Research Projects

My current work is investigating the relationship between the energy consumed by muscle and the recruitment of motor units. This involves a range of experimental and modelling techniques. Experimental methodologies include using high density electromyography to discern individual motor units and indirect calorimetry to provide indirect measures of energetic cost during contraction. This information can be used to inform modelling approaches, which can elucidate mechanisms governing muscle energy consumption.

Muscle is composed of many microstructural components including the extracellular matrix, contractile fibres, and other cellular components. These components can be homogenized into an aggregate material that can be used to model the macroscopic behaviour of muscle. In particular, this can capture the changes that occur in diseased muscle, such as that affected by cerebral palsy. This model can then be used to understand how alterations that occur on a microstructural level during cerebral palsy influence whole muscle mechanics.

My work has also focused on incorporating the contributions from an increased amount of adipose tissue, as well as the changes in the skeletal muscle architectures commonly observed during cerebral palsy. To do this, we utilize MRI data for both cerebral palsy and typically developed muscle to accurately capture the muscle deformations. Utilizing a three dimensional continuum model for muscle, we aim to determine the causation between changes to muscle properties and the resulting muscle weakness and stiffness. Image generated using www.hexalab.net.

The behaviour of skeletal muscle can be investigated using a nonlinear finite strain hyperelastic continuum model of muscle. This project has worked to create an accurate model of muscle using a the open source finite element library Deal ii. This model can be used to investigate architecture, deformation, and dynamics of skeletal muscle.