New measurement techniques are evolving as part of the explosion of knowledge in molecular biology. For example, one can measure the force-displacement behavior and force output of single molecules like myosin to gain a better understanding of muscle contractile mechanics in healthy and diseased muscle. We look forward to hearing more about this at the 2001 ASB meeting in San Diego. There are opportunities for biomechanists familiar with molecular biology to help develop new analytical and experimental techniques for the next generation of tissue engineering efforts. Clinical collaborations can sometimes be difficult to initiate, especially when venturing into a new field.
Busy physicians have little discretionary time for research, and few have training in biomechanics.
Hence, it is rare that physicians will express a problem in biomechanical terms. I often start a conversation by asking the physician to think about a patient group that they wish they could help better. Unless it makes a real difference, move on to something that is important to solve. It is surprising how often something long held to be true turns out to be false. Dare to start with a simple theoretical model to gain insights, or a simple experiment to test a leading hypothesis.