人妻少妇专区

The Buckley Lab: under pressure

The focus of the at the University鈥檚 Medical Center is to exploit the principles of mechanics to improve treatments for diseases and injuries affecting soft biological tissues. It鈥檚 divided equally into ocular, cartilage, and tendon study.

鈥淚n layman鈥檚 terms, we push, pull, and squeeze tissues to see what happens,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hy do we do that? Because mechanical forces are fundamentally important to biological tissues in the context of both health and disease. So many tissues are adapted to require mechanical forces for sustained health.鈥�

Bone, he says, is the best example. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e bedridden, your bones can lose mass and density, and you develop disuse osteoporosis. Your bones start to erode and wear away. So you need those forces at the right time. And we know that too much force is bad and can lead to injury. We try to understand that balance.鈥�

, an associate professor in biomedical engineering, says Buckley 鈥渟eems to always have room for one more student in his lab,鈥� and his inclusiveness is inspiring. 鈥淗is lab has been the academic home for many underrepresented students,鈥� she says. 鈥淗is ability to inspire, motivate, and hold students accountable has been a critical part of our department.鈥�

It was Buckley鈥檚 passion for research and academia that inspired students like Ananya Goyal 鈥�20, now a fourth-year PhD candidate in bioengineering at Stanford University, to pursue a similar path. Her focus is on combining biomechanics and medical imaging to study osteoarthritis鈥攊nterests that were nurtured in Buckley鈥檚 lab.

鈥淢y experience with Dr. Buckley has been transformative,鈥� Goyal says. 鈥淗is expertise as an educator and mentor has not only enriched my knowledge but also instilled in me a dedication to excellence in the field.鈥�

Buckley takes a practical鈥攁nd inspiring鈥攁pproach in his lab.

鈥淚 would love for my lab to do something that changes the world,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he reality is the chance is greater that someone I train in my lab is going to make a discovery that changes the world. It鈥檚 a numbers game.鈥�

Buckley鈥檚 students take the lead鈥攊n and out of class

Buckley has an open-door policy, allowing students to pop into his office as needed.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 important to me because, honestly, a lot of learning happens outside the classroom,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 remember as a student listening to a lecture, and I just couldn鈥檛 keep up with everything. So, having students come up to me after class or popping in my office is important. No lecture is going to be 100 percent digestible to all students.鈥�

When students say they didn鈥檛 understand the lecture, Buckley isn鈥檛 offended. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the opposite,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 refreshed. I want to be approachable. I want students to tell me I need to go slower. Feedback makes me a better teacher.鈥�

Buckley wants his students to be active participants, not simply listeners, and to that end, he took an idea from his teaching assistant, Alexander Kotelsky 鈥�12, 鈥�20 (PhD), and implemented student-led workshops. Students create problems related to the course material, which are then solved by the rest of the class. , chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, says the workshops 鈥渉ave proved very effective in helping students achieve mastery of the course material, as well as building a sense of community within the course.鈥�

Buckley believes students benefited greatly from the exercise. 鈥淚t鈥檚 鈥榯each to learn鈥欌�攖he belief that you never really understand something until you have to explain it to someone else.鈥�

A passionate professor

Buckley says his goal is to be an 鈥渁pproachable teacher鈥� with contagious passion.

鈥淚鈥檝e been lucky in that every course I鈥檝e taught is one in my field or one I developed,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o many of them are in my wheelhouse, and I think I exude passion. If I sound excited, it鈥檚 because I am. I see my job as getting students to learn and be excited about the material.鈥�

Buckley鈥檚 goal is to oversee classes where students are comfortable asking questions. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a place where every question is respected, and there鈥檚 time for discussion,鈥� he says.

He wants to be a mentor as well as a teacher.

鈥淚 had struggles here and there when I was a student,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I had mentors who cared, who told me what grad school was like and how to get into grad school. And that鈥檚 why I try to give back. If you don鈥檛 have that support structure, it can be confusing, difficult, and challenging. Being a mentor may be the greatest impact I have in my career.鈥�

What Mark Buckley鈥檚 students are saying

鈥淎s an international student navigating college life far from home, the experience was initially daunting. But Dr. Buckley was always willing to offer guidance. He offered me a research position in his lab, and I developed confidence in my experimental skills and a deep passion for biomedical research. His mentoring style is a rare blend of expertise, patience, and an unwavering commitment to his students鈥� growth.鈥� 鈥揂nanya Goyal 鈥�20

鈥淲hat sets Dr. Buckley apart is his ability to connect theory with real-world applications, making complex concepts not only accessible but also meaningful. His passion for biomechanics is contagious, and his interactive teaching style creates an environment where curiosity is celebrated. Whether it鈥檚 through in-class demos or hands-on problem-solving sessions to think outside the box, he ensures every student feels engaged and empowered to succeed.鈥� 鈥揥enqi Di 鈥�25

鈥淒r. Buckley was an incredible undergraduate research advisor and professor. His genuine conversations and endless support were instrumental in my decision to pursue graduate school. Despite his many commitments, he was always available and managed to deliver honest, critical feedback while also encouraging and building the confidence of his students. I knew I wanted to pursue research, but until working in Dr. Buckley鈥檚 lab, I didn’t understand the support required to overcome frequent setbacks common in research. Dr. Buckley always met these setbacks with thoughtful and practical questions, advice, and encouragement.鈥� 鈥揌arrah Newman 鈥�18