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Biomedical Engineering Seminar
Date/Time: Mon 30 Mar 2015 12.15 pm – 1.15 pm (note unusual time)
Venue: Newton Rooms, Fifth Floor, Electrical and Electronic Engineering bldg 193, The University of
Melbourne. (please turn left as you exit the lift, then left again)
Speaker: Kathryn Stok, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
Title: Quantitative imaging metrics for diagnosis, prediction and monitoring of arthritis in preclinical
and clinical conditions
Abstract: Diseased joints are often no longer capable of providing normal
function; i.e. load bearing, stabilisation, painless and unrestricted activity. Today
there is no truly effective procedure to regenerate articular cartilage and tissue
defects induced by arthritis are often irreversible. As such research groups
around the world are exploring therapeutic targets for cartilage regeneration,
biomarkers for understanding joint breakdown, and reconstructive approaches
for restoring joint health. Dr Kathryn Stok investigates the morphology, function,
disease and repair of cartilage and joints, in order to decode the interplay
between mechanical, structural and biological responses, as well as interactions
with neighbouring tissues. One primary avenue for development is novel
mechanical and imaging methods for preclinical animal models. The first part of
this seminar will describe a study which demonstrates new metrics for sensitive
discrimination of structural deterioration with traumatic osteoarthritis, and the
scalability of these metrics in two different animal models and in clinical
datasets. A road map to clinical use will also be described. In the second part, an
overview of other methods and protocols are described, which support the
ongoing effort to give new insight into the progression and monitoring of disease models.
Bio: Dr Kathryn Stok is Head of the Integrative Cartilage Research Group at the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) since 2009, and a Senior Scientist for Cartilage & Arthritis Imaging
Development at Scanco Medical AG since January 2015. She completed her PhD in the Department of
Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at ETH Zurich in 2007. Prior to that she spent a year as a
research assistant at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and completed her undergraduate and
Master degrees in Mechanical Engineering at QUT in Brisbane. Kathryn is an innovative biomedical engineer in
microstructural imaging and biomechanics of cartilage and joint structures using a variety of experimental and
computational approaches. Her research work merges solid engineering approaches with biological
advancement, and she has worked for over twelve years in biomedical engineering research (biomechanics
and bioimaging); exploring global health challenges from both a basic science and a technological perspective.
Her current research interests are investigating imaging strategies for quantitative multiscale assessment of
joints, cartilage tissue and tissue-engineered cartilage constructs. Additionally she is developing a
technological platform for standardised production of materials for tissue engineering models; specifically for
use in the cosmetic and orthopaedic industries. She has previous and ongoing collaborations within the
academic, business and health sectors in order to support this vision. Kathryn currently serves on the
Osteoarthritis Research Society International’s (OARSI) communications committee, and is a co-chair of the
international SPECTRA collaboration (Study grouP for xtrEme-Computed Tomography in Rheumatoid Arthritis).