Thomas Willett

Education

• BASc. (Mechanical Engineering), Queen’s University at Kingston, ON, Canada, 2001
• MASc. (Mechanical Engineering), Queen’s University at Kingston, ON, Canada, 2003
• PhD. (Biomedical Engineering), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, 2008

Research interests

My main research interests concern the applied mechanics and engineering of skeletal biomaterials and tissues. I am interested in:

Bone quality and fragility

Developing improved understanding of the mechanisms that determine the mechanical behaviour and failure of bone and how collagen modifications due to ageing, disease, irradiation, and other causes alter these mechanisms and the mechanical behaviour of the tissue.

Engineering of bone mimetic materials for skeletal reconstruction

By leveraging the exciting and rapidly advancing fields of additive manufacturing/3D Printing, biomineralization, and mechanics of multi-scale biological and biomimetic composites, we seek to both a) gain improved understanding of the materials science and mechanics of these exceptional materials and b) to develop disruptive new technologies for application in skeletal reconstruction and repair (orthopaedics), particularly graft materials for treating large skeletal defects caused by trauma, cancer, etc.

Publications

Comeau, P., Willett, T.L., Printability of Methacrylated Gelatin upon Inclusion of a Chloride Salt and Hydroxyapatite Nano-Particles, Macromolecular Materials and Engineering (accepted 4/2019)

Bahmani, A., Comeau, P., Montesano, J., Willett, T.L., Extrudable hydroxyapatite / plant oil-based biopolymer nanocomposites for biomedical applications: mechanical testing and modeling, Materials & Design (Accepted 08/04/2019)

Bahmani, A., Li, G., Willett, T.L., Montesano, J., Three-dimensional micromechanical assessment of bio-inspired composites with non-uniformly dispersed inclusions, Composite Structures (accepted 01/2019)

Attia, T., Grynpas, M., Willett, T.L., Ribose pre-treatment protects the fatigue life of gamma irradiation sterilized human cortical bone, Cell and Tissue Banking (accepted 02/2019)

Park, S., Zhang, L., Attia, T., Salat, P., Banks, K., Willett, T.L., Grynpas, M.D., Biocompatibility of Bone Allograft Toughened with a Novel Sterilization Method: An In Vivo Rabbit Study, Journal of Orthopaedic Research (accepted 02/2019)

Willett TL, Dapaah D, Uppunganti S, Granke M, Nyman J, (2018) Bone Collagen Network Integrity and Transverse Fracture Toughness of Human Cortical Bone, BONE (accepted 25/10/18)

Comeau, P., Willett, T.L., (2018) Impact of side chain polarity on non-stoichiometric nano-hydroxyapatite surface functionalization with amino acids. Scientific Reports 8:12700.

Bahmani, A., Li, G., Willett, T.L., Montesano, J. (2018) Three-dimensional microscopic assessment of randomly distributed representative volume elements for high fiber volume fraction unidirectional composites. Composite Structures, 192, pp. 153-164.

Burke, M., Akens, M., Kiss, A., Willett, T., Whyne, C. (2018) Mechanical Behaviour of Metastatic Vertebrae are influenced by Tissue Architecture, Mineral Content and Organic Feature Alterations. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 06 July 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/jor.24105

Willett TL, Josey D, Lu XZ, Minhas G, Montesano G. (2017). The Micro-Damage Process Zone during Transverse Cortical Bone Fracture: No Ears at Crack Growth Initiation. Journal of theMechanical Behaviour of Biomedical Materials. Published Online June 24, 2017.

Attia T, Tupy J, Asker D, Hatton B, Grynpas MD, Willett TL. (2017). The Effect of Ribose Pre-Treatment of Cortical Bone on γ-Irradiation Sterilization Effectiveness. Cell and Tissue Banking. Accepted (September 25th, 2017)

Attia T, Woodside CM, Minhas G, Lu XZ, Josey DS, Burrow T, Grynpas M, Willett TL. (2017). Development of a novel method for the strengthening and toughening of irradiation-sterilized bone allografts. Cell and Tissue Banking. : 1-12.

Woodside, C.M., Willett, T.L. (2016). Elastic-Plastic Fracture Toughness and Rising JR-Curve Behaviour of Cortical Bone Is Partially Protected From Irradiation-Sterilization-Induced Degradation by Ribose Protectant. Journal of the Mechanical Behaviour of Biomedical Materials. 64: 53-64.

Hu, S., Liu, C., Chen, G., Willett, T.L., Young, R.N., Grynpas, M.D. (2016). In vivo effects of two novel ALNEP4a conjugate drugs on bone in the ovariectomized rat model for reversing postmenopausal bone loss. Osteoporosis International. 27(2): 797-808.

Pritchard JM, Papaioannou A, Schwarcz HP, Adachi J, DeBeer J, Winemaker M, Avram V, Willett T. (2016). A Comparison of Collagen Crosslink Content in Bone Specimens from Elective Total Hip Arthroplasty Patients with and without Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Bone Reports and Recommendations.

Ng, A., Omelon, S., Variola, F., Allo, B., Willett, T.L., Alman, B.A., Grynpas, M.D. (2016). Adynamic bone disease decreases bone toughness during ageing by affecting mineral and matrix. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 31(2): 369-79.

Burke, M. Atkins, A. Akens, M. Willett, T.L. Whyne, C. (2016). Osteolytic and mixed cancer metastasis modulates collagen hydroxylation, cross-linkage and mineral phase structure within rat vertebral bone matrix. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 34(12): 2126-2136

Willett, T.L., Burton, B., Woodside, M., Wang, Z., Gaspar, A., Attia, T. (2015). γ-Irradiation Sterilized Bone Strengthened and Toughened by Ribose Pre-Treatment. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Behavior. 44: 147-155.

Mäkinen, T.J., Fishman, G., Dohtar, H., Gunton, M., Woodside, M., Safir, O., Backstein, D., Willett, T.L., Kuzyk, P. (2015). Periprosthetic supracondylar femoral fractures following knee arthroplasty: a biomechanical comparison of four methods of fixation. International Orthopaedics. 39(9): 1737-42.

Girardi B, Attia T, Backstein D, Safir O, Willett T, Kuzyk P. (2016). Biomechanical Comparison of the Human Cadaveric Pelvis with a Fourth Generation Composite Model. Journal of Biomechanics. 49(4):537-42.

Dwyer, T., Willett, TL, Dold, A., Petrera, M., Whelan, D., Theodoropoulos, J. (2016). Maximum load to failure and tensile displacement of an all-suture glenoid anchor compared with a screw-in glenoid anchor. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroplasty. 24(2): 357-64.

Ng, A.H., Willett, T.L., Alman, B.A., Grynpas, M.D.*, Development, validation and characterization of a novel mouse model of Adynamic Bone Disease (ABD) (accepted to Bone, July 2014)

Nicholls, F.H., Ng, A.H., Hu, S., Janic, K., Fallis, C., Willett, T.L., Grynpas, M.D., Ferguson, P.C.*, Can OP-1 stimulate union in a rat model of pathological fracture post treatment for soft tissue sacoma? Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2014 June 25^th (epub)

Willett, T.L., Pasquale, J., Grynpas, M.D., Collagen Modifications in Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis: Advanced Glycation Endproducts May Affect Bone Volume, Structure and Quality, (invited review)
Current Osteoporosis Reports, 2014 June 1^st (epub)

Burton, B., Gaspar, A., Tupy, J., Josey, D., Grynpas, M.D., Willett, T.L., Bone Embrittlement and Collagen Modification Due to High Dose Gamma-Irradiation Sterilization, Bone, 2014; 61:71-81.

Dwyer, T., Willett, T.L., Dold, A., Petrera, M., Whelan, D., Theodoropoulos, J., Maximum load to failure and tensile displacement of an all-suture glenoid anchor compared with a screw-in glenoid anchor, Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy 2013 Nov 8 (epub)

Anastassiades, T., Rees-Milton, K., Xiao, H., Yang, X., Willett, T., Grynpas, M., N-acylated glucosamines for bone and joint disorders: effects of N-butyryl glucosamine on ovarectomized rat bone, Translational Research, 2013; 162(2):93-101

Nicholls, F., Janic, K., Filomeno, P., Willett, T., Grynpas, M., Ferguson, P., The Effects of Radiation and Surgery on Healing of Femur Fractures in a Rat Model, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2013; 31(8):1323-31

Willett, T.L., Sutti, S., Gaspar, A., Avery, N.C., Grynpas, M.D., In Vitro Non-Enzymatic Ribation Reduces Post-Yield Strain Accommodation in Cortical Bone, Bone, 2013; 52(2):611-22

Willett, T.L., Kandel, R., DeCroos, J.N.A., Avery, N.C., Grynpas, M.D., The Effect of Enhanced Levels of Non-Enzymatic Glycation and Pentosidine Crosslinking in Spontaneous Osteoarthritis Progression, Osteoarthritis & Cartilage, 2012; 20(7):736-44

Sardone, L., Renlund, R., Willett, T.L., Fantus, I.G., Grynpas, M.D., The Effect of Rosiglitazone on Bone Quality in a Rat Model of Insulin Resistance and Osteoporosis, Diabetes 2011; 60(12):3271-8

Levaot, N, Simoncic, P.D., Scotter, A., La Rose, J., Willett, T.L., Ng, A., Wang, C.J., Janmohamed, S., Grynpas, M.S., Reichenberger, E., Rottapel, R., The adaptor protein 3BP2 controls bone homeostasis through the regulation of the non-receptor tyrosine kinases Abl and Src in osteoblasts and osteoclasts respectively, Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2011; 121(8):3244-57

Yan D, Willett TL, Gu X, Martinez-Mier EA, Sardone L, McShane L, Grynpas M, Everett ET., Phenotypic Variation of Fluoride Responses between Inbred Strains of Mice. Cells Tissues Organs. 2011; 194(2-4):261-7.

Bushinsky, D.A., Willett, T., Asplin, J.R., Che, S.P.Y., Grynpas, M.D., Chlorthalidone Improves Vertebral Bone Quality in Genetic Hypercalciuric Stone Forming Rats, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 2011  Aug;26(8):1904-12.

Kyle, K.A., Willett, T.L., Baggio, L.L., Drucker, D.J., Grynpas, M.D., Differential Effects of PPAR-γ Activation vs. Chemical or Genetic reduction of DPP-4 Activity on Bone Quality in Mice, Endocrinology 2011 Feb;152(2):457-67.

Wynnyckyj, C.A., Omelon, S., Willett, T.L., Kyle, K., Goldberg, H., Grynpas, M.D., Mechanism of bone collagen degradation due to KOH treatment, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – General Subjects, 2011 Feb;1810(2):192-201.

Magalhaes, J., Grynpas, M.D., Willett, T.L., Glogauer, M., Deleting Rac1 improves vertebral bone quality and resistance to fracture in a murine osteoporosis model, Osteoporosis International, 2011 May;22(5):1481-92.

Wynnyckyj, C.A., Willett, T.L., Omelon, S., Wang, J., Wang, Z., Grynpas, M.D., Changes in bone fatigue resistance due to collagen degradation, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2011 Feb;29(2):197-203.

Willett, T.L., Wynnyckyj, C.A., Wang, J., Grynpas, M.D., The fatigue resistance of rabbit tibiae varies with age from youth to middle age, Osteoporosis International, 2011 Apr;22(4):1157-65.

Chachra, D., Limeback, H., Willett, T.L., Grynpas, M.D., The long-term effects of water fluoridation on the human skeleton, J. Dental Research, 89(11):1219-23, 2010

Willett, T.L.*, Labow, R.S., Avery, N.C., Lee, J.M., Changes in collagen with ageing maintain molecular stability after overload: Evidence from an in vitro tendon model, ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 132 (3):031002-1-8, March, 2010

Penn, D., Willett, T.L., Glazebrook, M., Snow, M., Stanish, W., Is there significant variation in the material properties of 4 different allografts implanted for ACL reconstruction? Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 17(3):260-265,2009

Willett, T.L., Labow, R.S., Lee, J.M., Mechanical Overload Decreases The Thermal Stability of Collagen in an In Vitro Tendon Model, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 26(12):1605-1610, 2008

Willett, T.L., Labow, R.S., Avery, N.C., Lee, J.M., Increased Proteolysis of Collagen in an In Vitro Tensile Overload Tendon Model, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 35(11):1961-72, 2007

Willett, T.L., Whiteside, R., Wild, P.M., Anastassiades, T., Wyss, U.P., Artefacts in the Mechanical Characterization of Porcine Articular Cartilage due to Freezing, Proc. Instn. Mech. Engrs., Part H, Engineering in Medicine, 219:23-29, 2005