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Department of Mechanical Engineering

Virginia L. Ferguson

Assistant Professor
(303) 735-5232
Virginia.Ferguson@Colorado.EDU
Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • Post-Doc Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London jointly appointed in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at University College London
  • Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2001
  • M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1998
  • B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1993

Professional Recognition

  • Sigma Xi Scientific Honor Society, 2001–present
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, UK Medical Research Council, Discipline Hoppers Scheme, 2001-2002
  • Best Poster Award, Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium, 1999
  • Conference Travel Grant, University of Colorado, 1998
  • University Fellowship, University of Colorado Graduate School, 1996-19

Research Interests

  • Biomechanics of hard and soft tissues
  • Musculoskeletal disuse atrophy
  • Reproductive biomechanics
  • Materials science in Paleontology
  • Nanomechanics of mineralized tissues: role of mineral, organic and water

My research interests focus on bringing together mechanical behavior of materials with Biology, Paleontology, and Physics to better understand structure-function relationships at multiple scales. My training lies predominantly in relating the physical behavior of hard tissues (e.g., bone, teeth and articular calcified cartilage) with the underlying biology and/or physiology. I have lately been able to expand my research into a long-standing interest in fossils – by studying fossilized tissues using novel approaches we hope to gain insight into the developmental processes that drive function and change during evolution. A newer interest of mine lies in biomechanics related to babies in utero by studying the umbilical cord and other related topics to help understand why some pregnancies end prematurely and how to improve the outcome of high-risk pregnancies. Most importantly, I love interacting with my students, bringing students into the lab, and bringing my research experiences to my classes.

Selected Publications

  • Ayers RA, Neilsen-Priess S, Ferguson V, Gotolli G, Moore JJ, Kleebe HJ. Multiphasic calcium phosphate induced mineralization in SaOS-2 osteoblast-like cells. Materials Science and Engineering C, 26:1333-1337, 2006.
  • Bembey AK, Bushby AJ, Boyde A, Ferguson VL, Oyen ML. Hydration effects on bone mechanical properties. Journal of Materials Research. 21: 1962-1968, 2006.
  • Roland M, Hanson AM, Cannon CMA, Stodieck LS, Ferguson VL. Reversing the effects of unloading-induced osteopenia with exercise in adult mice. Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation, 41:128-34, 2005.
  • Ntim MM, Bembey AK, Ferguson VL, Bushby AJ. Hydration effects on the viscoelastic properties of collagen. Fall 2005 Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings: Mechanical Behavior of Biological and Biomimetic Materials, In Press, 2005.
  • Bembey AK, Koonjul A, Bushby AJ, Ferguson VL, Boyde A.  Contribution of collagen, mineral and water phases to the nanomechanical properties of bone. Mechanical Properties of Bioinspired and Biological Materials. Symposium: 9-14, 2005.
  • Bushby AJ, Ferguson VL, Boyde A. Nanoindentation of bone: comparison of specimens tested in liquid and embedded in PMMA.  Journal of Materials Research, 19:249-259; 2004.
  • Ferguson VL, Bushby AJ, Boyde A. Correlation of nanomechanical properties and mineral concentration in articular calcified cartilage and subchondral bone. Journal of Anatomy, 203:191-202; 2003.
  • Ferguson VL, Ayers RA, Bateman TA, Simske SJ. Characterization of bone development and age related bone loss in male C57BL/6J mice. BONE, 33:387-98; 2003.
  • Simske SJ, Ferguson VL, Bateman TA. Mice and Osteoporosis Research, Recent Research Developments in Biotechnology & Bioengineering, Vol. 5, March 2003.
  • Halloran BP, Ferguson VL, Simske SJ, Burghardt A, Venton LL, Majumdar S. Changes in bone structure and mass with advancing age in the male C57BL/6J Mouse. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 17:1044-50; 2002.