Research Team
Karl J. Jepsen
Glancy Family Scholar
Associate Dean for Research, U-M Medical School
Professor, Depts of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering
Chair, Research and Academic Safety Committee
Director, Michigan Integrative Musculoskeletal Health Core Center
Dr. Jepsen earned a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit, and an MS and PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Michigan. He conducted his post-doctoral training at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he then served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics. In 1999, he accepted a position in the Department of Orthopaedics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He returned to Michigan in September, 2011.
His research program focuses on understanding how complex physiological systems such as the skeletal system establish function during growth and maintain function during aging. Having a better understanding of how complex systems work is expected to benefit efforts to reduce fracture risk by identifying the genetic and environmental factors that impair (or promote) specific components of the functional adaptation process that compromise (or improve) musculoskeletal health. A pattern in the way individuals coordinate their traits was identified in a mouse model and then successfully translated to the human skeleton. This pattern or network of trait interactions has experimental value in that genetic factors regulating each component of the network can be teased out and studied. The network also has tremendous clinical value because it means a person's fracture risk can be predicted earlier in life and will provide insight into novel prophylactic therapies. Evaluating acquired trait sets is expected to provide a more flexible, personalized approach to identifying novel biomechanical and biological pathways contributing to bone fragility.
JEPSEN LABORATORY STAFF
Erin Bigelow, Research Lab Specialist
Erin coordinates studies in the laboratory. She works on the ATLAS project, and also as part of the nanoCT core. Erin holds an M.S. in Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology from Michigan State University. Erin has been with the lab since 2009.
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW
Miranda Cosman, PhD
Miranda got her PhD in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. She has taught introductory courses concentrating in biological anthropology on the topics of osteology, comparative anatomy, and human skeletal health, as well as taught a small format class focused on developing student research skills and understanding of the methodologies employed by biological anthropologists. Her research focused on how age related changes in locomotion of non-human apes are reflected in their trabecular and cortical bone across ontogeny. She will be applying this background to studying the affects of aging on human population, specifically focusing on using nanoct images of human proximal femurs to investigate the changes in trabecular and cortical bone on the aging population.
Email Miranda: mncosman@umich.edu
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Maximo Nelson, maximon@umich.edu
Joe Vermette, vermette@umich.edu
ORL LABORATORY STAFF
Andrea Clark, CT-Core coordinator
Andrea runs the nanoCT/microCT core for the Orthopaedic Research Laboratories. She assists the Jepsen lab with nanoCT scanning and analysis. Andrea holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from Michigan State University. Andrea joined the lab in 2017 with a wealth of experience in microscopy imaging.
Email Andrea: clarkand@med.umich.edu
Rob Goulet, Computer Research/IT
Rob is the computer research specialist for the Orthopaedic Research Laboratories. He helps the Jepsen lab with setting up and maintaining both hardware and software systems for research. He is developing the ATLAS project database as well we several other research interfaces used within the lab. Rob holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Rob has been with the ORL since 2011.
Email Rob: rgoulet@med.umich.edu
Bonnie Nolan, Animal Coordinator
Bonnie is an animal tech for the Orthopaedic Research Laboratories. She coordinates all of the animal care and study information for the Jepsen lab. She also assists several other labs within the Orthopaedic Research Laboratories. She has been part of the ORL for 20+ years.
Email Bonnie: bnolan@med.umich.edu
Carol Whitinger, Histology
Carol manages the histology unit located within the Orthopaedic Research Laboratories. Carol helps the Jepsen Lab with developing protocols for plastic and paraffin embedding, sectioning samples, and staining tissues. Carol performed histology studies in industry for 14 years before returning to the ORL in 2014.
Email Carol: whitinge@med.umich.edu
Emma Snyder-White, Histology
Emma works in the Histology Core located within the Orthopaedic Research Laboratories.
Email Bonnie: bnolan@med.umich.edu
ORL ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Meilssa Li, Research Administration Manager
Melissa is the research administrator for the Orthopaedic Surgery Department at the University of Michigan. She conducts pre- and post award grant management, routes agreements, assists with clinical trial management, and manages administrative and human resource details for the researcher faculty, staff, and trainees in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Email Melissa: melilimi@med.umich.edu
Kaileigh Stuchlik, Research Administration Manager
Kaileigh provides pre- and post award grant management support for the research faculty and trainees within the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. She assists with proposals, annual/final reports, and grant reconciliation.
Email Kaileigh: klykins@med.umich.edu
Sarah Boston Administrative Assistant Specialist
Sarah provides administrative support for the research faculty within the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. She assists the labs with procurement, travel arrangements, and administrative details.
Email Sarah: sjayers@med.umich.edu
FORMER TRAINEES
Post-Doctoral Training: Stephen H. Schlecht, Ph.D.; Melissa Ramcharan, Ph.D.; Eugene Manley Jr., Ph.D.; Yueqin "Michelle" Yang;
Ph.D. Students: Daniella Patton, PhD., Melissa Ramcharan, Ph.D.
Masters Students: Richard W. Nakkula Jr., M.S.E.; Ferrous Ward
Undergraduate Students: Amber Cathey; Antonio Ciarelli, Camden Fuller; Zachary Gala; Noah J. Mathis; Drew Moss; Monica Patel, Michael Casden