ORTHOPAEDIC BIOENGINEERING LABORATORY

Nathan Buchweitz
Ph.D. Candidate

nbuchwe@clemson.edu

Nathan is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate who joined the lab in 2021 after earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University. His research focuses on understanding the pathomechanics of human cervical intervertebral discs. Specifically, he aims to quantify the relationships between disc tissue morphology, composition, and biomechanical function at different stages of degeneration. Additionally, he participates in a project assessing how innovative cryopreservation storage techniques may impact the extracellular matrix of intervertebral disc allografts. Early in his program, Nathan contributed to the development of computational models that examine the mechanobiological effects of temporomandibular joint loading and continues this work while supported by an NIH/NIDCR T32 Fellowship. This past spring, Nathan received the Page Morton Hunter Bioengineering Graduate Researcher Award from Clemson University. In his spare time, Nathan enjoys swimming and kayaking around Charleston.

Daniel Gordon
Ph.D. Student

digordo@g.clemson.edu

Daniel joined the lab in 2021 after graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science. His research focuses on trapeziometacarpal (TMC) osteoarthritis using female cadaveric hands to investigate early disease mechanisms. His project integrates multimodal datasets, including joint kinematics, bony morphology, and ligament mechanical properties, to uncover biomechanical and structural changes associated with the progression of osteoarthritis. He has identified a potential “Peri-OA” stage, which he aims to classify using machine learning models. Additionally, he is exploring how combined kinematic and muscle loading data can inform reinforcement learning–based simulations of thumb motion and joint health.

Joshua Kelley
Ph.D. Student

jkelle5@g.clemson.edu

Josh Kelley is a fifth-year Ph.D. student. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Physics from Clemson University. His background in mechanics initially led him to pursue a project examining the impacts of cigarette smoking on intervertebral disc tissue structure and biomechanics. His current focus is centered on understanding the mechano-transduction between cells and extracellular matrix structures at the disc-vertebra interface region. Recently Josh has been recognized with the 2025 Stelling Riddle Orthopaedic Research Fellowship award granted by Clemson University. In addition to his research, Josh actively serves as the laboratory manager.

Hui Li
Ph.D. Student

hui3@g.clemson.edu

Hui is from China and earned his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2023. He is currently a third-year Ph.D. student in Bioengineering. His research focuses on elucidating the mechanisms of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration using animal models, with a particular emphasis on cartilage endplate calcification, an important biomarker of early-stage IVD degeneration. To achieve this goal, he is investigating the interplay between the cartilage endplate’s environment and its biomechanical properties during the calcification process at the mesoscale level. Specifically, his work examines how cigarette smoke exposure contributes to calcification formation and how such calcification alters the mechanical behavior of the cartilage endplate. His research integrates high-resolution imaging, biological analyses, and biomechanical testing and simulations. Ultimately, his goal is to uncover the mechanisms underlying cartilage endplate calcification and its impact on IVD health, thereby providing insights that may guide the development of therapeutic strategies to slow or prevent disc degeneration.

Sofia Jones
M.Eng. Student

sofiaj@g.clemson.edu

Sofia is from Greenville, South Carolina, and earned her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Clemson University. She is currently pursuing an M.Eng. in Bioengineering with an interest in orthopedic implant design.

Jay Baek
Medical Student

jbaek@g.clemson.edu

Thomas Allen
Medical Student

tsallen@g.clemson.edu

Nicholas Bain
Medical Student

nbain@g.clemson.edu

Nick Bain, formerly an MEng intern in the lab, won a Department of Defense scholarship to support his medical training (2021).

Karly Ripple
Medical Student

kfr300@musc.edu