William J. Brown Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Director, Center for the Mechanics and Engineering of Cellular Systems
Courtesy Appointments, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology Department, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Philip LeDuc is the William J. Brown Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In his lab, he works at the intersection of mechanical engineering and biology by envisioning cells and molecules as systems that can be investigated with some of the same fundamental approaches used on machines such as planes and automobiles looking for unifying principles. These systems range from mammalian cells to microorganisms to developmental biology systems and apply principles from mechanical engineering fields to understand how these principles may apply across diverse nature-based systems.
In the energy domain, LeDuc is focused on algae and bacterial fuel cells. His lab conducts basic science and applied research in crossing over mechanical engineering approaches including solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, control theory, etc. with biological systems ranging from algae to artificial cells to developmental biology.
He has received the National Science Foundation CAREER award, George Tallman Ladd Research Award, Russell V. Trader Career Faculty Fellow, Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award, “Professor of the Year” as voted by the senior class, MARC Minority Faculty Mentor Award, and Beckman Foundation Young Investigator Award. He is a member of the National Research Council Roundtable on Biomedical Engineering Materials and Applications (BEMA), and a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering, and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE).
1999 Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
1995 MS, North Carolina State University
1993 BS, North Carolina State University
Mechanical Engineering
From improving public health to making more efficient, more sustainable energy sources, researchers in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering devote their time to solving the world’s most complex problems.
CMU Engineering
When faculty and students in the College of Engineering create intellectual property, our culture supports their efforts to form startups.
CMU Engineering
A CMU-led project team secured an award of up to $42M from ARPA-H to accelerate the development of implantable bioelectronic devices that deliver patient-specific therapy and monitor disease status.
CMU Engineering
Complex and sophisticated, a plant’s mechanical systems could be the key to more advanced biohybrid softbotic designs.
CMU Engineering
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University develop numerical models that enable precise control of the 3D ice printing process for biomedical and manufacturing applications.
CMU Engineering
Philip LeDuc has been named a Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for 2023 due to his research in the mechanics of cellular and molecular systems.
PopSci
MechE’s Philip LeDuc and Carmel Majidi have developed a new soft robot inspired by a prehistoric sea creature, which was featured in Popular Science. Pleurocystitids, a precursor to the present-day invertebrates, had tail-like structures that allowed them to move underwater easily.
Interesting Engineering
MechE’s Philip LeDuc, Burak Ozdoganlar, and Feimo Yang have developed a new tissue engineering technique that may alleviate the organ transplantation crisis. The work was featured in Interesting Engineering.
CMU Engineering
New research identifies genetic effects of traumatic brain injury using an artificial brain.
CMU Engineering
Researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering used fossil evidence to engineer a soft robotic replica of pleurocystitids, a marine organism that existed nearly 450 million years ago and is believed to be one of the first echinoderms capable of movement using a muscular stem.
CMU Engineering
Carnegie Mellon researchers receive funding from the Manufacturing Futures Institute to continue work on 3D micro-ice printing for medical applications.
CMU Engineering
Cliff Brangwynne (MSE ’01) wins the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for discovering a cellular process with the potential to revolutionize treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS.
CMU Engineering
Engineering students were back in the kitchen this semester to learn how the same mechanics that apply to airplanes and automobiles relate to the mechanics of cells in the foods we eat.
Additive Manufacturing Media
The video of a new 3D ice printing method developed by Carnegie Mellon engineers is magical according to Additive Manufacturing Media. Read about how mechanical engineering faculty Burak Ozdoganlar and Philip LeDuc and Ph.D. student Akash Garg are printing sacrificial structures that are as small as blood vessels.
Mechanical Engineering
Collaborative research between doctoral students from Biological Sciences and Mechanical Engineering yields findings published in Nature Communications.
CMU Engineering
3D printed ice isn’t as magical as in the movie Frozen, but it has wonderful potential for biomedical engineering and advanced manufacturing.
CMU Engineering
Solar panel installation in cities requires setups tailored to the complex geometry of urban spaces that provide the most direct sunlight to each panel. Among the processes for designing the most efficient setup for solar panels is shadow modeling.
Axios
MechE’s Phil LeDuc and alumnus Adam Wood’s work on using bread to remove salt from water was featured in Axios’ science newsletter on February 3.
CMU Engineering
Though water covers two-thirds of our planet’s surface, water scarcity remains a persistent issue. Mechanical Engineering’s Philip LeDuc and Adam Wood have an unconventional solution: bread.
IAMBE News
MechE’s Philip Leduc has been nominated and elected for Fellowship by the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE).
CMU Engineering
In partnership with UPMC, Carnegie Mellon researchers developed a machine learning approach for examining placenta samples to determine if mothers are at risk for complications in future pregnancies.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering students and faculty adapted with innovation and agility to finish the spring 2020 semester during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advanced Science News
An image of MechE’s Philip LeDuc’s research on microstructures was featured in Advanced Science News’ “This month in pictures” for April 2020.
The Piper
MechE’s Philip LeDuc has recieved the 2020 Barbara Lazarus Award for Graduate Student and Junior Faculty Mentoring. Named after a beloved member of the CMU community, the award celebrates those who foster an inviting and nurturing environment for graduate students and young faculty at the university.
Beckman Foundation
MechE’s Philip LeDuc has joined the Beckman Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council. LeDuc received the Beckman young Investigator Award in 2005 and has since served the foundation in many roles, including as a member of the Executive Committee of the Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellows Program. In his new role, he will advise and review the Foundation’s program and award winners for the Board of Directors, as well as suggest changes or new avenues for funding.
CMU Engineering
A team of CMU researchers are developing soft robots that sense and respond to chemicals.
CMU Engineering
A team from the College of Engineering has used the natural architecture of the mangrove tree to unlock a better method of desalination.
Mechanical Engineering
A LeDuc/Minden collaboration in mesofluidics—a medium-sized twist on microfluidics—was featured on the cover of the journal Lab on a Chip. The research team merged expertise in biomechanics, biology, and engineering to develop a new device.
The College of Engineering has named this year’s faculty award winners, selected by the College of Engineering Faculty Awards Committee. Congratulations to the winners.
CMU Engineering
Although cell analysis traditionally occurs in a plastic petri dish, researchers created a 3-D model scientists can use to analyze the complexities of cancer cells in an environment that more closely mimics the human body.
Mechanical Engineering
Students tinker with household objects like mousetraps and rubber bands to create vehicle prototypes for a final challenge in MechE 101.
CMU Engineering
Carnegie Mellon researchers design building blocks for synthetic muscle using computational method.
CMU Engineering
Through endowed professorships, the college honors and supports faculty by providing the resources they need to remain at the forefront of their fields.
