OsteoMorph: Understanding Bone Microphysics through Computational Morphology of SRuCT

Can we mathematically model the microstructure of bone through computational geometry and morphology? And once obtained, can we use these digital twins of the microbiology to model and discover new insight about the biophysical structures of bone and the processes that control remodeling and regeneration? Through existing ultra-precise Synchrotron Radiation micro-CT (SRµCT) 3D images, we will develop mathematical models that characterize the 3D micro-geometry at the cellular level. Using this, we will be able to test hypotheses of osteocyte network formation, structure and function, and answer questions about the microbiophysics of bone in ways that would be impossible at present. Salary is sought for a single 2-year postdoc: a computer scientist er physicist with a strong foundation in image analysis. Note that the project, while applied to bone tomograms, is not targeted at health studies, but fundamental research into building mathematical models of the micro-biophysics of living bone. The methodology is a combination of computer science and physics, with external advice from bone experts.