Department of Orthopaedics :: Brown Alpert Medical School :: Faculty

Faculty - Research

Qian Chen, Ph.D.
Michael G. Ehrlich MD Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Research
Professor of Medical Science
Director, Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Skeletal Health and Repair
Department of Orthopaedics
Brown Albert Medical School /Rhode Island Hospital

Dr. Qian Chen was born and raised in Shanghai, China. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Fudan University in China, and his Ph.D. degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Chen completed his post-doctoral fellowship in Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Currently, Dr. Chen is Michael G. Ehrlich MD Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Research and Professor of Medical Science at Brown University. Dr. Chen is the Head of Orthopaedic Biology and Director of Cell and Molecular Biology in the Department of Orthopaedics, Brown Medical School and Rhode Island Hospital. He is the director of Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Skeletal Health and Repair, a multi-disciplinary translational research center established with more than eleven million dollars by NIH. Dr. Chen's research interest includes cartilage molecular biology, mechanotransduction, and osteoarthritis. Throughout Dr. Chen's research career, he received the Independent Scientist Award from National Institute of Health (NIH), the Satterfield Arthritis Investigator Award from Arthritis Foundation, and the Kappa Delta Award from American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Chen has served on NIH study sections and advisory panels, and the merit review panel of the Veterans Administration. He has served as an editor of the journal Current Opinion in Orthopaedics, and Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. He has been continuously supported by multiple grants from National Institutes of Health for more than a decade.

Dr. Chen's Research Home Page/CV

Deborah McK. Ciombor, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Research
Brown Medical School

Dr. Ciombor is a graduate of Brown University. She completed her doctoral training in 1992 in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Ciombor began her research career studying the effects of physical stimuli on connective tissue, particularly electomagnetic fields. The work centered on the modulation of chondrocyte differentiation. This work continues and she is currently examining the modulation of growth factor effects and the transduction of the physical signal from recognition to gene regulation. New work in the laboratory is focused on tissue engineering and the application of developmental biology to the production of cartilage biocomposites, including the release of growth factors from polymer constructs. The laboratory and this work have been continuously funded for twenty years through a combination of NIH, corporate and foundation grants including the Whitaker and Aircast foundations. Dr. Ciombor is currently a member of the Biomedical Engineering Panel for the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Ciombor's Research Home Page\CV

Joseph J. (Trey) Crisco, Ph.D.
Professor of Orthopaedics and Engineering
Brown Medical School

Dr. Crisco joined the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedics in 1995. He is the Director of the Bioengineering lab for Orthopaedic Research at Rhode Island Hospital. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science from Yale University in 1989, and was a postdoctoral Fellow in Zurich, Switzerland through Yale University. He currently serves as Director of Research for the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment and on the Board of Directors of the National Institute for Sports, Science and safety. Dr. Crisco has devoted much time to teaching both graduate and undergraduate engineering students and serving as an orthopaedic resident project advisor. Dr. Crisco currently serves as an editorial consultant for the Journal of Biomechanics and as an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Biomechanics. He also acts as a reviewer for several well-known journals including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. In 1993 he received the Postdoctoral Young Scientist Award from the American Society of Biomechanics, the Cabaud Memorial Award from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and more recently, his presentations at the 2001 American Society for Surgery and the Hand annual meeting won awards for both layout and presentation and for scientific content. Dr. Crisco's research work on the kinematics of the wrist is currently supported by the National Institutes of Health. In addition, he is working on a grant from Simbex to measure head impacts in football, and is a co-investigator on a Resident Research Award from the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. Dr. Crisco's research interests include the study of bone kinematics in vivo as well as sports injury and mechanics.

Dr. Crisco's Research Home Page/CV

Braden C. Fleming, Ph.D.
Professor
Division of Bioengineering

Dr. Fleming joined the Department of Orthopaedics in June 2003. He received his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont in 1996 and then served on the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation at the University of Vermont. His primary research interests focus on the lower extremity and spine with a particular interest in knee and soft tissue biomechanics, and biomedical instrumentation. Recent projects include the in vivo strain measurements of the human anterior cruciate ligament, the development of an experimental model to investigate graft healing and the progression of osteoarthritis following ACL injury and reconstruction, and the in vivo measurement of the forces and motion of spinal implants. He has received several awards for research including the GOTS-Beiersdorf Research Award (2000), the American Society of Biomechanics Post-doctoral Young Scientist Award (1999), and the Albert Trillat Young Investigator Award (1997). He is currently the PI on two grants from the National Institutes of Health, and a grant from the National Football League.

Dr. Fleming's Research Home Page/CV

Douglas Moore, M.S.
Associate Director of the Bioengineering Lab
Department of Orthopaedics

Doug joined the department in 1994 as Co-Director of the Hand Research Lab in the Division of Orthopaedic Research. In 1985 he received his M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Davis graduating Phi Kappa Phi. He was previously employed as a Senior Research Analyst in Ann Arbor, Michigan and as a Research Engineer in 1992, conducted clinically-oriented orthopaedic biomechanic research at the University of Michigan.

Doug Moore's Research Home Page/CV

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residency faculty adult reconstructive foot & ankle hand oncology pediatrics research shoulder spine sports medicine trauma professional papers fellowships research photo gallery academic calendar Faculty - Research Qian Chen, Ph.D. Michael G. Ehrlich MD Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Research Professor of Medical Science Director, Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Skeletal Health and Repair Department of Orthopaedics Brown Albert Medical School /Rhode Island Hospital Dr. Qian Chen was born and raised in Shanghai, China. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Fudan University in China, and his Ph.D. degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Chen completed his post-doctoral fellowship in Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Currently, Dr. Chen is Michael G. Ehrlich MD Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Research and Professor of Medical Science at Brown University. Dr. Chen is the Head of Orthopaedic Biology and Director of Cell and Molecular Biology in the Department of Orthopaedics, Brown Medical School and Rhode Island Hospital. He is the director of Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Skeletal Health and Repair, a multi-disciplinary translational research center established with more than eleven million dollars by NIH. Dr. Chen's research interest includes cartilage molecular biology, mechanotransduction, and osteoarthritis. Throughout Dr. Chen's research career, he received the Independent Scientist Award from National Institute of Health (NIH), the Satterfield Arthritis Investigator Award from Arthritis Foundation, and the Kappa Delta Award from American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Chen has served on NIH study sections and advisory panels, and the merit review panel of the Veterans Administration. He has served as an editor of the journal Current Opinion in Orthopaedics, and Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. He has been continuously supported by multiple grants from National Institutes of Health for more than a decade. Dr. Chen's Research Home Page/CV Deborah McK. Ciombor, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Research Brown Medical School Dr. Ciombor is a graduate of Brown University. She completed her doctoral training in 1992 in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Ciombor began her research career studying the effects of physical stimuli on connective tissue, particularly electomagnetic fields. The work centered on the modulation of chondrocyte differentiation. This work continues and she is currently examining the modulation of growth factor effects and the transduction of the physical signal from recognition to gene regulation. New work in the laboratory is focused on tissue engineering and the application of developmental biology to the production of cartilage biocomposites, including the release of growth factors from polymer constructs. The laboratory and this work have been continuously funded for twenty years through a combination of NIH, corporate and foundation grants including the Whitaker and Aircast foundations. Dr. Ciombor is currently a member of the Biomedical Engineering Panel for the National Science Foundation. Dr. Ciombor's Research Home Page\CV Joseph J. (Trey) Crisco, Ph.D. Professor of Orthopaedics and Engineering Brown Medical School Dr. Crisco joined the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedics in 1995. He is the Director of the Bioengineering lab for Orthopaedic Research at Rhode Island Hospital. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science from Yale University in 1989, and was a postdoctoral Fellow in Zurich, Switzerland through Yale University. He currently serves as Director of Research for the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment and on the Board of Directors of the National Institute for Sports, Science and safety. Dr. Crisco has devoted much time to teaching both graduate and undergraduate engineering students and serving as an orthopaedic resident project advisor. Dr. Crisco currently serves as an editorial consultant for the Journal of Biomechanics and as an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Biomechanics. He also acts as a reviewer for several well-known journals including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. In 1993 he received the Postdoctoral Young Scientist Award from the American Society of Biomechanics, the Cabaud Memorial Award from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and more recently, his presentations at the 2001 American Society for Surgery and the Hand annual meeting won awards for both layout and presentation and for scientific content. Dr. Crisco's research work on the kinematics of the wrist is currently supported by the National Institutes of Health. In addition, he is working on a grant from Simbex to measure head impacts in football, and is a co-investigator on a Resident Research Award from the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. Dr. Crisco's research interests include the study of bone kinematics in vivo as well as sports injury and mechanics. Dr. Crisco's Research Home Page/CV Braden C. Fleming, Ph.D. Professor Division of Bioengineering Dr. Fleming joined the Department of Orthopaedics in June 2003. He received his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont in 1996 and then served on the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation at the University of Vermont. His primary research interests focus on the lower extremity and spine with a particular interest in knee and soft tissue biomechanics, and biomedical instrumentation. Recent projects include the in vivo strain measurements of the human anterior cruciate ligament, the development of an experimental model to investigate graft healing and the progression of osteoarthritis following ACL injury and reconstruction, and the in vivo measurement of the forces and motion of spinal implants. He has received several awards for research including the GOTS-Beiersdorf Research Award (2000), the American Society of Biomechanics Post-doctoral Young Scientist Award (1999), and the Albert Trillat Young Investigator Award (1997). He is currently the PI on two grants from the National Institutes of Health, and a grant from the National Football League. Dr. Fleming's Research Home Page/CV Douglas Moore, M.S. Associate Director of the Bioengineering Lab Department of Orthopaedics Doug joined the department in 1994 as Co-Director of the Hand Research Lab in the Division of Orthopaedic Research. In 1985 he received his M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Davis graduating Phi Kappa Phi. He was previously employed as a Senior Research Analyst in Ann Arbor, Michigan and as a Research Engineer in 1992, conducted clinically-oriented orthopaedic biomechanic research at the University of Michigan. Doug Moore's Research Home Page/CV