To develop and apply innovative technologies in order to reveal the mechanobiological signalling networks in cartilage and joint disorders and provide strategies for repair.
To be a world-class research programme providing innovative technologies for – and insight into – pathology, diagnosis and treatment of cartilage and musculoskeletal joint disorders.
Our group will enable commercial potential from translation of research into Medtech patents and spinoffs, strengthen the University’s research capacity in mechanobiology, and benefit global health and well-being.
The Integrative Cartilage Research Group values high-quality research results based in our solid expertise, and performed in cooperation with our partners (industry, clinic, government, academic, non-profit). Our team is characterised by a practical, resourceful and innovative approach to Biomedical Engineering problems.
July 22, 2021
Congratulations to Manula Rathnayake, who is in the final stages of his PhD journey. Manula has been offered a Knowledge & Technology Transfer (K&TT) Internship position within the STEM cluster at the University of Melbourne. This internship offers a good opportunity to gain experience and learn about commercialisation of research.
July 6, 2021
We’re excited to be attending the 26th congress of the European Society of Biomechanics next week. On Tuesday, 13/7/2021 from 9.30am (CEST) we’ll be holding presentations all around imaging for musculoskeletal applications. Manuela Boos is going to kick us off with her presentation about “Contrast-enhanced micro-CT for 3D visualization of GAG content in different cartilage …
June 15, 2021
Congratulations to Manula Rathnayake for winning the Matrix Biology Society of Australia and New Zealand’s Paper of the Month (March 2021) for his paper “Macromolecular Interactions in Cartilage Extracellular Matrix Vary According to the Cartilage Type and Location” published in Cartilage.
June 13, 2021
We are excited to announce that A/Prof Kathryn Stok received an Australian Government ARC LIEF grant over $875,000 for a 3-photon microscope in partnership with Professors Scott Mueller and Bill Heath at the Doherty Institute. The ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment & Facilities scheme supports excellent research through the acquisition of research equipment and infrastructure, as …
June 10, 2021
Congratulations to Frances Ryan and Manuela Boos for receiving these prestigious scholarships. Frances received the 2021 Nicola Andrews Scholarship, which supports talented women who are passionate about making a difference in the field of biomedical engineering. Manuela received the 2021 Diane Lemaire Scholarship to visit the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand. This scholarship …
June 9, 2021
We recently published the paper “Macromolecular Interactions in Cartilage Extracellular Matrix Vary According to the Cartilage Type and Location” in Cartilage and the paper “Quantitative measures of bone shape, cartilage morphometry and joint alignment are associated with disease in an ACLT and MMx rat model of osteoarthritis” in Bone.
June 7, 2021
The entire ICRG team would like to congratulate Dr Kathryn Stok for being appointed Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne!
22 December 2020
2020 is not the year any of us planned – including the ICR Group. It’s involved a lot of re-scoping and re-focussing. So all said, we are happy to celebrate the achievements; big and small: Endeavour Discipline Prize (Mechanical Engineering) for Nigel Kour, Joshua Parker, Kelvin Wang and Will Hoon Publications by Mateus, Colet, Nigel …
22 December 2020
There are two joint PhD positions available with the Integrative Cartilage Research Group (UoM) and Rehabilitation Sciences (UoT). Find out more about each project, including programme details and eligibility requirements.
6 August 2019
Are you interested in joining the ICR Group for a research project? Visit to find Capstone, Summer, MSc and PhD research opportunities. We are currently looking for two PhD students in: Digital Image Processing and Analysis for microCT In Vivo Musculoskeletal Imaging
7 June 2019
Congratulations to Nigel Kour who has been awarded the 2019 Boeing Award for Excellence. The Boeing Awards for Excellence recognise and support outstanding achievements by students in the penultimate year of the Master of Engineering.
7 June 2019
Congratulations to Manula Rathnayke, who has been selected for the EXCITE Summer School on Biomedical Imaging at ETH Zürich in September. We look forward to learning from you when you return. http://www.excite.ethz.ch/education/summer-school.html
7 June 2019
Welcome to Manuela Boos, (graduate of ETH Zürich, Switzerland) who has joined the ICR Group as doctoral candidate. Manuela is has a Master of Science in Medical Technology and is exploring mechanoregulatory communication and remodelling networks in cartilage tissue models. We also welcome Matthieu Raison, a Masters student at Grenoble Institute of Technology (France), and … More New Staff and Students
17 April 2019
The ICR Group have moved to the Biomedical Engineering Building on Bouverie St. We are pleased to have some more space for our growing team. Feel free to come by, and say hello.
Accurately measuring the full complexity of living biological systems is critical to understanding fundamental mechanobiological processes and key to future technologies and innovation in biomedical engineering.
The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT) Mechanobiology Lab, co-founded by Dr Kathryn Stok and Dr Vijay Rajagopal, provides the Integrative Cartilage Research Group with access to some of the most cutting-edge laboratory equipment available in Australia. This ensures we have the facilities and instrumentation for our mechanobiology engineering research programme into cartilage and arthritis. The FEIT Mechanobiology Lab is strategically located in the Parkville Biomedical Precinct.
Storage devices available include laboratory grade refrigerators (4°C) and freezers (walk-in −20°C), including an ultra-low temperature freezer (−86°C). The ULT freezer is designed for long term storage of biological samples (DNA, RNA, proteins, cell extracts, and reagents). It reduces the risk of sample damage and contamination, and can also be assisted by a freeze dryer available within the lab.
The lab possesses equipment designed to prepare and cultivate a range biological samples for sterile testing and analysis. Specialist equipment includes a state-of-the-art 3DDiscovery bioprinter, capable of cell-friendly ink-jet printing, two-component micro-valve and hydrogel extrusion, and melt electrospinning writing. Other equipment, including plasma and ultrasonic sterilisation devices, a CO2 incubator, laboratory oven, tissue homogenizers and a precision saw with diamond blade, can also be found within the MSE Mechanobiology Lab. The lab is well equipped for everyday biological research with three biosafety cabinets, standard and micro centrifuges, stirrers and mixers, a microplate shaker, water bath and water purifier.
Measurement and analysis devices found in the lab utilise a range of quantitative and qualitative techniques capable of analysing macroscopic, as well as microscopic, samples for their biological content, mechanical integrity, or with imaging. This includes an EVOS fluorescence cell imaging microscope, UV/VIS Spectrometer and Haemacytometer, as well as a Zwick Roell – Z005 mechancial testing machine, capable of precision testing (0.041μm travel resolution) biological samples and materials, such as cartilage and bone tissue from 10 mN up to 5 kN. The Zwick is fitted with a custom built automated XY stage for high-throughput mechanical testing of native and fabricated soft biological tissues. The laboratory is also equipped with 3kg/0.01g and 0.3kg/0.1mg digital scales, pH meters and a stereomicroscope.
Micro-computed tomography (microCT) provides three-dimensional images of internal structures of objects in the micrometre range. Biological, natural and synthetic structures can be imaged and analysed.
We provide high-quality mechanical characterisation of biological materials using multiple experimental testing protocols and devices for measuring and analysing the role of micro-mechanics in hard and soft biological structures.
Contact us directly for more information: kathryn.stok@unimelb.edu.au
Group leader and Academic, Biomedical Engineering
kathryn.stok@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Kathryn Stok is Associate Professor of Mechanobiology in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Melbourne, and an innovative biomedical engineer in quantitative microstructural imaging (micro-computed tomography) and biomechanics of cartilage and joint structures. She uses a variety of experimental and computational approaches. Her research work merges solid engineering approaches with biomedical advancement.