Dr. Hayley Richardson joined the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering as a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Fall of 2024. She graduated with her Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in Materials Science and Engineering. Her thesis work focused on the development of low-power biosensors using aptamer technology. 

Upon the completion of my Ph.D., during which I conducted research on BOLD fMRI signal transients using various imaging modalities, I diversified my scientific expertise through postdoctoral training in the field of MRS methods. My focus was on leveraging MR imaging and MR spectroscopy (MRS) to identify potential biomarkers for a range of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Handsfield received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 2014 where he worked in the Multiscale Muscle Mechanophysiology (M3) Lab and researched applied MRI techniques and computational modeling to explore muscle size profiles and Achilles tendon mechanics. He went on to serve as the Scientific Advisor for Springbok Analytics, a startup based in Charlottesville, VA which pioneered the use of Artificial Intelligence in 3D in vivo muscle profiling for athletes and individuals with disabilities. Returning to academic bioengineering, Dr. Handsfield accepted a Whitaker Post-Doctoral Scholarship to conduct research with the Musculoskeletal Modeling Group at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Dr. Handsfield currently holds appointments in the Department of Orthopaedics and the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina and NCSU. His lab aims to improve clinical orthopaedic medicine and gain novel scientific insights into the musculoskeletal system’s form, function, and mechanics through novel integration of advanced medical imaging, computational modeling, and mechanical tissue experimentation.