Dr Stefaan Verbruggen
Lecturer in Bioengineering
CPM Lead for International Engagement
School of Engineering and Materials Science
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Mechanobiology, Computational Modelling, Bone Biomechanics, Cancer, Development, Metastasis
Interests
Dr Verbruggen's research focuses on the musculoskeletal system and metastatic cancer, particularly mechanobiology and resulting cross-talk between cells. Dr Verbruggen also has significant experience in complex multi-scale and multi-physics modelling, and is interested in collaborating to model mechanical microenvironments on in vitro microfluidics and chip devices.Publications
Publications of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro Models2023
Verbruggen SW, Sittichokechaiwut A and Reilly GC (2023). Osteocytes and Primary Cilia. Springer Current Osteoporosis Reports 10.1007/s11914-023-00819-1Asbai-Ghoudan R, Nasello G, Pérez MÁ, Verbruggen SW, Ruiz de Galarreta S and Rodriguez-Florez N (2023). In silico assessment of the bone regeneration potential of complex porous scaffolds. Elsevier Computers in Biology and Medicine vol. 165, 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107381Sutton MM, Duffy MP, Verbruggen SW and Jacobs CR (2023). Osteoclastogenesis requires primary cilia disassembly and can be inhibited by promoting primary cilia formation pharmacologically. Cells Tissues Organs 10.1159/000531098Nolan J, Pearce OMT, Screen HRC, Knight MM and Verbruggen SW (2023). Organ-on-a-Chip and Microfluidic Platforms for Oncology in the UK. Cancers vol. 15, (3) 10.3390/cancers15030635Verbruggen SW, Nolan J, Duffy MP, Pearce OMT, Jacobs CR and Knight MM (2023). A Novel Primary Cilium-Mediated Mechanism Through which Osteocytes Regulate Metastatic Behavior of Both Breast and Prostate Cancer Cells. Advanced Science 10.1002/advs.2023058422021
Schurman CA, Verbruggen SW and Alliston T (2021). Disrupted osteocyte connectivity and pericellular fluid flow in bone with aging and defective TGF-β signaling. Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America vol. 118, (25) 10.1073/pnas.2023999118Verbruggen SW, Thompson CL, Duffy MP, Lunetto S, Nolan J, Pearce OMT, Jacobs CR and Knight MM (2021). Mechanical stimulation modulates osteocyte regulation of cancer cell phenotype. Cancers vol. 13, (12) 10.3390/cancers131229062018
Verbruggen SW, Kainz B, Shelmerdine SC, Arthurs OJ, Hajnal JV, Rutherford MA, Phillips ATM and Nowlan NC (2018). Altered biomechanical stimulation of the developing hip joint in presence of hip dysplasia risk factors. Journal of Biomechanics vol. 78, 1-9. 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.07.016Verbruggen SW, Kainz B, Shelmerdine SC, Hajnal JV, Rutherford MA, Arthurs OJ, Phillips ATM and Nowlan NC (2018). Stresses and strains on the human fetal skeleton during development. Journal of The Royal Society Interface vol. 15, (138) 10.1098/rsif.2017.0593Dolan EB, Verbruggen SW and Rolfe RA (2018). Techniques for studying mechanobiology. Mechanobiology in Health and Disease 10.1016/B978-0-12-812952-4.00001-5Verbruggen SW and McNamara LM (2018). Bone mechanobiology in health and disease. Mechanobiology in Health and Disease 10.1016/B978-0-12-812952-4.00006-4Verbruggen SW and McNamara LM (2018). Chapter 6 Bone mechanobiology in health and disease. Mechanobiology in Health and Disease Elsevier 10.1016/b978-0-12-812952-4.00006-4Dolan EB, Verbruggen SW and Rolfe RA (2018). Chapter 1 Techniques for studying mechanobiology. Mechanobiology in Health and Disease Elsevier 10.1016/b978-0-12-812952-4.00001-52017
Verbruggen SW and Nowlan NC (2017). Ontogeny of the Human Pelvis. Anatomical Record vol. 300, (4) 643-652. 10.1002/ar.23541Verbruggen SW, Oyen ML, Phillips ATM and Nowlan NC (2017). Function and failure of the fetal membrane: Modelling the mechanics of the chorion and amnion. Plos One vol. 12, (3) e0171588-e0171588. 10.1371/journal.pone.01715882016
Giorgi M, Verbruggen SW and Lacroix D (2016). In silico bone mechanobiology: modeling a multifaceted biological system. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Systems Biology and Medicine vol. 8, (6) 485-505. 10.1002/wsbm.1356Verbruggen SW, Vaughan TJ and McNamara LM (2016). Mechanisms of osteocyte stimulation in osteoporosis. Journal of The Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials vol. 62, 158-168. 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2016.05.004Verbruggen SW, Loo JHW, Hayat TTA, Hajnal JV, Rutherford MA, Phillips ATM and Nowlan NC (2016). Modeling the biomechanics of fetal movements. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology vol. 15, (4) 995-1004. 10.1007/s10237-015-0738-12015
Vaughan TJ, Mullen CA, Verbruggen SW and McNamara LM (2015). Bone cell mechanosensation of fluid flow stimulation: a fluid–structure interaction model characterising the role integrin attachments and primary cilia. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology vol. 14, (4) 703-718. 10.1007/s10237-014-0631-3Verbruggen SW, Mc Garrigle MJ, Haugh MG, Voisin MC and McNamara LM (2015). Altered mechanical environment of bone cells in an animal model of short- and long-term osteoporosis. Biophysical Journal vol. 108, (7) 1587-1598. 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.02.0312014
Verbruggen SW, Vaughan TJ and McNamara LM (2014). Fluid flow in the osteocyte mechanical environment: A fluid-structure interaction approach. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology vol. 13, (1) 85-97. 10.1007/s10237-013-0487-y2013
Vaughan TJ, Verbruggen SW and Mcnamara LM (2013). Are all osteocytes equal? Multiscale modelling of cortical bone to characterise the mechanical stimulation of osteocytes. International Journal For Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering vol. 29, (12) 1361-1372. 10.1002/cnm.25782012
Verbruggen SW, Vaughan TJ and McNamara LM (2012). Strain amplification in bone mechanobiology: A computational investigation of the in vivo mechanics of osteocytes. Journal of The Royal Society Interface vol. 9, (75) 2735-2744. 10.1098/rsif.2012.0286Grants
Mechanobiology of METAstatic and DORMant cancer cells in bone marrow lesions (META-DORM)Knight MM and Verbruggen S
£137,844 European Research Council (Marie Skodowska-Curie Global Research Fellowship) (01-01-2018 - 30-08-2020)