Dr. Eric Lima received his doctorate in Biomedical Engineering in 2008 from Columbia University. His research focused on the regeneration of cartilage and bone using living cells. He built custom-designed bioreactors for orthopedic applications. At Cooper Union he continues his tissue engineering research while bringing hands-on teaching and design expertise to the classroom. Dr. Lima teaches basic design classes that utilize milling machines, welders, lathes, and other large equipment. Students then combine these mechanical instruments with electrical components and computer programs to prototype their ideas. He is active in the open-source hardware community and is building a library of open-source designs for equipment used in a laboratory.

Education:

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, 2008
    Columbia University

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2003
    Columbia University

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2001
    Cooper Union

B.A. (Env Sci), SUNY Purchase, 1994
    SUNY Purchase

Interests:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Open-Source Hardware
• Product Design
• Games and Emotions in Design

Selected Publications:

• Bian L, Fong JV, Lima EG, Stoker AM, Ateshian GA, Cook JL, Hung CT, Dynamic mechanical loading enhances functional properties of tissue engineered cartilage using mature canine chondrocytes, Tissue Eng Part A. 2010 May;16(5):1781-90
• Ng KW, Lima EG, Bian L, O'Conor CJ, Jayabalan PS, Stoker AM, Kuroki K, Cook CR, Ateshian GA, Cook JL, Hung CT. Passaged adult chondrocytes can form engineered cartilage with functional mechanical properties: A canine model. Tissue engineering
• Bian, L., Angione, S. L., Ng, K. W., Lima, EG, Williams, D. Y., Mao, D. Q., Ateshian, G. A., and Hung, C. T., 2009. Influence of decreasing nutrient path length on the development of engineered cartilage. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 17, 677-685.
• Chahine, N. O., Albro, M. B., Lima, EG, Wei, V. I., Dubois, C. R., Hung, C. T., and Ateshian, G. A., 2009. Effect of dynamic loading on the transport of solutes into agarose hydrogels. Biophys J 97, 968-975.
• Bian, L., Lima, EG, Angione, S. L., Ng, K. W., Williams, D. Y., Xu, D., Stoker, A. M., Cook, J. L., Ateshian, G. A., and Hung, C. T., 2008. Mechanical and biochemical characterization of cartilage explants in serum-free culture. J Biomech 41, 1153-1159
• Lima, EG, Grace Chao, P. H., Ateshian, G. A., Bal, B. S., Cook, J. L., Vunjak-Novakovic, G., and Hung, C. T., 2008. The effect of devitalized trabecular bone on the formation of osteochondral tissue-engineered constructs. Biomaterials 29, 4292-4299.
• Lima, EG, Tan, A. R., Tai, T., Bian, L., Ateshian, G. A., Cook, J. L., and Hung, C. T., 2008. Physiologic deformational loading does not counteract the catabolic effects of interleukin-1 in long-term culture of chondrocyte-seeded agarose constructs. J Biomech 41, 3253-3259.
• Lima EG, Tan AR, Tai T, Bian L, Stoker AM, Ateshian GA, Cook JL, Hung CT. Differences in Interleukin-1 Response between Engineered and Native Cartilage. Tissue Engineering Part A. October 1, 2008, 14(10): 1721-1730.
• Bian L, Lima EG, Angione SL, Ng KW, Williams DY, Xu D, Stoker AM, Cook JL, Ateshian GA, Hung CT. Mechanical and biochemical characterization of cartilage explants in serum-free culture. Journal of Biomechanics  2008;41(6):1153-9.
• Lima EG, Bian L, Ng KW, Mauck RL, Byers BA, Tuan RS, et al. The beneficial effect of delayed compressive loading on tissue-engineered cartilage constructs cultured with TGF-beta3. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 15 (2007), 1025-1033.
• Lima EG, Mauck RL, Han SH, Park S, Ng KW, Ateshian GA, et al. Functional tissue engineering of chondral and osteochondral constructs. Biorheology 2004; 41: 577-590.
• Hung CT, Mauck RT, Wang CB, Lima EG, et al. A Paradigm for Functional Tissue Engineering of Articular Cartilage via Applied Physiologic Deformational Loading, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 32(1) (2004), 35–49.
• Hung CT, Lima EG, Mauck RL, Takai E, LeRoux MA, Lu HH, et al. Anatomically shaped osteochondral constructs for articular cartilage repair. Journal of Biomechanics 2003; 36: 1853-1864
• Lima EG, Tan AR, Tai T, Marra KG, DeFail A, Ateshian GA, Hung CT. Genipin Enhances The Mechanical Properties Of Tissue-Engineered Cartilage And Protects Against Inflammatory Degradation When Used As A Medium Supplement. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research 2008

Book Chapters

• Lima EG, Mauck RL, Han S, Park S, Ng KW, Ateshian GA, Hung CT: Functional Tissue Engineering of Chondral and Osteochondral Constructs in Mechanobiology: Cartilage and Chondrocyte, ed. J.-F. Stoltz, IOS Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Vol. 3. p577-590, 2004.