Alix Deymier

Assistant Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering

UConn Health

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.

Publications

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.