Herr, Ph.D., Co-founded the Biomechatronics group within the Artificial intelligence laboratory at MIT to develop muscle-based robotic actuators and hybrid prosthetic devices.  Designed, built and tested the first muscle actuated robot in September, 2000.

1999-2001   Research Scientist   Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge MA.  Jointly appointed between the University of Michigan, MIT, and Harvard on the primary research staff.

1999-2001   Research Scientist  MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Biomechatronics Group, Cambridge MA.

2001-Present   Visiting Research Scientist   Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge MA.

2001-Present   Visiting Research Scientist  MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Biomechatronics Group, Cambridge MA.

2001-Present   Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

2001-Present   Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
 
 

1985-1987 American society for metals (ASM)

Ad Hoc Reviewer: Journal of Applied Physiology, Biotechnology & Bioengineering; Mathematical Biosciences; Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

Member of the Center for Biomedical Engineering Research (CBER), University of Michigan (1997-2000).

Advisor, Formula SAE student Team Advisor (2002 - )

FCC Amateur Radio License:  KC8PTJ  Technician Class.

Class 100 Clean Room Operations, Hughes Aircraft Company.

Operation of Cryogenic and Environmental Test Facilities, Hughes Aircraft Company.

Microisolation Techniques for SPF Animal Facilities, University of Michigan.

1991-1992   Section of Thoracic Surgery, U-Mich.: Left Ventricular Assist Device.

1996-Present   NASA-Johnson Space Center; Bioreactor Design for Microgravity Cell Culture.

1998-1999   Environmental Astrobiology Research Center, Tulane University Medical Center, New Orleans LA; Member, Scientific Advisory Board (1998-1999).

2000-2002   Cell Based Delivery, Inc. Providence RI. (Current).

2001-Present   Protein Construction Inc., Seattle WA. (Currnet).

2002-Present   Tissue Genesis, Inc. Honolulu, HI.

1. Cole, N.M., and Dennis, R.G.,  Single-wave linear interferometric force transducer.  U.S. Patent Number 5,555,470.

2. Dennis, R.G., Kosnik, P.E, System and method for emulating an in vivo environment of a muscle tissue specimen.  [system claims] U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,164.

3. Dennis, R.G., Kosnik, P.E., Kuzon, W.M. and Faulkner, J.A.,  Mammalian Muscle Construct and Method for Producing Same
U.S. Patent No. 6,207,451   (issued 27 March 2001)

4. Dennis, R.G., Kosnik, P.E  System and method for emulating an in vivo environment of a tissue specimen.  U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,286  (issued 16 October 2001)

5. Dennis; Robert G., Kuzon, Jr.; William M., Cederna; Paul S.  Method for chemically acellularizing a biological tissue sample   U.S Patent No 6,448,076 (issued 9/10/02)
 
 

1995-1996 Whitaker Fellow, Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering, U-M, Ann Arbor, MI

Calderon, M., Goldman, D., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.  (Co-supervisor), Clifford F. Snyder Past Chairmans’ Research Award, 44th Annual Meeting, Plastic Surgery Research Council. 1999, Myogenic regulatory factor expression in satellite cells cultured from adult and old rat skeletal muscles.

Haase, S., Cederna, P., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.  (Co-supervisor), Outstanding Research Presentation, Annual Resident Research Forum, 19 April 2000, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Acellular Nerve Grafts for Nerve Gap Repair.

Mechanical Engineering Teaching Incentive Fund Award for Core Undergraduate Course Instruction: ME450 (Capstone Senior Design) Fall 2001

Professor of the Term: Pi Tau Sigma, the Mechanical Engineering Honor Society at the University of Michigan (Fall 2002).

Outstanding Faculty Achievement Award, Depertment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, (March 2003).

Ruth and Joel Spira Outstanding Teaching Award, University of Michigan College of Engineering (April 2003)
 
 

1997-2003   Graduate Education Committee, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

1998            Curriculum Task force, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

1998-2001   Qualifying Examination Coordinator, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

1999-2000   College of Engineering Safety Committee, University of Michigan College of Engineering

2002 -          Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Program Committee (member)

1. Paul Kosnik, Ph.D., completed May 2000. Contractile Properties of Engineered Skeletal Muscle (Robert Dennis and John Faulkner, Co-Chairs), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

2. Mark Palmer, completed May 2002 (Scott Hollister, Chair), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan.

3. Douglas Dow, completed August 2002 (Robert Dennis and John Faulkner, Co-Chairs), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

4. Janeta Nikolovski, completed June 2002 (David Mooney, Ph.D., Chair), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

5. Rupak Rajachar, (David Kohn, Ph.D., Chair), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

6. Thomas Goodwin, Completed August 2002, (NASA Johnson Space Center), the Union Institute.

7. Erik Rader (Robert Dennis and John Faulkner, Co-chairs)  Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

8. William L. Murphy, completed August 2002 (David Mooney, Chair)   Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

9. Yen-Chih Huang (Robert Dennis, Chair)  Department of Biomedical Engineering.University of Michigan.

10. Gary Brouhard (Alan Hunt, Chair)  Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

11. Henry (Trey) Schek (Alan Hunt, Chair)  Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

12. Ravi K Birla (Robert Dennis, Chair)  Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan

13. Jeongsup Shim  (Shuichi Takayama, Chair)  Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

14. Ajit P. Joglekar (Alan Hunt, Chair) Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

15. Sarah Calve (Ellen Arruda, Chair)  Macromolecular Sciences, University of Michigan.

16. Mike Ominsky (Steve Goldstein, Chair)  Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

17. Joseph Mulka (Robert Dennis, Chair)  Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

18. Mai T. Lam (Robert Dennis, Chair)  Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.

19. Juan M. Taboas (Scott Hollister & Paul Krebsbach, Co-Chairs)  Department of Biomedical Engieering, University of Michigan.

20. Elliott E Hill (David Mooney, Chair), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan.
 
 

1.  7^th Annual Summer Training Course in Experimental Aging Research. Tissue engineering of skeletal muscle from aged mammals. Ann Arbor, MI, June 13-17, 1999. (Organized by Richard Miller, M.D., Ph.D.).

2. Pittsburgh Orthopaedic Tissue Engineering Symposium.  Isometric contractile properties of mammalian skeletal muscle constructs engineered in vitro.  Pittsburgh, PA, April 16-19, 2000.

3. Functional Tissue Engineering Workshop, 1st annual, Engineered skeletal muscle and neuromuscular tissues, September 14-17, 2000, Tampa, FL, (organizing committee; David L. Butler, Steven A. Goldstein, Farshid Guilak, David J. Mooney).

4. Workshop on Biological Motors ( DARPA ).  An Actin-Myosin Machine.  October 23, 2000, Arlington, VA. (Organized by Alan Rudolph, Ph.D., Robert Nowak, Ph.D., and Keith Ward, Ph.D.)

5. Controlled Biological and Biomimetic Systems (CBBS) Program Review (DARPA), Living Muscle actuators.  Breckenridge, CO, March 18-21, 2001.

6. DARPA Self-Aid Concept Development Workshop (DARPA/DSO),  In Vitro Tissue Engineering of Muscle and Nerve.  Potomac Institute, Arlington, VA, May 23-24, 2001.

7. Defense Sciences Research Council (DSRC)  Functional Tissue and Interface Engineering. July 9, 2001 DSRC Summer Conference (Portland, OR).

8. DARPA-DSO Biomolecular Motors Workshop.  Cell and Tissue-Based Mechanical Actuators.  October 22, 2001, Arlington, VA.

9. AAOS/NIH (Americal Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons)  Functional Self-Organized Muscle Tissue from Myogenic Cells in Virto.  Tissue Engineering in Musculoskeletal Clinical Practice Workshop, January 13-19, Santa Fe, NM.

10. Engineering Tissues 2003.  Self-organizing Tissue Constructs In Vitro:  Tendon & Ligament, Bone, and Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle.  Hilton Head, Sea Pines Resort, Feb 26 - March 2, 2003.
 
 

Robert Dennis, Ph.D., 1996,  Measurement of pulse propagation in single permeabilized skeletal muscle fibers by optical diffraction. (Chair: J.A. Faulkner)  University of Michigan Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI.

    The dissertation includes extensive instrumentation design for the use of laser diffraction to measure sarcomere lengths at multiple points along a single muscle fiber, and an explanation and technical solution for the 'steps and pauses' artifact in laser diffraction data of skeletal muscle.

PDF downloads:   Dissertation Text   (searchable), Dissertation Figures, Dissertation Appendices

1.  Borer K.T. and Dennis R.G.  Activity disc and cage for continuous measurement of running activity and core temperature in hamsters.  Physiology and Behavior 50:2-6, 1991.

2.  Miller S.W. and Dennis R.G.  A parametric model of muscle moment arm as a function of joint angle: Application to the dorsiflexor muscle group in mice.  J Biomechanics 29(12): 1621-24, 1996. (view PDF)

3.  Macpherson P.C.D., Dennis R.G. and Faulkner J.A.  Sarcomere dynamics and contraction-induced injury to maximally activated single muscle fibers from soleus muscles of the rat.  J Physiol  500.2: 523-33, 1997.   (view PDF)

4.  Dennis R.G.  Bipolar implantable stimulator for long-term denervated muscle experiments. Med & Biol Eng & Comput Med & Biol Eng & Comput, March, 36: 225-28, 1998.   (view PDF)

5.  Putnam A.J., Cunningham, J.J., Dennis R.G., Linderman J.J., Mooney D.J.,   Microtubule assembly is regulated by externally-applied strain in cultured smooth muscle cells. J. Cell Sci., 111: 3379-3387, 1998. (view PDF)

6.  Dennis R.G., Kosnik P.  Excitability and isometric contractile properties of mammalian skeletal muscle constructs engineered in vitro.  In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. Anim. 36(5): 327-335, 2000. (view PDF)

7.  Dennis, R.G., Paul E. Kosnik, II, Mark E. Gilbert, and John A. Faulkner.  Excitability and contractility of skeletal muscle engineered from primary cultures and cell lines.  Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2001 280: C288-C295.  (view PDF)

8.  Haase, S., Cederna, P., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.  Peripheral Nerve Reconstruction Using Acellular Nerve Grafts.  Surgical Forum. 51: 607-609, 2000.  (view PDF)

9.  Kosnik P. Jr., Dennis R.G., Faulkner J.A.   Functional Development of engineered skeletal muscle from adult and neonatal rats.  Tissue Engineering 7(5) 573-584, 2001.  (view PDF)

10.  Murphy, W.L., Dennis, R.G., Kileny, J., Mooney, D.J., Salt fusion: a method to improve pore interconnectivity within tissue engineering scaffolds.  Tissue Engineering.  8(1) 43-52, 2002.  (view PDF)

11.  Dennis, R.G., Dow, D.E., Faulkner, J.A.; "An Implantable Device for Stimulation of Denervated Muscles in Rats", Medical Engineering & Physics, 25(3), 2003, pp. 239-253.  (view PDF)

12.  Cederna, Kuzon, Dennis, Borschel, ... Recovery of Muscle Contractile Function Following Nerve Gap Repair With Chemically Acellularized Peripheral Nerve Grafts"  Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery. May 2003 (Volume 19, Number 4).

13.  Borschel G.H., Kia, K.F., Kuzon, W.M., Dennis, R.G., Mechanical properties of acellular peripheral nerve. J Surg Res 114:133-39 (2003)  (view PDF).

14.  Borschel G.H., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.M., Contractile skeletal muscle tissue-engineered on an acellular scaffold. (Manuscript submitted to Plast Reconstr Surg).
 
 

1.  Haase, S.C., Rovak, J. R., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W, M., Cederna, P.S.,  Recovery of muscle contractile function following peripheral nerve gap repair with an acellularized peripheral nerve graft (in preparation)

2.  Dennis R.G.  Compliant loading and electrical stimulation of engineered skeletal muscle constructs. (in preparation).

3.  Dennis R.G., Dow D. Faulkner J.A.   Maintenance of mass and force in denervated skeletal muscles using a microprocessor-based implantable stimulator (in preparation).

4.  Dennis, R.G., Invited Review: In Vitro Engineered Skeletal Muscle, Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics  (in preparation).

5.  Dennis R.G.,   A servomechanism for the in vivo exercise and evaluation of rat and mouse limb plantar and dorsi flexor muscles (in preparation).

6.  Dennis R.G., Kosnik, P., Pasyk, K., Faulkner, J.A.   Excitability and contractility of engineered muscle tissue from adult and aged rats.  (in preparation).

7.  Dennis, R.G., Goodwin, T.  Application of controlled, low-level electromagnetic fields to cells in 2- and 3- dimensional culture systems. (in preparation).

8.  Dennis R.G., Goodwin, T., Wolf, D.   Effect of low-level time-varying magnetic fields on cell proliferation, metabolism, and gene expression in vitro. (in preparation).

9.  Dow, D.E., Cederna, P.S., Hassett, C.A., Faulkner, J.A., Dennis, R.G.; "Electrical Stimulation to Maintain Mass and Force of Denervated Rat EDL Muscles", in preparation to submit to Muscle & Nerve.

1.  Worringham C.J. and Dennis R.G.  Distance Errors: Pointing to the range effect.  Behavioral Brain Science 15:352-53, 1992.

2.  Faulkner J.A., Brooks S.V., Dennis R.G. and Lynch G.S.   The functional status of dystrophic muscles and functional recovery of skeletal muscles following myoblast transfer.  In: Basic and Applied Myology: Special Issue. M. Grounds, Ed., 7:257-264, 1997.

3.  Faulkner J.A., Brooks S.V. and Dennis R.G.   Methods for the measurement of the recovery of function following whole muscle transfer, myoblast transfer, and gene therapy.  In: Methods in Tissue Engineering, 1997.

4.  Kuzon W.M. Jr., Dennis R.G., Soroosh N.E.  Invited Discussion: Quantitative facial motion analysis after functional free muscle reinnervation procedures:  Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 100: 7, 1710-1722, 1997.

5.  Faulkner, J.A., Brooks, S.V., and Dennis R.G.  Measurement of recovery of function following whole muscle transfer, myoblast transfer, and gene therapy.  In: Methods in Molecular Medicine, Vol. 18: Tissue Engineering Methods and Protocols.  J. Morgan and M.L. Yarmush, Ed., Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ, 1998.

6.  Faulkner, J.A., Brooks, S.V. and Dennis, R.G.  Measurement of Recovery of Function Following Whole Muscle Transfer, Myoblast Transfer, and Gene Therapy.  Meth. In Mol. Med., 18: 155-172, 1998.

7. Kosnik P. and Dennis R.G.,  Mesenchymal Cell Culture: Functional Mammalian Skeletal Muscle Constructs. In Methods in Tissue Engineering, A. Atala and R Lanza, eds. San Diego: Harcourt, Academic Press, Chapter 23, 299-306, 2002.

8. Dennis R.G. and Kosnik, P.,  Mesenchymal Cell Culture: Instrumentation and Methods for Evaluating Engineered Muscle. In Methods in Tissue Engineering, A. Atala and R Lanza, eds. San Diego: Harcourt, Academic Press, Chapter 24, 307-316, 2002.

9.  Dennis R.G.  Engineered skeletal muscle: nerve and tendon tissue interfaces, contractility, excitability, and architecture.  In: Functional Tissue Engineering, F. Guilak, D. Butler, D. Mooney, and S. Goldstein, eds. Springer-Verlag New York.

10.  Kosnik, P.E., Dennis, R.G., and Vandenburgh, H.H., . Tissue engineered skeletal muscle (review). In: Functional Tissue Engineering, F. Guilak, D. Butler, D. Mooney, and S. Goldstein, eds. Springer-Verlag New York.

11.  Faulkner, J.A., Dennis, R.G.  Excitability and contractility of skeletal muscle: measurements and interpretations. In: Functional Tissue Engineering, F. Guilak, D. Butler, D. Mooney, and S. Goldstein, eds. Springer-Verlag New York.

1.  Dennis R.G. and Cole N.M.  A high-stiffness, high-sensitivity force transducer based on Michelson’s interferometer.  Biophysical Journal 64: A256, 1993.

2.  Dennis R.G. and Opiteck J.A.  Measurement of moment arm for the dorsiflexor muscle group of the mouse hindlimb.  Med Sci Sport Exercise 26: S97, 1994.

3.  Macpherson P.C.D., Dennis R.G. and Faulkner J.A.  Changes in impedance and excitability of soleus muscles from rats after 4 weeks of denervation.  FASEB J  11: A56, 1997.

4.  Faulkner J.A., Brooks S.V., Dennis R.G., Kuzon W.M., Devor S.T., Lynch G.S., Macpherson P.C.D.   Terminology in muscle mechanics: the case for miometric, isometric, and pliometric contractions.  ACSM Abstracts, 1997.

5.  Macpherson, P.C.D., Faulkner, J.A., and Dennis, R.G.  Electrical stimulation attenuates the effects of short-term denervation in soleus muscles of rats.  ACSM 1997.

6.  Soroosh, N., Dennis, R.G., Kosnik, P., Kuzon, W.  Quantifying Facial Motion in Three Dimensions.  Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery 14(8):603-604, 1998.

7.  Calderon, M., Goldman, D., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.  Myogenic Regulatory Factor Expression in Satellite Cells Cultured from Adult and Old Rat Skeletal Muscle.  1999 Annual Moses Gunn Research Conference, 29 April, 1999, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

8.  Calderon M.S., Goldman D.J., Dennis R.G., Kuzon W.M.  Myogenic regulatory factor expression in satellite cells cultured from adult and old rat skeletal muscles. 44th Annual Meeting, Plastic Surgery Research Council, 22-25 May 1999, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania., Abstract #50A. (view PDF)

9.  Dennis, R.G.,  Kosnik, P.E.,  Faulkner, J.A.,  Kuzon, W.M.  Contractile function of in vitro tissue-engineered skeletal muscle constructs. 44th Annual Meeting, Plastic Surgery Research Council, 22-25 May 1999, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania., Abstract #63A.   (view PDF)

10.  Dow D.E.,  Dennis R.G., Hassett C.A., Faulkner J.A.,  Electrical stimulation protocol to maintain mass and contractile force in denervated muscles.  BMES-EMBS 1st Joint Conference, Session 6.1.2 Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation, Paper 573, 1999.  (view PDF)

11.  Calderon, M., Dennis, R.G., Kosnik, P., Faulkner, J., Goldman, D., Kuzon, W.  Snyder Award Presentation: Myogenic regulatory factor expression in satellite cells cultured from adult and old rat skeletal muscles.  68th Annual Scientific Meeting, American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 23-27 October 1999, New Orleans, Louisiana.

12.  Haase, S., Cederna, P., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.  Repair of nerve gaps with acellular nerve grafts. 2000 Annual Moses Gunn Research Conference, 17 March 2000, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.   (view PDF)

13.  Haase, S., Cederna, P., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.  Acellular Nerve Grafts for Nerve Gap Repair.  Annual Resident Research Forum  19 April 2000 St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

14.  Haase, S., Cederna, P., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W. Acellular Nerve Grafts For Nerve Gap Repair.  45th Annual Meeting, Plastic Surgery Research Council, 17-20 May 2000, Seattle, Washington.   (view PDF)

15.  Palmer, M.L., Hollister, S.J, Dennis R.G., Faulkner, J.A.  A hierarchical model of quiescent and maximally activated fiber during stretch.  Biophys J, (Jan) 78:1, part 2 of 2, #1972-Pos, p.333A, 2000.   (view PDF)

16.  Palmer, M.L., Faulkner, J.A., Dennis R.G., Hollister, S.J.  A hierarchical model of a quiescent and activated skeletal muscle fiber during stretch.  International Conference on Mechanics in Medicine and Biology, April 1-5, 2000.  (view PDF)

17.  Haase, S., Cederna, P., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.  Nerve Gap Repair with Acellular Nerve Grafts. 5th Annual University of Michigan Dingman Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Research Conference, June 16, 2000, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

18.  Haase, S., Cederna, P., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W. Acellular Nerve Grafts for Repair of Peripheral Nerve Gaps.  Bi-annual Scientific Meeting, Reed O. Dingman Society, September 7-9, 2000, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

19.  Faulkner, J.A., Dennis R.G.  Excitability and Contractility: Measurements and Interpretations.  Proceedings of the First Functional tissue Engineering Workshop, September 15-17, 2000.

20.  Dennis, R.G., Herr, H. An Actin-Myosin Machine. DARPA Controlled Biological Systems-Tissue Based Biosensors (CBS-TBB), San Antonio, Texas, April 2000.

21.  Faulkner, J.A. Macpherson, P.C.D., Stucky, M.J., Claflin, D.R., Brooks, S.V., and Dennis, R.G.  Sarcomere heterogeneity during stretches of passive and activated single permeabilized fibers from fast and slow muscles of young and old rats: mechanism of injury.  Session number A3: Mechanical function of muscle: Molecules to movements.  Society for Experimental Biology, Exeter, England, Feb 2000.  (view PDF)

22.  Haase, S.C., Cederna, P.S., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.M. Peripheral Nerve reconstruction Using Acellular Nerve Grafts.  86th Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois, October 22-27, 2000.

23.  Dennis R.G.  Engineered skeletal muscle and neuromuscular tissues. Proceedings of the First Functional Tissue Engineering Workshop, September 15-17, 2000.    (view PDF)

24.  Faulkner, J.A. and Dennis, R.G.  Excitability and Contractility: Measurements and Interpretations. Proceedings of the First Functional Tissue Engineering Workshop, September 15-17, 2000. (view PDF)

25.  Dow D.E., Dennis R.G., Hassett C.A., Faulkner J.A., "Electrical Stimulation to Maintain Functional Properties of Denervated EDL Muscles of Rats", 31st Annual Neural Prosthesis Workshop, National Institutes of Health, Lister Hill Center, Oct. 25-27, 2000.

26.  Boxer, L.K., van der Meulen, J.H., Dennis, R.G., Kuzon, W.M., Cederna, P.S.  The immunogenicity of peripheral nerve allografts is related to the cellular components.  American Society for Peripheral Nerve, January 13-14, 2001, San Diego, California.   (view PDF)

27.  Dow, D.E., Hassett, C.A., Cederna, P.S., Dennis, R.G., Faulkner, J.A..  Chronic electrical stimulation to maintain mass and force in denervated EDL muscles of rats. American Society For Peripheral Nerve, January 13-14, 2001.  (view PDF)

28.  Rovak, J., Haase, S., Boxer L., Dennis, R.G., Bishop, K., Kuzon, W., Jr., Cederna, P.,  Acellularized peripheral nerve allograft repopulated with isogenic Schwann cells: A non-immunogenic construct that supports axonal growth across short nerve gaps. Second Leiden International Medical Students Congress (LIMSC), March 16-17, 2001, Leiden, the Netherlands. (view PDF)

29. Calve, S., Arruda, E, Dennis, R.G., and Grosh, K.  Influence of mechanics on tendon and muscle development.  WCCM, 2002. (view PDF)

30. Dennis, R.G., Douglas E. Dow, Ann Hsueh, John A. Faulkner. Excitability of engineered muscle constructs, denervated and denervated-stimulated muscles of rats, and control skeletal muscles in neonatal, young, adult, and old mice and rats.  Biophysical Society Meeting, Feb, 2002. (view PDF)

31.  Borschel, G. H., Dennis, R. G., Kuzon, W. M. Tissue engineered skeletal muscle using recellularized whole muscle Journal of the American College of Surgeons 195: S46, 2002.  (view PDF)

32.  Dennis, R.G.,  Self-Organization and Contractility of Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle Tissue in Culture.  Symposium on Tissue Engineering Science: Critical Elements in the Research Development Curriculum, Aegean Conferences, Myconos, Greece, Abstract #47, May 19-23, 2002. (view PDF)

33.  Dow D.E., Dennis R.G., Hassett C.A., Faulkner J.A.; "Electrical Stimulation to Maintain Functional Properties of Denervated EDL Muscles of Rats", 31st Annual Neural Prosthesis Workshop, National Institutes of Health, Lister Hill Center, Oct. 25-27, 2000.  (view PDF)

34.  Dow D.E., Dennis R.G., "Electrical Stimulation Reduces Age Related Atrophy and Weakness in EDL Muscles of Rats", 2nd European Medical & Biological Engineering Conference, IFMBE Proc 2002, 3(1), pp. 716-7.   (view PDF)

35.  Dow, D.E., Cederna, P.S., Hassett, C.A., Dennis, R.G., Faulkner, J.A.;  "Electrical Stimulation of Denervated EDL Muscles of Rats for 15 Weeks Does Not Enhance Recovery of Maximum Force Following Reinnervation", American Society For Peripheral Nerve, Cancun, Mexico, January 12-13, 2002.  (view PDF).

36.  Dow, D.E., Dennis, R.G.; "Electrical Stimulation Reduces Age Related Atrophy and Weakness in EDL Muscles of Rats", Proceedings of the International Federation for Medical  Biological Engineering EMBEC'02, 3(1):716-6, Dec. 4-8, 2002, Vienna, Austria. (view PDF)

37.  Dennis, R.G., Dow, D.E., Hsueh, A., Faulkner, J.A.; "Excitability of Engineered Muscle Constructs, Denervated and Denervated-Stimulated Muscles of Rats, and Control Skeletal Muscles in Neonatal, Young, Adult, and Old Mice and Rats",  Biophysical Journal, 82(1):364A, 2002.  (view PDF)

38.  Borschel, G.H., Huang, Yen-Chih, Dow, D.E., Kuzon, W.M., Dennis, R.G., Brown, D.L.;  "Tissue Engineered Recellularized Small Diameter Vascular Grafts",  Plastic Surgery Res Council 48th Annual Meeting, April 2003, Las Vegas. (view PDF)

39.  Borschel, G. H., Dennis, R. G., Kuzon, W. M.  What’s new in skeletal muscle tissue engineering.  ASPN Newsletter, 6 (2), 2003.
 
 

FUNDING: PAST SUPPORT
Skeletal Muscle Tissue Engineering from Primary Culture.  Center for Biomedical Engineering Research.  (Robert Dennis, PI), period:         11/1/1997 - 10/30/1998

Cultured skeletal muscle myooids from young, adult, and old rats.  The Nathan Shock Center of Excellence, Pilot Grant Award (Robert Dennis, PI)  period:  11/1/1999 - 10/30/2000.

Exercise, Injury & Repair of Muscle Fibers in Aged Mice.  National Institute of Aging.  (John A. Faulkner, PI, Robert Dennis, Research Faculty), period: 1996 - 2001.

Exercise, Injury & Repair of Muscle Fibers in Aged Mice.  National Institute of Aging.  (John A. Faulkner, PI, Robert Dennis, Research Faculty), period: 1996 - 2001.

An Actin Myosin Machine, DARPA BAA #99-31 (Hugh Herr, PI, MIT; Robert Dennis, Co-I), Pilot study, $375,000 period: 12/01/00 - 11/30/01

Biomedical Technology Development Fund, University of Michigan.  A Commercial Biodevelopmental Emulator for Skeletal Muscle. 2000-2001 (Robert Dennis, PI; W. Kuzon, Co-I).

FUNDING: CURRENT SUPPORT
Genetic Modification of Striated Muscles During Aging, Project #2:  Skeletal Muscle Structure and Function in Aging MDX Mice, and Contractility Core (Jeffrey S. Chamberlain, PI, Robert Dennis, Co-I), Department of Health and Human Services,  period: 1998  -  2003.

Engineering skeletal muscle with biodegradable hydrogels.  PA#  DE-98-009  (PI: David J. Mooney, University of Michigan; Co-PI:  Robert Dennis), Agency: NIDCR, Type: R0-1, period: 01/01/00 – 01/31/05.

Guidance of gene Expression and Metabolism in Excitable Tissues (Muscle) using Time-Varying Micro-Magnetic Fields.  R.G. Dennis, PI, DARPA Metabolic Engineering Program, 8/2001 – 7/2002.

Human Augmentation through Advanced Brain Machine Interfaces.  DARPA BAA #01-42 (Brain Machine Interfaces).  Daryl Kipke, PI, R.G. Dennis, Co-I.  6/02 - 5/07.

DARPA (BAA #01-47: Biomolecular Motors): Engineered Muscle Actuators: Cells and Tissues. Robert Dennis, PI; Jan 2002 (Total cost to sponsor ~$2.9M)