Research

UoT, In-vivo skin mechanics, and Infertility research

• • Human Skin Micro-Mechanics Measured In-Vivo - Published

  • Time-dependent Mechanics of the Fallopian Tube using Rat and Human Models, Published

• NSF award (Co-PI), Project title: Study of Dynamical Mechanical Properties of Pericellular Layer, NSF Award Number: 2224708, Total Award Amount: $648,721

• CSUBiotech award, 2022 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE GRANT PROGRAM, Funding agency CSUBiotech (CSU Program for Education & Research in Biotechnology), Project title: Toward the development of a high-resolution biomedical device, $30k , The only PI.

• Institutional award (Co-PI), Ken Fong Translational Research Award, Project title: Developing new biopolymers for the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries, $30k ($15k that was matched by industrial partner ExoPolymer, Inc), Report, See Page 16.

• M. Azadi (PI), “Measuring the biomechanical properties of the genital tract at cellular scale to improve preimplantation embryo development,” New Investigator Award from CSUPURB (CSU Program for Education & Research in Biotechnology), $15,000, Period of the award is 1.5 years from Summer 2019- Fall 2020. A collaborative research with UCSF. 

• M. Azadi (PI), “Feasibility of integration of time-dependent biomechanical models for the analysis of soft Biomaterials on JPK Atomic Force Microscopes”, Industrial Research Award from JPK instruments-USA, $10k, July 2017.

• M. Azadi (PI), “Acquisition of teaching equipment for a control Lab at SFSU”, Teaching Equipment funding, $24k, 2017

• M. Azadi (PI), Joseph Chen (Co-PI), “Using atomic force microscope to capture morphology and mechanics of bacterial cells (i.e. Sinorhizobium meliloti, wildtype and genetically modifies) in nano scale”, Internal collaboration with Biology Department, College of Science and Engineering at San Francisco State University (SFSU), $4k, 2016.

• M. Azadi (PI), Joseph Chen, Zhigang Chen, Kwok-Siong Teh , Andrew Ichimura, “Acquisition of an Atomic Force Microscope to Enhance Research and Student Research Training in Engineering, Biochemistry, Biology and Physics departments at SF State University”, NSF MRI Instrumentation award (No. 1626611, $472,818.00), 2016. 

Research Scientist-Senior-postdoctoral-Postdoctoral Associate, MIT, Aug 2011-2015

• Developed protocols and performed experiments to develop multiscale poroelastic models of biocompatible hydrogels in frequency domain for application in cell and soft tissue dynamics.

• Collaborated with Dr. Fosang at Arthritis Research Group at Melbourne University on genetically modified murine experiments

• Studied the effect of genes on murine cartilage at both nano and micro scale by performing extensive experiments (The first extensive multi-scale research on gene modification that combines biological approaches as well as biomechanical system identification on murine model).

• Implemented appropriate instrumentations and measurement technique including three different Atomic force microscopy systems to study the contact mechanics of soft tissues. 

• Studied the vibrotactile skin display technology: characterized the human perception of  complex tactile patterns 

• System identification of available actuation technologies used in vibrotactile skin display technologies. 

• Developed and calibrated a capable but a cost effective mechatronic setup to measure the displacements of the vibrotactile actuators on the skin in the micron range. 

• Performed and analyzed the results of three tactile tests on human subject’s to develop a vibrotactile alphabet for tactile communication.

• Designed a variable compliance spine and compliant leg design for MIT Cheetah robot.

• Developed a new parallel elastic joint design (Bio-joint design).

• Developed a rotary series elastic actuator design for robotic application Studied the human and animal locomotion including dynamics of walking and running.

Postdoctoral Fellow, Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, 2010-2011

·       Developed a robotic testing environment for studying the stiffness of the spine and assessing the co-activation of complex trunk muscles.

·       Designed a new fast and controllable resistant system for an existing wheelchair ergometer. 

Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Alberta, 2006-2010

·       Designed, built and tested a novel piezo-actuated semi-active variable stiffness vibration isolator (Awarded work)

·       Introduced the concept of making a variable stiffness spring by using kinematically singular prestressed mechanisms

·       Introduced new application for cable driven mechanisms and tensegrities that were used in in Robotics and Structural Engineering (Patented idea)

·       Developed and evaluated cable-driven mechanism and tensegrity as variable antagonistic stiffness element

Visiting Research Student in Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Spring 2010 

·       Evaluated a concept of making a compliant variable stiffness tensegrity

Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, 1998-2000

·       Developed an interface for a six axis load cell, Mechatronics Lab.

·       Developed an eight degree of freedom handling simulation software for passenger cars with 3D presentation of the model.

Undergraduate Project, University of Tehran, 1998

·       Developed a ride quality simulation package for passenger car and motorcycle (Silver medal for Design)