Professor Enrico Dall'Ara
PhD
School of Medicine and Population Health
Professor of Musculoskeletal Biomechanics
  
  +44 114 222 6175
Full contact details
School of Medicine and Population Health
C+31, Pam Liversidge Building; DU19
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
- Profile
 - 
    
For enquiries please contact - SMPH-West-Operational@sheffield.ac.uk
I have been Full Professor of Musculoskeletal Biomechanics since 2024.
I hold a PhD in Biomechanics from the Vienna University of Technology and a Master in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bologna.
I am the Director of the Skelet.Al laboratories, the Research Director of the Insigneo Computational Modelling in Medicine research theme, and the Deputy Head of the Integrative MusculoSkeletal Biomechanics (IMSB) Research group.
I am the President of the European Society of Biomechanics
I co-lead the Non-Clinical task force of the Avicenna Alliance.
 
- Research interests
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My research interests are related to better understanding the properties of musculoskeletal tissues across the space and time scales, by using imaging, experimental and computational methods. In particular, the main goal of my research is to develop and validate subject-specific computational models for the prediction of bone strength, bone remodelling and risk of fracture in healthy subjects and in patients with musculoskeletal diseases, applied to both preclinical and clinical studies.
Research projects:
- Validation of Finite Element models for bone at different dimensional levels
 - Development and validation of multiscale models for predicting bone remodelling over time
 - Preclinical assessment of osteoarthritis with longitudinal microCT
 - Development of Finite Element models to study the outcomes of spine fixation
 - Prediction of fracture risk for patients with vertebral metastases with QCT based computational models
 - Investigation of the effect of bone metastatic lesions on bone strength
 - Investigation of the mechanical properties of subchondral bone from OA patients
 - Optimisation of Digital Volume Correlation techniques for measuring deformation in heterogeneous biomaterials
 
 
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- . Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology.
 - . Bone, 195.
 - . Acta Biomaterialia, 194, 258-269.
 - . Frontiers in Endocrinology, 15.
 - . PLOS ONE, 19(10).
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 12.
 - . Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 42(6), 1254-1266.
 - . Bone, 173.
 - . Medical Image Analysis, 87.
 - . PLOS ONE, 18(3).
 - . Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13.
 - . Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 133.
 - . Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 10.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 125.
 - . Bone, 151.
 - . Acta Biomater, 136, 291-305.
 - . CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology, 10(8), 804-825.
 - . Acta Biomaterialia, 123, 167-177.
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9.
 - . Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, 20(3), 941-955.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 113.
 - . Materials, 13(20).
 - . Acta Biomaterialia, 116, 302-317.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 98, 268-290.
 - . Bone, 127, 260-270.
 - . Scientific Reports, 10(1).
 - . Scientific Reports, 10(1).
 
All publications
Journal articles
- . Orthopaedic Proceedings, 107-B(SUPP_9), 91-91.
 - . Orthopaedic Proceedings, 107-B(SUPP_9), 94-94.
 - . Orthopaedic Proceedings, 107-B(SUPP_9), 92-92.
 - . Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology.
 - . Journal of Microscopy.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 170.
 - . European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids, 111, 105539-105539.
 - . Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, 24(3), 1017-1030.
 - . Bone, 195.
 - . Acta Biomaterialia, 194, 258-269.
 - . Frontiers in Endocrinology, 15.
 - . Orthopaedic Proceedings, 106-B(SUPP_18), 59-59.
 - . Biofabrication, 17(1).
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 12.
 - . PLOS ONE, 19(10).
 - . Extreme Mechanics Letters, 71.
 - . PLOS ONE, 19(4).
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 12.
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 12.
 - . Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 42(6), 1254-1266.
 - . Bone, 180.
 - . Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, 23(1), 287-304.
 - . Bone, 173.
 - . Medical Image Analysis, 87.
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11.
 - . PLOS ONE, 18(3).
 - . Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 138.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 138.
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10.
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 10.
 - . Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 133.
 - . Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 10.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 125.
 - . Bone Reports, 15.
 - . Biomedicines, 9(11).
 - . Bone, 151.
 - . Acta Biomater, 136, 291-305.
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9.
 - . CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology, 10(8), 804-825.
 - . PLoS ONE, 16(6).
 - . Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 39(12), 2568-2580.
 - . Acta Biomaterialia, 123, 167-177.
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9.
 - . Interface Focus, 11(1).
 - . Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, 20(3), 941-955.
 - . Brain and Spine, 1, 100047-100047.
 - Oral Communications & Poster Abstracts. JBMR PLUS, 5.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 113.
 - . Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 48(12), 2859-2869.
 - . Journal of Biomechanics, 113.
 - . Materials, 13(20).
 - . Acta Biomaterialia, 116, 302-317.
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 8.
 - . Biomechanics and modeling in mechanobiology, 19(3), 985-1001.
 - . Bone Reports, 12, 100257-100257.
 - .
 - . BMC Bioinformatics, 21(1).
 - . PLoS ONE, 14(11).
 - . Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 47(11), 2188-2198.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 98, 268-290.
 - . Bone, 127, 260-270.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 97, 339-345.
 - . PLoS ONE, 14(7).
 - . ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 5(5), 2543-2554.
 - . J Biomech, 86, 232-237.
 - . PLoS One, 14(1), e0197947.
 - . Mech Ageing Dev, 177, 103-108.
 - . Med Eng Phys, 62, 7-16.
 - . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 88, 109-119.
 - . Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 17(6), 1715-1730.
 - . Materials (Basel), 11(11).
 - . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 86, 172-184.
 - . Med Eng Phys, 59, 36-42.
 - . Bone, 110, 386-391.
 - . Bone, 106, 69-77.
 - . FRONTIERS IN MATERIALS, 4.
 - . J Biomech, 65, 203-211.
 - . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 75, 244-251.
 - . PLoS One, 12(7), e0180151.
 - . J Biomech, 58, 27-36.
 - . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 67, 117-126.
 - . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 65, 644-651.
 - . J Biomech, 49(16), 3882-3890.
 - . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 63, 17-25.
 - . Arch Orthop Trauma Surg, 136(11), 1623-1628.
 - . Mech Ageing Dev, 160, 93-116.
 - . J Biomech, 49(10), 2095-2099.
 - . J Bone Miner Res, 31(2), 341-346.
 - . J Biomech, 48(15), 4073-4080.
 - . Med Eng Phys, 37(11), 1091-1097.
 - . Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 137(7).
 - . Journal of biomechanics, 47(12), 2956-2963.
 - . Ann Biomed Eng, 42(5), 950-959.
 - . Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 32, 287-299.
 - . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 33, 76-83.
 - . Bonekey Rep, 2, 386.
 - . European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, 1-7.
 - . Med Eng Phys, 35(11), 1564-1572.
 - . J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 25, 23-32.
 - . Bone, 52(1), 27-38.
 - . BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 13, 252.
 - . J Biomech, 45(9), 1733-1738.
 - . Bone, 50(4), 925-929.
 - . Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin, 15(7), 711-720.
 - . Osteoporos Int, 23(2), 563-572.
 - . Horm Metab Res, 43(13), 944-949.
 - . Bone, 49(6), 1232-1241.
 - . Horm Metab Res, 43(6), 404-409.
 - . Med Phys, 38(5), 2602-2608.
 - . J Biomech, 44(8), 1593-1598.
 - . Wien Klin Wochenschr, 123(1-2), 4-10.
 - . Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 10(4), 431-444.
 - Research Network Osteology Vienna (RNO): High-resolution and micro-computed tomography in viennese osteological research. Journal Fur Mineralstoffwechsel, 17(3), 104-109.
 - . J Biomech, 43(12), 2374-2380.
 - . J Trauma, 69(5), E46-E55.
 - . Clin Biomech (Bristol), 23(10), 1294-1298.
 - . J Biomech, 41(11), 2483-2491.
 - . J Biomech, 40(14), 3267-3270.
 - . J Biomech, 40(11), 2426-2433.
 - . Scientific Reports, 10(1).
 - . Scientific Reports, 10(1).
 - . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 8.
 - . PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0228962-e0228962.
 - . SSRN Electronic Journal.
 
Book chapters
- , Methods in Molecular Biology (pp. 519-547). Springer US
 - , Digital Human Modeling and Medicine (pp. 515-546). Elsevier
 - , Human Orthopaedic Biomechanics (pp. 97-120). Elsevier
 - , Methods in Molecular Biology (pp. 507-531). Springer New York
 - (pp. 260-271). Wiley
 
Conference proceedings
- Longitudinal change in CT derived bone mineral density (BMD) in men with M0 prostate cancer treated with androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPI): A sub-analysis of the STAMPEDE trial. EUROPEAN UROLOGY, Vol. 87
 - . ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Vol. 79 (pp 1334-1334)
 - . Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Vol. 28 (pp S174-S174)
 - Longitudinal Effects of Combined Bone Anabolic Interventions on Ovariectomised Mice. JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Vol. 34 (pp 258-259)
 - HOW DOES THE INITIAL SLOPE OF THE VARIOGRAM, THE TEXTURAL BASIS OF THE TRABECULAR BONE SCORE, PREDICT VERTEBRAL STRENGTH?. OSTEOPOROSIS INTERNATIONAL, Vol. 27 (pp S105-S105)
 - Femoral strength computed from QCT-based finite element analyses is not influenced by voxel or smooth mesh type. JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Vol. 28
 - . Journal of Biomechanics, Vol. 45 (pp S450-S450)
 - . Bone, Vol. 48 (pp S176-S176)
 - . Bone, Vol. 48 (pp S198-S198)
 - . Bone, Vol. 47 (pp S81-S82)
 
Reports
- In silico Clinical Trials: How Computer Simulations Will Transform the Biomedical Industry. An International Roadmap for an Industry-Driven Initiative.
 
Software, code or databases
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Other
- . Journal of Biomechanics, 41(15), 3294.
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Preprints
- , arXiv.
 - , Elsevier BV.
 - , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
 - , Research Square Platform LLC.
 - , arXiv.
 - , arXiv.
 - , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
 
 
- Research group
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PostDocs
PhD Students
- Ms Sara Eizeddin (PhD student, 1st supervisor)
 - Ms Silvia Dirstaru (PhD student, 1st supervisor)
 - Ms Jingzhi Zhang (PhD student, 1st supervisor)
 - Mr Robert Roger (PhD student, 1st supervisor)
 - Mr Keir Robson (PhD student, 2nd supervisor)
 - Mr Ryan Cai (PhD student, 2nd sup.)
 - Mr Florian Rieger (PhD student at ETH Zurich, co-supervisor; main supervisor Prof Ferguson)
 - Mr Albano Malerba (PhD student at University of Liege, co-promotor; main supervisor Prof Ruffoni)
 - Mr Vijaysankar Anbalagan (PhD student at University of Leuven, co-promotor; main supervisor Prof van Lenthe)
 - Ms Laura Mueller (PhD student at university of Liege, co-promotor; main supervisor Prof Ruffoni)
 
Research Technicians
 
- Grants
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- 2025-2028; Li (PI), Dall’Ara E, Lacroix D, Offiah A, Cohen M: “ChildBone: A novel digital twin to assess childhood bone strength comparing normal versus metabolic bone disease”; EPSRC; ~£850k
 - 2025-2030; Wild J (PI), Tahir B, Dall’Ara E, et al.; “YCR Pioneer Sheffield Platform for Imaging Research in Oncology (SPIRO)”; Yorkshire Cancer Research, £4.13M
 - 2024-2029; Dall’Ara E (PI): “Virtual Mouse and Human Twins for optimising Treatments for Osteoporosis (VHMTs-OP)”; EPSRC (EU Guarantee Fund after being Selected for ERC Consolidator grant); ~£1.74M
 - 2024-2028; Chatzimavridou V (PhD student), Higham C (PI), Dall’Ara E, et al.; “Defining the mechanisms underlying Pelvic Radiotherapy Related Insufficiency Fractures”; MRC (University of Manchester, Sheffield Subcontractor and Supervisor) £307k (£39k to Sheffield)
 - 2023-2028; Dall’Ara E (UoS PI, WP leader), Lacroix D, et al. [Coordinator UniBo]: “METASTRA: Computer-aided effective fracture risk stratification of patients with vertebral metastases for personalised treatment through robust computational models validated in clinical settings”; EU HorizonEurope; ~6M euro [~£773k to Sheffield]
 - 2022-2027; van Lenthe H, Ruffoni D, Dall’Ara E, Stok K; “Understanding joint health: biomechanical and mechanobiological characterization of the bone-cartilage interface (UNITE)”; FNRS and FWO (Belgium, EOS excellence of Science scheme); ~€2000k [€94.5k to Sheffield]
 - 2022-2023; Palanca M, Dall’Ara E, Cristofolini L; 2022-2023, “Effect of the IVD conditions on the risk of vertebral fracture in metastatic patients”; AO Spine Knowledge Forum Associate Research Award, €24k
 - 2020-2024; Farage-O’Reilly S, Dall’Ara E; “Multi-scale models for the prediction of bone remodelling due to musculoskeletal interventions”: PhD studentships EPSRC; ~£70k
 - 2020-2024; Inksson B (PI), Pinna C, Dall'Ara E, Fairclough JPA, Moebus G, Hounslow MJ, Cumming D, Reeves-McLaren N; “An X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography Facility with in-situ/in operando testing”: EPSRC ; £1412k
 - 2019-2026; Narracott AJ (PI), Fenner JW, Gunn JP, Clayton RH, Mazza C, Reilly G, Lawford PV, Wild JM, Hose DR, Marzo A, Villa-Uriol MC, Li X, Guo L, Dall'Ara E, Bhattacharya P, Walker DC, Watton P; “Centre for New Methods in Computational Diagnostics and Personalised Therapy (SANO)”: Horizon2020; €2897k
 - 2019-2021; Dall’Ara E (PI), Palanca M; “Comprehensive experimental and computational mechanical characterization of metastatic vertebrae (METASPINE)”: Horizon2020, Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship; €213k
 - 2019-2021; Mazza’ C (PI), Dall’Ara E, Li X, Battacharia P, Kadirkamanathan V, McCloskey E; “Frontier Engineering: Progression Grant in Modelling complex and partially identified engineering problems. Application to the musculoskeletal system (MULTISIM2)”: Progression Grant EPSRC; £758k
 - 2019-2020; Dall’Ara E (PI); “Equipment for Mouse gait lab”: EPSRC ECR Capital Enhancement Programme 2018
 - 2018-2022; Reilly G (PI), Mazza’ C, Lacroix D, Claeyssen F, Guo L, Dall’Ara E; “SPINe: Numerical and Experimental Repair strategies”: Horizon2020 European program, Initial Training Network; £476k
 - 2017-2020; Dall’Ara E (PI), Bellantuono I, Viceconti M; “In silico approaches for preclinical assessment of bone changes in osteoporosis and osteoarthritis studies”: National Centre for replacement, refinement and reduction of animal use in research; £353k
 - 2017-2019; Bellantuono I (PI), Dall’Ara E; “Targeting mechanisms of ageing to maintain musculoskeletal health”: Biological and Biotechnological Sciences Research Council; £261k
 - 2017-2019; Dall’Ara E (PI); “Novel Assessment of the Osteoarthritic Hip Subchondral Bone: a Combined Experimental and Computational Investigation”: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; £101k
 - 2015-2016; Dall’Ara E (PI); “Multiscale characterization of osteoarthritic subchondral bone: combination of microCT, elastic registration and microindentation”: Royal Society research grant; £15k
 - 2016-2019; Dall’Ara E (PI), Hose R, Lawford P; “Assessment of bone growth in preclinical studies with Kalman filtering”: EPSRC PhD scholarship; £65k
 - 2015-2018; Dall’Ara E (PI), Viceconti M; “Prediction of the risk of vertebral fracture in patients with metastatic lesions as a tool for more effective patients’ management”: Sheffield Hospitals Charity; £65k
 - 2013-2015; Dall’Ara E (Fellow), Viceconti M; “Methodologically and Accurate modelling of bone”: FP7, Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship; €222k
 
 
- Teaching interests
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I teach in the Computational Biomechanics of the Musculoskeletal System (MAC4100).
I give invited lectures in different modules in engineering.I supervise SSC medical Students.
I supervise FYP for Biomedical Engineering students.
 
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Director of the SkeletAl laboratory since 2020
 - Deputy lead of the "Medical Imaging and Technologies" section of the Division of Clinical Medicine since 2024
 - Research Director Insigneo "Computational Modelling in Medicine" research theme since 2021
 - Head of the Integrative Musculoskeletal Biomechanics (IMSB) group 2022-2024
 - Member of Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research Executive Committee since 2021
 - President of the European Society of Biomechanics since 2024
 - Council member for the European Society of Biomechanics since 2018
 - President of the UK chapter of the Virtual Physiological Human Institute 2018-2024
 - Deputy chair of the Working Group 3 of the Bone Metastases Group of the National Cancer Research Institute in 2023
 - Co-lead of the "Non Clinical In Silico Approaches" of the Avicenna Alliance
 - Editorial Board member of the Journal of Mechanical Behaviour of Biomedical Materials since 2019
 - Editorial Board member of Clinical Biomechanics since 2025 (moved)
 - Associate Editor for Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (Biomechanics) since 2022
 - Member of the ESB since 2008, BRS since 2014, ECTS since 2015 and ORS since 2017
 - Reviewer for national and international funders
 - Reviewer for the major journals in the field of biomechanics and bone research
 - Editorial Board member of Clinical Biomechanics since 2025