Mock Willett Lab People

Department of Bioengineering

The Willett Lab

Musculoskeletal Regenerative and Rehabilitation Engineering

Principal Investigator

headshot of nick willett

Nick Willett

Associate Professor, Department of Bioengineering

Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact

Department of Bioengineering

nwillett@uoregon.edu | Google Scholar 

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Nick Willett's research focuses on a systems integration approach to musculoskeletal disease and regenerative and rehabilitation engineering by applying novel imaging and engineering techniques to clinically motivated challenges. His current work is focused on: cell and biologic therapies for the healing of large bone and muscle defects, multi-scale mechanical regulation of bone regeneration, and intra-articular therapeutic delivery and rehabilitation for post-traumatic osteoarthritis. His research sits at the interface between engineering and clinical disciplines.

Willett comes to the Knight Campus from Emory University, where he serves as an associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedics.

Willett performed his postdoctoral training at Georgia Tech in mechanical engineering. He received his PhD in 2010 in biomedical engineering from a joint program between Georgia Tech and Emory University. Prior to his graduate work, he received his B.S. in 2005 in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

 

Lab Members

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Sanique South, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

ssouth@uoregon.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Developing PTOA in vivo models for testing strategies to optimize the host environment (knee joint) for intra-articular osteoarthritis therapies. Currently developing new regenerative medicine approaches to treat Osteoarthritis.

Kait Link

Kait Link, D.V.M.

Research Associate, Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance

klink@uoregon.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Oversees and coordinates pre-clinical model use in the Knight Campus with a focus on musculoskeletal conditions

David Johnson portrait

David Johnson, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Co-Advised with Danielle Benoit

davidjoh@uoregon.edu

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He/Him/His

Fabricating functional synthetic biomaterial therapies for musculoskeletal tissue injuries

Portrait of Grace Privett

Grace Privett, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

gprivett@uoregon.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Modeling skeletal muscle aging using microphysiological systems.

jessica aldrich

Jessica Aldrich, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Co-Advised with Bob Guldberg

aldrichj@uoregon.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Investigating bone like organoids as a treatment for traumatic bone injury and a model system for bone-related diseases.

Yan Pacheco

Yan Carlos Pacheco

Graduate Student, Co-Advised with Marian Hettiaratchi

ypacheco@uoregon.edu

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He/Him/His

Studying the early immune response in segmental bone defects for affibody mediated protein delivery through Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels

black and white muscle fiber

Torie Duke

Graduate Student, Co-Advised with Karina Nakayama

duket@ohsu.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Researching the prevalence and impact of iron deficiency anemia on bone regeneration after fracture

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Jarod Forer

Graduate Student, Co-Advised with Mike Hahn

jforer@uoregon.edu

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He/Him/His

Investigating fluid transport mechanics in the Achilles tendon and how it relates to disease and injury

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Nick Pancheri

Graduate Student, Co-advised with Bob Guldberg

npancher@uoregon.edu

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He/Him/His

Leveraging comprehensive preclinical models of post-traumatic osteoarthritis to identify and target novel disease-modifying therapeutic mechanisms

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Frank Pittman

Graduate Student

fpittman@uoregon.edu

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He/Him/His

Engineering the cellular response to large muscle injuries through immunomodulation and exercise rehabilitation

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Dominique Granville

Graduate Student

dgranvil@uoregon.edu

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He/Him/His

Examining the neuro-muscular-immune crosstalk to assess sensory innervation and inform pain modulation

Headshot of Cora Ferguson in the lobby of the Knight Campus

Cora Ferguson

Graduate Student, Co-Advised with Gabrielle Lindberg

cferg@uoregon.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Investigating musculoskeletal disease and injury dynamics through organoid modeling

samantha watson

Samantha Watson

Graduate Student, Co-Advised with Bob Guldberg

slwats@uoregon.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Investigating effect of regenerative rehabilitation techniques on post-traumatic osteoarthritis utilizing therapeutic and rehabilitation regimens

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Simon Aguilar Auld

Undergraduate Researcher

simonagu@uoregon.edu

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He/Him/His

Human Physiology major, mentored by Jarod Forer. 

John Abraham

John Abraham

Undergraduate Researcher

jabr@uoregon.edu

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He/Him/His

Neuroscience major, mentored by Dominique Granville. 

favour foday

Favor Foday

Undergraduate Researcher

fff@uoregon.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Biochemistry major, mentored by Sanique South and Grace Privett. 

black and white muscle fiber

Sophia Foerster

Undergraduate Researcher

sfoerst2@uoregon.edu

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She/Her/Hers

Multidisciplinary Sciences Undergraduate, mentored by Cora Ferguson. 

Investigating the role of estrogen in cartilage matrix homeostasis, focusing on age- and sex-specific differences in osteoarthritis pathogenesis and collagen composition

Join the Willett Lab

Graduate Students 

If you are interested in joining the group as a graduate student, please start by applying to the BioE Ph.D. program. Once you have applied, contact Professor Willett to learn more.

Postdoctoral Scholars

Prospective postdoctoral scholars are encouraged to reach out to Professor Willett to discuss current and upcoming opportunities. 

Undergraduate Students

There are numerous ways for undergraduates from UO and from other institutions to get involved in research with our team. 

Former Willett Lab Members

Postdoctoral Scholars

  • Adam Rauff, Ph.D., Co-Advised with Bob Guldberg
  • Elaine deLorimier, Ph.D.
  • Anna McDermott, Ph.D.

Graduate Students

  • Julia Andraca Harrer, Ph.D.
  • Afra Toma-Choudhury, Ph.D. 
  • Fabrice Bernard
  • Shannon Anderson, Co-Advised with Young Jang
  • Jay McKinney, Ph.D., Co-Advised with Levi Wood 
  • Brett Klosterhoff, Ph.D.
  • Marissa Ruehle Imken, Ph.D.

Research Staff

  • Nate Fox, M.S.
  • Thanh Doan, Ph.D.
  • Christine Tran
  • Jarred Kaiser, Ph.D.
  • Travis Fulton 
  • Natasja Hirabayashi
  • Sarvgna Raval
  • Emily Devereaux
  • Marijke DeVos
  • Sanjay Sridaran
  • Hyunhee Ahn


 

Undergraduate Researchers

  • Harper McClain
  • Emily Sverdrup
  • Victoreya McKissick
  • Bella Yannello
  • Alexa Martinez
  • Evan Smith
  • Ananthu Pucha 
  • Julia Fuller
  • Austin Yu 

The Willett Lab 

In 2022, the Willett lab relocated to the University of Oregon's Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. The Willett Lab is situated within the Department of Bioengineering in Eugene, Oregon, where its research centers on musculoskeletal regenerative and rehabilitation engineering.