Associate Professor
Research Interests: Biomineralization, Biomechanics, Biomaterials, Interfaces
E-mail: deymier@uchc.edu
Address: UConn Health, School of Dental Medicine, Room L7081, Farmington, CT, 06030
Office Phone: 860-679- 8916
Education:
B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona
Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University
Postdoc in Orthopedic Surgery at Washington University and Columbia University
Research Summary:
The body must maintain a pH within a narrow range (7.4±0.05) to sustain life. However, many factors such as kidney disease, diabetes, metabolic diseases, and diet can shift this pH outside the acceptable range. To counter these variations, the body employs a variety of regulatory mechanisms. Although musculoskeletal regulation of pH has been previously reported, the mechanisms by which muscles and bones control acid-base balance are unknown. My lab will focus on elucidating the relationship between the musculoskeletal system and the acid/base balance in the body. I hypothesize that degradation of muscle, bone, and tendon directly regulates pH at the (1) cellular, (2) local, and (3) systemic levels. This understanding will create a foundation of knowledge for developing therapeutic treatments for diseases such as osteoporosis, muscle wasting, and metabolic acidosis.
Selected Publications:
1. Deymier, A.C. A.K. Nair, B. Depalle, Z. Qin, K. Arcot, C. Drouet, C.H. Yoder, M.J. Buehler, S.
Thomopoulos, G.M. Genin, J.D. Pasteris. Protein-free formation of bone-like apatite: New
insights into the key role of carbonation. Biomaterials, 2017. 127: p.75-88.
2. Deymier, A.C Y. An, J.J. Boyle, A.G. Schwartz, V. Birman, G.M. Genin, S. Thomopoulos, A.H.
Barber. Micro-mechanical Properties of the Tendon-to- Bone Attachment. Acta Biomaterialia,
2017. 56: p.25-35.
3. Deymier-Black, A.C., J.D. Pasteris. G.M. Genin, S. Thomopoulos. Allometry of the Tendon
Enthesis: Mechanisms of Load Transfer Between Tendon and Bone. Journal of Biomechanical
Engineering, 2015. 137: p.111005-1- 111005-8.
4. Deymier-Black, A.C., A. Singhal, F. Yuan, J.D. Almer, L.C. Brinson, and D.C. Dunand, Effect of
High-Energy X-ray Irradiation on Creep Mechanisms in Bone and Dentin. Journal of the
Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 2013. 21: p. 17-31.
5. Deymier-Black, A.C., J.D. Almer, S.R. Stock, D.R. Haeffner, and D.C. Dunand, Synchrotron X-ray
diffraction study of load partitioning during elastic deformation of bovine dentin. Acta
Biomaterialia, 2010. 6: p. 2172-2180.