Sarah joined the faculty of Purdue University in 2012 as an Assistant Professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Biological Sciences (by courtesy). She has been trained in both engineering and biology, obtaining a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University, then a MS in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and a PhD in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan. Her doctoral thesis was titled “Morphological and Mechanical Characterization of Self-Assembled Tendons and Myotendinous Junctions.” As a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University’s Children’s Memorial Hospital, Sarah focused on the role of extracellular matrix remodeling during newt limb regeneration.
During her graduate research, she developed a 3D, in vitro model of tendon comprised solely of primary tendon cells and the extracellular matrix they secreted. In order to accurately determine the stress-strain response it was necessary for her to build instrumentation that measured strain optically while simultaneously recording force data. Her research has focused on characterizing the influence of extracellular matrix remodeling during musculoskeletal regeneration and repair. She holds two patents for her muscle and tendon remodeling methods.