Kathleen Allen Rodowicz, Ph.D.

Dr. Rodowicz’s area of expertise includes the response of biological systems to mechanical stimuli, from the macroscale (organism) level down to the microscale (cellular) level. At Exponent, her work has focused on human kinematics and injury mechanisms in motor vehicle, pedestrian, sporting, fork-lift, and slip-and-fall accidents. Her current research interests include occupant kinematics and injury potential in heavy-truck/passenger vehicle collisions. Dr. Rodowicz completed both her bachelor and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering, and her studies have been focused in solid mechanics, dynamics, human physiology, and computer simulation.

Dr. Rodowicz held an appointment as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Drexel University. Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Rodowicz was a research assistant in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, working in the Cell and Protein Mechanics Laboratory, at Drexel University. Additionally, she has worked as a research assistant at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and at the National Nanotechnology Laboratories in Lecce, Italy. Dr. Rodowicz’s interdisciplinary research has focused on problems that lie along the interface of engineering and medical technologies. Her work has included a wide range of elements, including micromanipulation, nanomanipulation, high resolution imaging, and computer simulation. By applying the fundamental theories of mechanics to biological membranes and vesicles, Dr. Rodowicz worked to minimize the damage that cells experience during single-cell manipulation and injection.

Allen Rodowicz K, Dupont K, Smedley J, Raasch C, Mkandawire C, Fittanto D, Bare C, Smith J. Passenger vehicle occupant response to low-speed impacts with a tractor-semitrailer. Society of Automotive Engineers International, 2011-01-1125, April 14, 2011.

Allen Rodowicz K, Muhammad R, Heller M, Sala J, Mkandawire C. Biomechanical, perceptual, and cognitive factors involved in maintaining postural control while standing or walking on non-moving and moving surfaces: A literature review. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE2010-39276, November 12 18, 2010.

Muhammad R, Rodowicz K, Heller M, Sala J, Mkandawire C. Biomechanical, perceptual, and cognitive factors involved in balance recovery following unexpected perturbations: A literature review. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE2010-39285, November 12 18, 2010.

Chu I, Fernandez C, Rodowicz K, Lopez M, Lu R, Hubmayr R, Boriek A. Diaphragm muscle shortening modulates kinematics of lower rib cage in dogs. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology; 299(6):R1456–1462.

Allen Rodowicz K, Francisco H, Layton B. Determination of the mechanical properties of DOPC:DOPS liposomes using an image procession algorithm and micropipette-aspiration techniques. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids 2010; 163(8):787–793.

Allen KB, Layton BE. Determination of the forces imposed. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids, 163(8):787 793.

Allen K, Layton B, 2009. Determination of the forces imposed by micro and nanopipettes during DOPC:DOPS liposome manipulation. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids 2009; 162:34–52.

Allen KB, Sasoglu FM, Layton BD. Cytoskeleton-membrane interactions in neuronal growth cones: A finite element analysis study. ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 2009; 131(2):021006.

Sasoglu FM, Bohl A, Allen KB, Layton BD. Parallel force measurement with a polymeric microbeam array using an optical microscope and micromanipulator. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine 2009 Jan; 93(1):1–8.

Invited Lectures and Seminars

Allen Rodowicz K. Mechanics of Materials. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics (MEM 330), Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, Summer 2011.

Published Abstracts

Allen KB, Layton BE. A mechanical model for cytoskeleton membrane interactions. American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Seattle, WA, November 11–15, 2007.

Sasoglu FM, Kilinc D, Allen KB, Layton BE. Parallel force measurement in cell arrays. American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, , Seattle, WA, November 11–15, 2007.

Sasoglu FM, Kilinc D, Allen KB, Layton BD. Towards a method for printing a network of chick forebrain neurons for biosensor applications. IEEE-Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, , Lyon, France, August 23–26, 2007.

Allen KB, Sasoglu FM, Layton BE. Mechanical neural growth models. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Orlando, FL, November 5–11, 2005.

Layton BE, Allen KB, Stokes MD, Myers KA, Baas PW. Towards a method for peripheral nervous system axonal stiffness measurements with MEMS-based microgrippers. 2nd Annual IEEE-Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, , Arlington, VA, March 16–19, 2005.

Presentations

Allen Rodowicz K, Dupont K, Smedley J, Raasch C, Mkandawire C, Fittanto D, Bare C, Smith J. Passenger vehicle occupant response to low-speed impacts with a tractor-semitrailer. Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, Detroit, MI, April 14, 2011.

Allen Rodowicz K, Muhammad R, Heller M, Sala J, Mkandawire C. Biomechanical, perceptual, and cognitive factors involved in maintaining postural control while standing or walking on non-moving and moving surfaces: A literature review. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Vancouver, B.C., November 15, 2010.

Allen K, Layton B. A mechanical model for cytoskeleton and membrane interactions in neuronal growth cones. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Vancouver, B.C., November11–15, 2007.

Allen K, Layton B. A mechanical model for cytoskeleton and membrane interactions in neuronal growth cones. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Seattle, WA, November 11 15, 2007.

Allen K, Layton B. A mechanical model for cytoskeleton membrane interactions. The Drexel Engineering Research Symposium, Philadelphia, PA, April 13, 2007.

Allen K. Hosted workshop on using Matlab ® to model protein assembly and dynamics at the IEEE-EMBS/ASME Workshop on Nanoscale Modeling and Measurement of Mechanical Properties of Cells and Proteins Workshop, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, September 18, 2006.

Allen, K., Layton B. Mechanical axonal growth models: Towards directed neural growth and highly parallel piconewton force transduction. Invited talk at National Nanotechnology Laboratories, Lecce, Italy, July 2006.

Allen K, Layton B. Mechanical neural growth models. BMES Fall Meeting, Baltimore MD, September 29, 2005.

Allen K, Hubmayr R, Boriek A. Effects of lung volume, muscle activation, and posture on the kinematics of the lower canine rib cage. American Thoracic Society 2005 International Conference, San Diego, CA, May 20–25, 2005.

Allen KB, Layton BE. Microtubule polymerization, and single cell micromanipulation. A.J. Drexel Institute of Basic and Applied Protein Science 3rd Annual Protein Institute Retreat, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, June 16, 2005.

• Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University, 2004–2008
• Research Assistant, Soft Matter Nanotechnology Division, Lecce, Italy, June–August, 2007
• Research Assistant, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, July–September, 2004
• Manufacturing Engineer Assistant, Merck Manufacturing Division, 2002–2003
• Research Assistant, Merck Research Laboratories, 2000–2002
  

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Society of Automotive Engineers