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Bobby Kent

MSTP Fellow
Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan

mkent (at) umich (dot) edu

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Hometown: Granville, Ohio

Education: BSE in Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2015

 

Research interests: My undergraduate research experience focused on studying the effect of fibrous network composition and cell type heterogeneity on long-range force transmission and matrix remodeling in an in vitro model of hepatic bridging fibrosis. During my gap years, I completely switched lanes to employing robotic applications in a cadaveric model to understand how various soft- and hard-tissue structures engage to stabilize the knee under various loading conditions. The latter work occurred in close collaboration with orthopedic surgeons, which kept our research questions clinically driven and reinforced my belief in the importance of integrating basic science and clinical medicine. However, my scientific interest still remains understanding mechanobiological aspects of disease, be it chronic joint degeneration, pulmonary fibrosis, or cancer, and so this is what I intend to study and apply to my clinical work as I progress through my career as a physician-scientist.

 

Outside of lab interests: I enjoy tubing, barbecuing, hiking/camping, Netflix, weightlifting, running, playing the cello, and videogames. 

Awards and honors:

2018, Force & Motion / ORS Young Scientist Travel Grant
2016, Cabaud Memorial Award Finalist

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Publications:

  1. Pagani CA, Bancroft AC, Tower RJ, Livingston N, Sun Y, Hong JY, Kent III RN, Strong AL, Nunez JH, Medrano JMR, Patel N, Nanes BA, Dean KM, Li Z, Ge C, Baker BM, James AW,  Weiss SJ, Franceschi RT, Levi B. "Discoidin domain receptor 2 regulates aberrant mesenchymal lineage cell fate and matrix organization," Science Advances, 2022, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abq6152

  2. Kent III RN, Said M, Busch ME, Poupard ER, Tsai A, Xia J, Matera DL, Wang WY, DePalma SJ, Hiraki HL, Killian ML, Abraham AC, Shin JW, Huang AH, Shikanov A, Baker BM. "Physical and Soluble Cues Enhance Tendon Progenitor Cell Invasion into Injectable Synthetic Hydrogels," Advanced Functional Materials, 2022, doi: 10.1002/adfm.202207556

  3. Kent III RN, Amirtharaj MJ, Berube EE, Imhauser CW, Thein R, Voleti PB, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Nawabi DH. "Anterior cruciate ligament graft forces are sensitive to fixation angle and tunnel position within the native femoral footprint during passive flexion," The Knee, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2021.08.003

  4. Wang WY, Kent III RN, Huang SA, Jarman EH, Shikanov EH, Davidson CD, Hiraki HL, Lin D, Wall MA, Matera DL, Shin JW, Polacheck WJ, Shikanov A, Baker BM. "Direct comparison of angiogenesis in natural and synthetic biomaterials reveals that matrix porosity regulates endothelial cell invasion speed and sprout diameter," Acta Biomaterialia, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.08.038

  5. Hiraki HL, Matera DL, Rose MJ, Kent RN, Todd CW, Stout ME, Wank AE, Schiavone MC, DePalma SJ, Zarouk AA, Baker BM. "Magnetic Alignment of Electrospun Fiber Segments within a Hydrogel Composite Guides Cell Spreading and Migration Phenotype Switching" Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2021, doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.679165

  6. Kent RN, Amirtharaj MJ, Thein R, Wickiewicz TL, Imhauser CW, Pearle AD. "Engagement of the secondary ligamentous and meniscal restraints relative to the anterior cruciate ligament predicts anterior knee laxity," Am J Sports Med, 2020, doi: 10.1177/0363546519888488

  7. Wang D, Kent RN, Amirtharaj MJ, Hardy BM, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. "Tibiofemoral kinematics during compressive loading of the ACL-intact and ACL-sectioned knee: roles of tibial slope, medial eminence volume, and anterior laxity" J Bone Joint Surg Am, 2019, doi: 10.2106/JBJS.18.00868

  8. Amirtharaj MJ, Hardy BM, Kent RN, Nawabi DH, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. "Automated, accurate, and three-dimensional method for calculating sagittal slope of the tibial plateau," J Biomech, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.07.047

  9. Kent RN, Amirtharaj MJ, Hardy BM, Pearle AD, Wickiewicz TL, Imhauser CW. "Anterior laxity, lateral tibial slope, and in situ ACL force differentiate knees exhibiting distinct patterns of motion during a simulated pivoting event: A human cadaveric study," J Biomech, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.04.002

  10. Imhauser CW, Kent RN, Boorman-Padgett JF, Thein R, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD. "New parameters describing how knee ligaments carry force in situ predict interspecimen variations in laxity during simulated clinical exams," J Biomech, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.09.032

  11. Kent RN, Boorman-Padgett JF, Thein R, van der List JP, Nawabi DH, Wickiewicz TL, Imhauser CW, Pearle AD. "High interspecimen variability in engagement of the anterolateral ligament: An in vitro cadaveric study," Clin Orthop Relat Res, 2017, doi: 10.1007/s11999-017-5375-9

  12. McDonald LS, Boorman-Padgett JF, Kent RN, Stone K, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. "ACL-deficiency increases forces on the medial femoral condyle and the lateral meniscus with applied rotatory loads," J Bone Joint Surg Am, 2016, doi: 10.2106/JBJS.15.00878

  13. Gladnick BP, Boorman-Padgett JF, Stone K, Kent RN, Cross MB, Mayman DJ, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. "Primary and coupled motions of the native knee in response to applied varus and valgus load," The Knee, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2016.01.006

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Abstracts:

  • Kent RN, Wang D, Amirtharaj MJ, Hardy BM, Nawabi DH, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. Tibial bony morphology and tibiofemoral laxity predict knee mechanics during compression. World Congress of Biomechanics, Dublin, Ireland, July 9-12, 2018. Oral Presentation.

  • Kent RN, Amirtharaj MJ, Nawabi DH, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. Engagement of the anterior cruciate ligament relative to the surrounding soft tissues. World Congress of Biomechanics, Dublin, Ireland, July 9-12, 2018. Oral Presentation.

  • Kent RN, Wang D, Amirtharaj MJ, Hardy BM, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. Tibial bony morphology and tibiofemoral laxity predict knee mechanics during compression. ORS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 10-13, 2018. Oral Presentation.

  • Kent RN, Boorman-Padgett JF, Thein R, Pearle AD, Wickiewicz TL, Imhauser CW. Ligament engagement patterns in a human cadaveric knee model: a basis for precision medicine in orthopaedics. Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference, Tucson, AZ, June 21-24, 2017. Oral Presentation.

  • Kent RN, Amirtharaj MJ, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. Relative engagement of the anterior cruciate ligament and the surrounding soft tissue envelope. ORS Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, March 19-22, 2017. Oral Presentation.

  • Kent RN, Hardy BM, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. Knees exhibit two distinct patterns of instability in response to pivoting loads. ORS Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, March 19-22, 2017. Poster Presentation.

  • Kent RN, Wickiewicz TL, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. Novel method for characterizing loading patterns of knee stabilizers yields new insight into the function of the anterolateral ligament. Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference, National Harbor, MD, June 29 – July 2, 2016. Oral Presentation.

  • Kent RN, Boorman-Padgett J, Thein R, Wickiewicz T, Pearle AD, Imhauser CW. Knees exhibiting high and low levels of rotatory laxity exhibit different loading patterns in the anterior cruciate and anterolateral ligaments. ORS Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, March 5-8, 2016. Poster Teaser Presentation.

  • Kent RN, Han JDH, Smith L, Wells RG. Fibrous network composition and cell heterogeneity modulate long-range force transmission by cells in matrices. AASLD: The Liver Meeting, San Francisco, CA, November 13-17, 2015. Poster Presentation.

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