Spencer Szczesny
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering

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425 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
University Park, PA - ses297@psu.edu
- 814-865-3284
Research Summary
Mechanobiology focusing on how mechanical stimuli influence tendon cell behavior in their native microenvironment with the ultimate goal of understanding tendon pathology and identifying novel therapeutic options.
Huck Affiliations
Links
Publication Tags
Mechanics Tendons Collagen Tissue Hydrogels Stem Cells Fibers Plasticity Substrates Stiffness Shear Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Mesenchymal Stem Cells Plastics Atomic Force Microscopy Shear Stress Bioreactors Gages Microstructure Biocompatible Materials Fatigue Strain Tissue Engineering Adhesion Fatigue Of MaterialsMost Recent Publications
The Elephant in the Cell: Nuclear Mechanics and Mechanobiology
Michelle L. Jones, Kris Noel Dahl, Tanmay P. Lele, Daniel E. Conway, Vivek Shenoy, Soham Ghosh, Spencer E. Szczesny, 2022, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
A Novel, Open-Source, Low-Cost Bioreactor for Load-Controlled Cyclic Loading of Tendon Explants
Krishna Pedaprolu, Spencer E. Szczesny, 2022, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
Mechanical Stimulation as Both the Cause and the Cure of Tendon and Ligament Injuries
Lauren Paschall, Krishna Pedaprolu, Sabrina Carrozzi, A Dhawan, Spencer Szczesny, 2022,
Mechanical Stimulation via Muscle Activity Is Necessary for the Maturation of Tendon Multiscale Mechanics During Embryonic Development
Benjamin E. Peterson, Rebecca A. Rolfe, Allen Kunselman, Paula Murphy, Spencer E. Szczesny, 2021, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Dependence of tendon multiscale mechanics on sample gauge length is consistent with discontinuous collagen fibrils
Benjamin E. Peterson, Spencer E. Szczesny, 2020, Acta Biomaterialia on p. 302-309
Ex vivo models of musculoskeletal tissues
Spencer E. Szczesny, 2020, Connective Tissue Research on p. 245-247
Fatigue loading of tendon results in collagen kinking and denaturation but does not change local tissue mechanics
Spencer E. Szczesny, Céline Aeppli, Alexander David, Robert L. Mauck, 2018, Journal of Biomechanics on p. 251-256
Matching material and cellular timescales maximizes cell spreading on viscoelastic substrates
Ze Gong, Spencer E. Szczesny, Steven R. Caliari, Elisabeth E. Charrier, Ovijit Chaudhuri, Xuan Cao, Yuan Lin, Robert L. Mauck, Paul A. Janmey, Jason A. Burdick, Vivek B. Shenoy, 2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. E2686-E2695
Expansion of mesenchymal stem cells on electrospun scaffolds maintains stemness, mechano-responsivity, and differentiation potential
Su Jin Heo, Spencer E. Szczesny, Dong Hwa Kim, Kamiel S. Saleh, Robert L. Mauck, 2018, Journal of Orthopaedic Research on p. 808-815
Crimped Nanofibrous Biomaterials Mimic Microstructure and Mechanics of Native Tissue and Alter Strain Transfer to Cells
Spencer E. Szczesny, Tristan P. Driscoll, Hsiao Yun Tseng, Pang Ching Liu, Su Jin Heo, Robert L. Mauck, Pen Hsiu G. Chao, 2017, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering on p. 2869-2876
Most-Cited Papers
Matching material and cellular timescales maximizes cell spreading on viscoelastic substrates
Ze Gong, Spencer E. Szczesny, Steven R. Caliari, Elisabeth E. Charrier, Ovijit Chaudhuri, Xuan Cao, Yuan Lin, Robert L. Mauck, Paul A. Janmey, Jason A. Burdick, Vivek B. Shenoy, 2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. E2686-E2695
Interfibrillar shear stress is the loading mechanism of collagen fibrils in tendon
Spencer E. Szczesny, Dawn M. Elliott, 2014, Acta Biomaterialia on p. 2582-2590
Quantification of interfibrillar shear stress in aligned soft collagenous tissues via notch tension testing
Spencer E. Szczesny, Jeffrey L. Caplan, Pal Pedersen, Dawn M. Elliott, 2015, Scientific Reports
Biaxial mechanics and inter-lamellar shearing of stem-cell seeded electrospun angle-ply laminates for annulus fibrosus tissue engineering
Tristan P. Driscoll, Ryan H. Nakasone, Spencer E. Szczesny, Dawn M. Elliott, Robert L. Mauck, 2013, Journal of Orthopaedic Research on p. 864-870
Mechanically Induced Chromatin Condensation Requires Cellular Contractility in Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Su Jin Heo, Woojin M. Han, Spencer E. Szczesny, Brian D. Cosgrove, Dawn M. Elliott, David A. Lee, Randall L. Duncan, Robert L. Mauck, 2016, Biophysical Journal on p. 864-874
Incorporating plasticity of the interfibrillar matrix in shear lag models is necessary to replicate the multiscale mechanics of tendon fascicles
Spencer E. Szczesny, Dawn M. Elliott, 2014, Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials on p. 325-338
The Nuclear Option: Evidence Implicating the Cell Nucleus in Mechanotransduction
Spencer E. Szczesny, Robert L. Mauck, 2017, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
Cross-Linking Chemistry of Tyramine-Modified Hyaluronan Hydrogels Alters Mesenchymal Stem Cell Early Attachment and Behavior
Claudia Loebel, Spencer E. Szczesny, Brian D. Cosgrove, Mauro Alini, Marcy Zenobi-Wong, Robert L. Mauck, David Eglin, 2017, Biomacromolecules on p. 855-864
Experimental and computational investigation of altered mechanical properties in myocardium after hydrogel injection
Elena Tous Kichula, Hua Wang, Shauna M. Dorsey, Spencer E. Szczesny, Dawn M. Elliott, Jason A. Burdick, Jonathan F. Wenk, 2014, Annals of Biomedical Engineering on p. 1546-1556
Evidence that interfibrillar load transfer in tendon is supported by small diameter fibrils and not extrafibrillar tissue components
Spencer E. Szczesny, Kristen L. Fetchko, George R. Dodge, Dawn M. Elliott, 2017, Journal of Orthopaedic Research on p. 2127-2134