Harris Orthopaedics Laboratory
Email: HOLinfo@mgh.harvard.edu
Call: 617-726-3869
Overview
The Harris Orthopaedics Laboratory (HOL) has over five decades of experience in addressing problems in adult reconstructive surgery by innovating new surgical techniques, devices, joint implant designs, and joint implant materials. Since 1969, the HOL has positively impacted the quality of life for millions of patients through its commitment to continuous innovation and evidence-based medicine.
Our research projects are mainly in:
- Material and animal model development for arthroplasty and resurfacing.
- Material and animal model development for focal cartilage defect repair.
- Biomaterials and biomechanical testing and device development.
- Clinical evaluation of new implants and materials.
- Evaluation of new surgical techniques and technology.
- Evaluation of quality control measures and cost effectiveness analysis.
- Development and evaluation of methods for measuring performance, wear, stability, etc. from clinical radiographs.
Notably, several formulations of highly cross-linked ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), stabilized by re-melting or vitamin E, were developed for large scale usage in implant manufacturing in this laboratory and have since changed the landscape of joint replacement by reducing the number of wear particles and instances of osteolysis associated with total joint implants. After about a decade of use, these materials have become the gold standard in joint replacement, especially of the hip.
One focus area of the laboratory today is advancing material development in joint repair and replacement. Under the direction of Orhun K. Muratoglu, PhD, the pre-clinical material research team develops novel UHMWPEs for improving the longevity of joint implants and expanding the use of joint replacement safely to younger and more active patients. Another cutting-edge area is the development of pharmaceutical loaded materials for pain and infection management. The materials research team collectively brings experience in material and polymer science, polymer chemistry, biomaterials and biomechanics testing and bench-to-clinic implant development as well as follow-up testing of explanted devices to analyze in vivo effects.
Innovations
Harris Orthopaedic Investigators are authors of more than 75 patents worldwide in the following area:
- Methods for Making Oxidation Resistant Polymeric Materials.
- Mosaicplasty Constructs.
- Highly Crystalline Polyethylene.
- Highly Crystalline Crosslinked Oxidation Resistant Polyethylene.
- Methods and Devices for Knee Joint Replacement with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Substitution.
- High Temperature Melting.
- Radiation and Melt Treated Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Prosthetic Devices.
- PVA-PAA Hydrogels.
- Oxidation Resistant Homogenized Polymeric Material.
- Selective Controlled Manipulation of Polymers.
- High Modulus Crosslinked Polyethylene with Reduced Residual free Radical Concentration Prepared below the Melt.
- Drug eluting polymer composed of biodegradable polymers applied to surface of medical device.
- Di-cumyl peroxide crosslinking of UHMWPE.
- Methods of making a layered, consolidated UHMWPE for use as a medical implant, and products made by the methods.
- UV-Initiated Reactions of Polymeric Material.
- Peroxide cross-linking and high temperature melting.
- Methods of making a layered consolidated UHMWPE comprising a pharmaceutical compound.
- Systems and methods of radioprotection of allografts.
- Antioxidant stabilized joint implants.
- Spatial control of additives by high temperature.
- Methods for making oxidation resistant, cross-linked polymeric materials.
Impact
Learn more about the impact of the Harris Lab
We developed and continue to house of one of the oldest arthroplasty registries in the USA for documenting clinical improvements and identifying failure mechanisms.
Our efforts contributed to lowering the rates of deep vein thrombosis and infection, improving surgical techniques, and shortening hospital stays for patients.
We made important contributions to improved understanding of the inherent linkage between bone resorption and formation.
We made major contributions to improving the success of human limb reimplantation.
We made key contributions to the new understanding of the etiology of hip osteoarthritis.
We developed a unique method for directly measuring the pressure in human articular cartilage in vivo during activities of daily living.
We made major innovations in developing reconstructive hip surgery techniques for arthritis caused by developmental dysplasia and total developmental dislocation.
We made important contributions to the rigorous quantification for both the hip-centered outcomes of adult hip surgery and individual hip surgery techniques.
We made major contributions to advances in total hip implant designs and implantation techniques for both cemented and cementless total hip replacements.
We improved bone cement and cementing techniques and contributed also to innovations in cementless implant fixation.
We helped identify one of the major failure modes in joint arthroplasty - bone loss caused by adverse tissue response to particulate debris (periprosthetic osteolysis).
We pioneered and continue to enhance development of highly-crosslinked polyethylenes. Our innovations have provided major advances in the elimination of periprosthetic osteolysis worldwide, thereby contributing to significant improvements in the outcomes of total hip and total knee patients.
We established the ability of highly-crosslinked polyethylene to resist wear with sufficient power to safely permit the use of femoral heads greater than 32 mm in diameter, thus effectively reducing the dislocation rate of metal-on-polyethylene THR
We pioneered the use of antioxidants in highly-crosslinked polyethylene implants, further improving their long-term performance in patients.
The Harris Orthopaedics Laboratory has generated more than 600 combined publications since its inception in 1969. Many publications have garnered multiple distinctions, including:
- The highest number of citations in four different categories of orthopaedic surgery.
- Inclusion in the list of 100 classic papers in orthopaedic surgery.
- The 100 most frequently cited papers in orthopaedic surgery.
- The 100 most frequently cited papers in orthopaedic hip research.
- The 50 most frequently cited papers in hip and knee arthroplasty. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47337759_100_Most_Cited_Articles_in_Orthopaedic_Surgery
To date, the Harris Orthopedics Laboratory has been granted:
- 3 Kappa Delta National Orthopaedic Research Awards.
- 10 Hip Society Awards.
- 3 HAP Paul Awards.
Material Development for Arthroplasty and Orthopaedic Implants
Implantable polymers used in medical devices can function for many decades in vivo in contact with bodily tissues and fluids. Antioxidants can be incorporated into these polymers to prevent oxidative reactions but there is a higher burden of proof on the efficacy and safety of the incorporation of such additives into medical polymers. We have shown through our work over the last two decades that the antioxidant vitamin E can be incorporated in UHMWPE joint implants to protect the polymer against radiation-induced and biological fluid-induced free radicals and degradation. The goal of our work in this area is to develop methods for efficient incorporation of antioxidant stabilization in medical polymers and clinically relevant testing.
The structure-property relationships of UHMWPE, which is a unique, high molecular weight polymer, specialized for use in total joint implants, has long been a focus of our lab. The central goal is to modify the crystalline and amorphous structure of this semi-crystalline polymer improving clinically relevant macro properties such as multidirectional wear resistance, resistance against fatigue damage and impact. We work on incorporating structural changes such as extended chain crystal formation (see picture below), controlled chain scissioning or porosification to further the application of this polymer in orthopaedic and other applications. Our recent work incorporates therapeutic compounds into UHMWPE without sacrificing its state-of-the-art properties for implantation, relying on our decades-long understanding of this material.
Characterization of implant-associated infections and anti-infective materials
Peri-prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are implant infections that are associated with joint replacement surgery and are a tremendous burden to patients, caregivers and to the healthcare system. The mortality and morbidity of these infections are similar to common types of cancers and there is a great need for understanding the evolution of implant-associated infections and providing testing environments and models that are clinically relevant.
Our work has focused on establishing the first preclinical joint infection model incorporating all synthetic implant components. We have used our models to establish a clinically relevant acute and chronic period for the infection and an understanding of the relevant evolution of antibiotic tolerance. We also focus on incorporating clinically relevant environments such as synovial and wound fluid and clinical and polymicrobial strains pertinent to PJI.
To make a clinically important difference in reducing infection rates associated with orthopaedic devices and procedures, we are interested in exploring multimodal material strategies in preventing, detecting and treating microbial infections. Our approach in this area is to combine our expertise in the structure-property relationships of polymeric matrices to develop anti-infective treatments and medical devices which can be functional in orthopaedic applications and can be versatile at different stages of treatment.
Drug Delivery
The common standard of systemic drug delivery often is accompanied by systemic side effects. Our goal is to devise safe and effective local delivery devices relevant to orthopaedic conditions such as implant-associated infections to improve the efficacy of the delivered drugs at the location and to minimize the side effects of locally needed medications.
Our work focuses on UHMWPE as a delivery device as well as micro- and nanoparticulate systems, mainly focusing on antibiotics, pain management tools such as local anesthetics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. We focus on translational aspects of material formulation such as large-scale manufacturing, daily dosing requirements, local pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profiles as well as specific interactions in the local environment. Our work involves developing new methodologies to target nanoparticles to biofilm and to monitor nanoparticle interactions with intended targets.
Improvements in Outcomes for Total Joint Patients
Publications
- Fan Y, Jorgensen AR, Malick F, Asik MA, Fujino K, Bue M, Collins J, Muratoglu OK, Stilling M, Oral E. In Vivo Microdialysis Assessment of Systemic and Local Vancomycin Levels Following Intraarticular Administration in Rats. J Orthop Res 44(1): e70098 (2026).
- Fan Y, Asik MD, Yuh J, Thomson A, McCanne M, Lekkala S, Fujino K, Muratoglu OK, Collins JE, Randolph MA, Oral E. Dual-drug releasing PEG-PLA hydrogels with tunable degradation for sustained local analgesia and anti-inflammatory therapy in a rat fracture/osteotomy model. Biomaterials (Available online).
- Asik MD, Reyhanli A, Serafim MF, Inverardi N, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. A Dynamic Device to Simulate Intraarticular Drug-Release Kinetics. Int J Pharmaceutics (In Press).
- Oral E, Chisari E, Choe H, Cichos K, Coenye T, Coraca-Huber D, Drago L, Hamilton J, Kruse Jensen L, Jennings AJ, Saeed K, Moriarty FT, Muthukrishnan G, Nishitani K, Norton N, Parvizi J, Priddy L, Schwarz E, Siverino C, Sekar A, Trobos M, Wildemann B. The 2025 International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection: Research Priorities and Future Directions. J Orthop Res 44(4): e70179 (2026).
- Muthukrishnan G, Coraça-Huber DC, Atkins G, Abbaszadeh A, Abedi AA, Bingham JS, Chicos K, Coenye T, Drago L, Hamilton J, Hickok NJ, Iannotti F, Jensen LK, Li B, Manzary M, Moriarty TF, McDonald K, Nishitani K, Norton N, Oral E, Parvizi JM, Rafaat D, Saeed K, Sallai I, Schwarz EM, Siverino C, Trobos M, Tubbs A. The 2025 International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection: Summary from the Biofilm Workgroup on Biofilm Formation, Persistence, and Host-Environment Interactions. J Orthop Res 44(1): e70130 (2026).
- Jennings AJ, Abbaszadeh A, Abdelbari H, Abdulla FS, Benzouak T, Choe H, Coenye T, Coraça-Huber DC, Del Poso J, Drago L, Hamilton J, Hamoudeh R, Hickok NJ, Jensen LK, Li B, Manzary M, Markovics A, Moriarty TF, Muthukrishnan G, Norton N, Oral E, Priddy LB, Saeed K, Spiegel C, Schwarz EM, Siverino C, Trobos M, Tubbs A, Yeasmin R. The 2025 International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection: Summary from the Biofilm Workgroup on Treatment of Biofilm-Based Infection and Evaluation in Preclinical Models. J Orthop Res 44(3) e70169 (2026).
- Inverardi N, Serafim MF, Marzouca A, Fujino K, Ferreira M, Asik MD, Sekar A, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Synergistic antibacterial drug elution from UHMWPE for load-bearing implants. J Mater Chem B 13: 2382-2399 (2025).
- Sekar A, Lekkala S, Inverardi N, Thomson A, Daesety V, Trendafilova D, Collins JE, Tierney P, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Local Antimicrobial Potential of Bupivacaine and Tolfenamic Acid-Loaded Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) for Orthopedic Infection. Bioengineering 12(2): 173 (2025).
- Asik MD, Walsh-Rock E, Inverardi N, Nepple CM, Dutta Kannambadi D, Zhao T, Sekar A, Ferreira M, Wannomae KK, Oral E, Muratoglu OK. Enhanced Antibiotic Release and Mechanical Strength in UHMWPE Antibiotic Blends: The Role of Sub-Micron Gentamicin Sulfate Particles. J Bone & Joint Surg 107(6): 586-593 (2025).
- Dhamecha D, Nepple C, Asik MD, Fan Y, Sekar A, Fujino K, Malick F, McCanne M, Oral E, Muratoglu O. Vancomycin-loaded PLGA microspheres using novel microfluidics for the management of orthopedic infections. J Orthop Res 43 (6), 1191-1202 (2025).
- Inverardi N, Serafim MF, Sekar A, Fujino K, Ferreira M, Marzouca A, Nagler E, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Wear resistant antibacterial UHMWPE-based implant materials by radiation crosslinking. Biomaterials Science 13, 2422 – 2434 (2025).
- Fan Y, Sekar A, McCanne M, Yuh J, Kannambadi DD, Lekkala S, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Immune Response against Antibiotic-Resistant and Antibiotic-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus in a Rat Model of Implant Infection. Scientific Reports 15(1):13264 (2025).
- Sekar A, Malick FB, Deepak SU, Inverardi N, Murugesan D, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Characterizing interactions of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in dual-species implant-associated biofilms in vitro. Special Issue on Biofilms and Implants: new approaches and challenges (Eds. Hickok, Jennings, Chen, Schaer), Biofilms and Microbiome 11: 189 (2025).
- Jones K, Muehlman AM, Melvin SM, Oral E, Penrose CT. Short-term survivorship of antioxidant highly cross-linked polyethylene liners in total hip arthroplasty reported in American Joint Replacement Registry. World J Ortho 16(9): 110386 (2025).
- Asik MD, Zhao T, Fan Y, Ferreira M, Yang L, Inverardi N, Sekar A, Fujino K, Malick FB, Wannomae KK, Oral E, Muratoglu OK. Advancing Joint Infection Treatment: Long-Term Animal Implantation of Submicron Gentamicin-Loaded UHMWPE. J Biomed Mater Res 113 (10): e35673 (2025).
- Fan Y, Yuh J, McCanne M, Chen AF, Oral E. The efficacy of vitamin E in preventing arthrofibrosis after joint replacement. Animal Models and Experimental Medicine 7 (2):145-155 (2024).
- Lekkala S, Inverardi N, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Irradiation Behavior of Analgesic and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug-Loaded UHMWPE for Joint Replacement. ACS Biomacromolecules 25(4): 2312-2322 (2024).
- Lekkala S, Inverardi N, Yuh J, Wannomae KK, Tierney P, Sekar A, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Antibiotic-loaded UHMWPEs. Macromolecular Bioscience 24(4):e2300389 (2024).
- Sekar A, Gil D, Tierney P, McCanne M, Daesety V, Trendafilova D, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Synergistic use of anti-inflammatory ketorolac and gentamicin to target staphylococcal biofilms. J Transl Med 1 (22): 102-107 (2024).
- Muratoglu OK, Asik MD, Nepple CM, Wannomae KK, Micheli B, Connolly R, Oral E. Di-Cumyl Peroxide Crosslinked UHMWPE/Vitamin-E Blend for Total Joint Arthroplasty Implants. J Orthop Res 42: 306-316 (2024).
- Fan, Y, McCanne M, Yuh J, Lekkala S, Leape CP, Hugard SE, Thomson A, Collins JE, Muratoglu OK, Randolph M, Oral E. The efficacy of antibiotic-eluting materials in a two-stage model of periprosthetic joint infection. J Orthop Res 42: 460-473 (2024).
- Inverardi, N; Lekkala, S; Serafim, M; Wannomae, K; Micheli, B; Bedair, H; Muratoglu, O; Oral, E. Diffusion doping of analgesics into UHMWPE for prophylactic pain management. J Mater Chem B 12(40):10332-10345 (2024).
- Sekar A, Fan Y, Tierney P, McCanne M, Jones P, Malick F, Kannambadi D, Wannomae KK, Inverardi N, Yuh J, Lekkala S**, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Investigating the translational value of Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) models to determine the risk and severity of Staphylococcal biofilms. ACS Infectious Diseases 10(12): 4156-4166 (2024).
- Noreen J. Hickok, Bingyun Li, Ebru Oral, Sebastian A. J. Zaat, David A. Armbruster, Gerald J. Atkins, Antonia F. Chen, Débora C. Coraça-Huber, Tianhong Dai, Edward M. Greenfield, Rajendra Kasinath, Matthew Libera, Cláudia N. H. Marques, T. Fintan Moriarty, K. Scott Phillips, Kapil Raghuraman, Dacheng Ren, Lia Rimondini, Kordo Saeed, Thomas P. Schaer, Edward M. Schwarz, Christopher Spiegel, Paul Stoodley, Vi Khanh Truong, Shao-Ting Jerry Tsang, Britt Wildemann, Anja R. Zelmer, Annelies S. Zinkernagel. The 2023 Orthopaedic Research Society’s International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection: Summary from the In Vitro Section. J Orthop Res 42(3):512-517 (2024).
- Fan Y, Yuh J, McCanne M, Chen AF, Oral E. The effect of vitamin E supplementation in a rat model of arthrofibrosis. Animal Models and Experimental Medicine 7 (2):145-155 (2024).
- Lekkala S, Inverardi N, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. The effect of gamma irradiation on analgesic-eluting UHMWPE. ACS Biomacromolecules 25(4): 2312-2322 (2024).
- Lekkala S, Inverardi N, Yuh J, Wannomae KK, Tierney P, Sekar A, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Antibiotic-loaded UHMWPEs. Macromolecular Bioscience 24(4):e2300389 (2024).
- Sekar A, Gil D, Tierney P, McCanne M, Daesety V, Trendafilova D, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Synergistic use of anti-inflammatory ketorolac and gentamicin to target staphylococcal biofilms. J Transl Med 1 (22): 102-107 (2024).
- Muratoglu OK, Asik MD, Nepple CM, Wannomae KK, Micheli B, Connolly R, Oral E. Di-Cumyl Peroxide Crosslinked UHMWPE/Vitamin-E Blend for Total Joint Arthroplasty Implants. J Orthop Res 42: 306-316 (2024).
- Fan, Y, McCanne M, Yuh J, Lekkala S, Leape CP, Hugard SE, Thomson A, Collins JE, Muratoglu OK, Randolph M, Oral E. The efficacy of antibiotic-eluting materials in a two-stage model of periprosthetic joint infection. J Orthop Res 42: 460-473 (2024).
- Noreen J. Hickok, Bingyun Li, Ebru Oral, Sebastian A. J. Zaat, David A. Armbruster, Gerald J. Atkins, Antonia F. Chen, Débora C. Coraça-Huber, Tianhong Dai, Edward M. Greenfield, Rajendra Kasinath, Matthew Libera, Cláudia N. H. Marques, T. Fintan Moriarty, K. Scott Phillips, Kapil Raghuraman, Dacheng Ren, Lia Rimondini, Kordo Saeed, Thomas P. Schaer, Edward M. Schwarz, Christopher Spiegel, Paul Stoodley, Vi Khanh Truong, Shao-Ting Jerry Tsang, Britt Wildemann, Anja R. Zelmer, Annelies S. Zinkernagel. The 2023 Orthopaedic Research Society’s International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection: Summary from the In Vitro Section. J Orthop Res 42(3):512-517 (2024).
- Inverardi, N; Lekkala, S; Serafim, Maria; Wannomae, KK; Micheli, B; Bedair, H; Muratoglu, O; Oral, E. Diffusion doping of analgesics into UHMWPE for prophylactic pain management. J Mater Chem B 12(40):10332-10345 (2024).
- Asik MD, Walsh-Rock E, Inverardi N, Nepple CM, Dutta Kannambadi D, Zhao T, Sekar A, Ferreira M, Wannomae KK, Oral E, Muratoglu OK. Enhanced Antibiotic Release and Mechanical Strength in UHMWPE Antibiotic Blends: The Role of Sub-Micron Gentamicin Sulfate Particles. J Bone & Joint Surg.
- Sekar A, Fan Y, Tierney P, McCanne M, Jones P, Malick F, Kannambadi D, Wannomae KK, Inverardi N, Yuh J, Lekkala S, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. Investigating the translational value of Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) models to determine the risk and severity of Staphylococcal biofilms. ACS Infectious Diseases.
- Inverardi N, Serafim MF, Marzouca A, Fujino K, Ferreira M, Asik MD, Sekar A, Muratoglu OK, Oral E. The synergistic use of bupivacaine and antibiotics for enhanced antibacterial activity of drug-loaded UHMWPE in load-bearing joint implants. J Mater Chem B.
Open Positions
Graduate Students
Visiting Graduate Student
The Harris Orthopedic Laboratory (HOL) at MGH specializes in translational research for orthopedic biomaterials and implants. HOL is looking to train MD/PhD and PhD students in polymeric material development and translational research in orthopaedics. The laboratory is a focal point in the orthopedic research community for development of new materials, designs and clinically relevant testing methodology for total joint replacements, which are implanted in over 1 million patients in the US alone each year. This is a great opportunity for science and engineering students looking for hands-on experience in biomedical applications.
We are interested in a variety of topics pertaining to orthopaedics such as improving the performance of materials, designs and developing methodologies to help bridge the gap between in vitro testing and in vivo performance of implantable devices. We are interested in treating orthopaedic conditions such as post-traumatic arthritis, peri-prosthetic osteolysis, peri-prosthetic and post-traumatic infection, and pain management.
We are open to collaborations where graduate students already enrolled in a PhD program in science or engineering with the pertinent experience can incorporate 1-2 years of laboratory training at the HOL into their thesis work.
Contact Person: Ebru Oral, PhD (eoral@mgh.harvard.edu)
Material Engineering & Preclinical Research
Biomedical Engineering Position in Translational Research (Entry Level)
General Overview
Harris Orthopaedics Laboratory is focused on the development of polymeric and hybrid materials for applications in orthopedics. We are seeking a highly motivated individual for an entry-level research position to support our translational research program in implantable biomaterial development. This position is ideal for new engineering graduates interested in the medical application of basic research and is a great opportunity for those who want to gain some experience before continuing their education in graduate or medical school.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following activities
Specific technical functions
- Laboratory formulation including preparation of macromers, polymers, polymer blends, polymeric consolidation.
- Modification of polymers including outside services such as radiation processing.
- Characterization of polymers on-site and local off-site research facilities including drug elution, mechanical and fatigue testing, wear testing, thermal and structural characterization.
- Processing of data to evaluate the efficacy of materials in animal models including gait analysis and micro-computed tomography image analysis.
- May include bacterial culture studies on processed polymeric materials using various assays.
General laboratory functions
- Assembly, operation, maintaining operation protocols, scheduling management and some maintenance of assigned equipment.
- Ordering supplies and keeping track of related inventory.
- Maintaining clean equipment, glassware and laboratory space.
- Storing data, samples, and protocols in the appropriate locations in the appropriate formats.
- Working alongside other research technicians, MD students, PhD students and post-doctoral fellows.
Administrative/reporting functions
- Organizing and accurately maintaining written records of procedures and data.
- Generating and compiling experimental information/results in graphs, charts, and reports.
- Preparing written and/or verbal reports for supervisor and/or senior research personnel.
- Collaborating with team members and supervisor(s) in developing research methodologies and research objectives.
- Collaborating with team members and supervisor(s) in writing and editing material for publication; opportunity for authorship in publications.
Skills/Abilities/Qualifications
- Must have BS. Non-engineering degrees will ONLY be considered with relevant experience.
- Must have at least one non-course based laboratory research experience, such as a summer internship or research assistantship.
- Coursework and/or internship experience in biomaterials with emphasis on polymeric materials a plus.
- Coursework and/or laboratory experience with bacterial culture methods or animals a plus.
- Robust written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and strong organizational skills are all expected. Independence, self-motivation, and a willingness to learn new skills are also vital for succeeding in this position.
- Must have solid, practical skills in Microsoft Office applications. Demonstrated proficiency in Matlab is a plus.
This position requires strong academic performance (minimum 3.2 GPA is preferred). The ideal candidate will also have had prior research experience. Preference will be given to a candidate planning to matriculate at a medical or graduate school.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume, cover letter, and unofficial transcript to Mehmet Asik, PhD at masik@mgh.harvard.edu.
Undergraduate Internships
General Overview
A ten to twelve-week Summer Research Intern position is available from June to August. The internship will include an introduction into material formulation and testing of drug delivery devices in orthopaedic applications such as joint arthroplasty, trauma and spine. Interns will have the opportunity to be exposed to the translational research environment through interaction with other members of the Harris Laboratory and gain insight into design of medical devices, in-vitro characterization, preclinical testing of safety and efficacy and clinical follow-up research of implanted materials. Upon successful completion of the internship, the intern may be considered for in-semester internship or for a full-time research technician position.
Depending on the specific project, responsibilities will include some of the following activities:
- Laboratory formulation including preparation of polymers, blends of polymers, photo and thermal polymerization, polymeric consolidation.
- Characterization of polymers on-site and off-site at available facilities in Boston including elution testing, mechanical, fatigue testing and structural characterization.
- Anti-bacterial method development and anti-bacterial material characterization using bacterial cultures in a BSL-2 setting.
- May include support for pre-clinical testing including preparing tissue and blood specimens for post-surgical material analysis and characterization of retrieved implants.
- May include data processing for gait analysis or characterization of structural material properties.
General Laboratory Functions
- Assembly, operation, maintaining operation protocols, and some maintenance of used equipment.
- Maintaining clean equipment, glassware and laboratory space.
- Working alongside research technologists, MD students, PhD students and post-doctoral fellows.
Administrative/Reporting Functions
- Organizing and accurately maintaining written records of procedures and data.
- Generating and compiling experimental information/results in graphs, charts, and reports.
- Preparing written and/or verbal reports for supervisor and/or senior research personnel.
Skills/Abilities/Qualifications
- The ideal candidate will be a rising senior on the pre-med track, majoring preferably in Chemical/Biomedical Engineering who has demonstrated strong academic performance (minimum 3.3 GPA is preferred).
- Coursework and/or internship experience in polymeric materials a plus.
- Robust written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and strong organizational skills are all expected. Independence, self-motivation, and a willingness to learn new skills are also vital for succeeding in this position.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume, cover letter and unofficial transcript to Mehmet Asik, PhD, at masik@mgh.harvard.edu.