Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Case Western Reserve University
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106-7222

Phone: (216) 368-6441     Fax: (216) 368-3007
Email:  christopher.hernandez@case.edu

Visitors: Glennan Building, Room 615A
 

Biography

Christopher J. Hernandez is an assistant professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department.  He also holds secondary appointments in the Departments of Orthopaedics and Biomedical Engineering and is a Research Associate at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Originally from Fresno, California, Dr. Hernandez earned a S.B. in Engineering Sciences with a specialty in Biomedical Engineering from Harvard University (1996) where he worked as a research assistant at the Beth Israel Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory.  He went on to earn an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University (1997) and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University (2001).  Prior to joining the faculty at Case Western Reserve University he trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and in the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory at UC Berkeley.  His research focus includes biomechanics of orthopaedic tissues with an emphasis on bone, and on the biological processes that influence on bone structure and mechanics.

Dr. Hernandez was awarded the Harold M. Frost Young Investigator Award by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in 2006 and has twice been a finalist for the New Investigator Recognition Award by the Orthopaedic Research Society (2004, 2006).  Recent scientific articles by Dr. Hernandez can be found in Bone and Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.  Dr. Hernandez teaches EMAE 372: Relation of Materials to Design, EMAE 376: Aerostructures, EMAE 415: Introduction to Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and serves as an instructor for PHOL512: Skeletal Biology and for Resident Education in the Department of Orthopaedics.

Research Interests

Bone Mechanics

Bone Adaptation

Selected Presentations

Easley, S.K., Shindich, D., Keaveny, T.M., Hernandez, C.J. (2008) “Effects of Resorption Cavities on Strength of Trabecular Bone.” 30th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Slyfield, C.R., Tomlinson, R.E., Tkachenko, E. V., Niemeyer, K.E., Steyer, G. J., Wilson, D.L., Hernandez, C.J. (2008) “Sub-micron 3D Fluorescent Imaging and Visualization of Remodeling Cavities in Cancellous Bone.” Summer Bioengineering Conference, Marco Island, FL, USA.

Slyfield, C.R., Tomlinson, R.E., Tkachenko, E. V., Niemeyer, K.E., Patthanacharoenphon C.G., Steyer, G.J., Kazakia G.J., Wilson, D.L., Hernandez, C.J. (2008) “3D Visualization and Measurement of Resorption Cavities in Cancellous Bone.” 59th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Slyfield, C. R., Tomlinson, R.E., Tkachenko, E., Steyer, G., Patthanacharoenphon C.G., Kazakia G.J., Wilson, D.L., Hernandez, C.J. (2007) “Three Dimensional Dynamic Histomorphometry: Image Processing.” 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Honolulu, HI, USA.

Schifle, A.S., Anderson, L.C., Loomis, D. A., Kunos, C., Latimer, B., Hernandez, C.J. (2007) “A biomechanical study of vertebral allometry in primates.” American Society of Biomechanics, Stanford, CA, USA.

Research Funding

1 R21 AR      054448-01      Hernandez (PI)     09/01/07-08/31/09
NIH/NIAMS
“Three-Dimensional Dynamic Bone Histomorphometry&rdquo
In this project we implement techniques to achieve 3D measures of remodeling events in cancellous bone and determine changes in remodeling cavity number and size and their effects on cancellous bone biomechanics.

ROLE: PI

RES 106726                       Hernandez (PI)     01/01/08-06/01/09
Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation
“Biomechanical Consequences of Gamma Radiation Sterilization on Cancellous Bone Allograft&rdquo
In this project we determine how gamma radiation sterilization influences cancellous bone strength and stiffness and how the effects of sterilization are modulated by trabecular bone microarchitecture and harvest location.

ROLE: PI

Selected Publications

Cotter, M. M., Simpson, S. W., Latimer, B. M., Hernandez, C.J., (2009).  "Trabecular microarchitecture of hominoid thoracic vertebrae."  Anat. Rec. In Press

Hernandez, C.J., Loomis D.A., Cotter M.M., Schifle A.L., Anderson L.C., Elsmore L., Kunos C., Latimer B. (2009).  "Biomechanical Allometry in Hominoid Thoracic Vertebrae"  J Hum Evol In Press

Hernandez, C.J., (2008).  "How can bone turnover change bone strength independent of bone mass?"  Bone 42(6): 1014-1020.

Bigley, R.F., Singh, M., Hernandez, C.J., Kazakia, G. J., Martin, R. B., Keaveny, T.M. (2008).  "Validity of serial milling-based imaging system for microdamage quantification."  Bone In Press. doi:10.1016/j.bone.2007.09.043.

Hernandez, C.J., Keaveny, T.M. (2006).  "A biomechanical perspective on bone quality."  Bone 39(6): 1173-1181.

Hernandez, C.J., Gupta, A., Keaveny, T.M. (2006).  "A biomechanical analysis of the effects of resorption cavities on cancellous bone strength."  J Bone Min Res 21(8): 1248-1255.

Hernandez, C.J., Tang, S.Y., Baumbach, B.M., Hwu, P.B., Sakkee A. N., van der Ham F., Bank, R.A., DeGroot J., Keaveny, T.M. (2005).  "Trabecular microfracture and the influence of pyridinium and non-enzymatic glycation mediated collagen cross-links."  Bone 37(6): 825-832.

Hernandez, C.J., Beaupré, G.S., Marcus, R., and Carter, D.R. (2001).  "A theoretical analysis of the contributions of remodeling space, mineralization and bone balance to changes in bone mineral density during alendronate treatment."  Bone 29(6): 511-516.

Hernandez, C.J., Beaupré, G.S., Keller, T.S. and Carter, D.R. (2001).  "The influence of bone volume fraction and ash fraction on bone strength and modulus."  Bone 29(1): 74-78.