Meir Barak, DVM, PhD

Associate Professor of Veterinary Anatomy, Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences.

Dr. Meir Barak's academic journey began at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Rehovot, Israel, where he earned his Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Animal Science and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). After dedicating two years to full-time small animal veterinary practice, Dr. Barak transitioned to part-time work and continued his academic education at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, where he completed his PhD in bone biomechanics. During this time, he focused his research on the relationship between bone structure and function, utilizing the rat as an animal model. Concurrently, he obtained his teaching certificate, qualifying him as a high school biology teacher. Dr. Barak's postdoctoral work spanned two years in a joint position at Harvard University's Department of Human Evolutionary Biology in Cambridge, MA, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. His research during this period centered on extinct hominin bipedal locomotion, specifically in Australopithecines, and its manifestation in the ankle's trabecular bone structure. Following his postdoctoral studies, Dr. Barak spent a year as a lecturer at Harvard University's Department of Human Evolutionary Biology before joining Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. At Winthrop, he served as an Assistant Professor for five years and then as an Associate Professor for one year in the Department of Biology. During his tenure at Winthrop University, Dr. Barak developed and taught a diverse range of courses. These included "Human Anatomy," his self-designed "Biology of Bone" course, and various undergraduate and graduate courses catering to both Biology and non-Biology majors. Beyond his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Barak maintained an active research laboratory, where he mentored nearly twenty undergraduate and four graduate students. Dr. Barak's current research focuses on the relationship between bone structure and mechanical properties. He employs a three-pronged approach: mechanically testing bone tissues from various bones and animals, 3D printing and testing bone structures (both healthy and pathological samples), and using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to map stress and strain distribution and predict areas prone to failure. His research interests span a wide range of topics within the field of bone biology, including bone health and disease, biomechanics, bone adaptation (modeling and remodeling), Finite Element (FE) modeling, 3D printing, and animal locomotion. Through this multifaceted approach, Dr. Barak hope to continue and contribute valuable insights to the scientific community and inspire the next generation of researchers.

Publications - (selected manuscripts)

M.M. Barak. Cortical and trabecular bone modeling and implications for bone functional adaptation in the mammalian tibia. Bioengineering. 11(5): 514 (2024).
M.M. Barak, J. Schlott, L. Gundersen, G. Diaz, V. Rhee, N. Villoth, A. Ferber, S. Blair. Morphological examination of abdominal vertebral bodies from grass carp using high-resolution micro-CT scans. Journal of Anatomy. 245(1): 84-96 (2024).
M.M. Barak. The trabecular architecture of the popliteal sesamoid bone (cyamella) from a New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Journal of Morphology. 285(1): e21660 (2023)
K. Tommy, M.M. Barak. Locomotion and the Foot and ankle (Chapter 10). In: Behavior in our bones. Ed. Cara Hirst, Rebecca Gilmour, Francisca Cardoso, Kimberly Plomp. Elsevier. ISBN 9780128213834 (2023)
E.B. Long, M.M. Barak, V.J. Frost. The effect of Staphylococcus aureus exposure on white-tailed deer trabecular 4 bone stiffness and yield. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 126:105000 (2022)
J.T. Nguyen and M.M. Barak. Secondary osteon structural heterogeneity between the cranial and caudal cortices of the proximal humerus in white-tailed deer. Journal of Experimental Biology. 223(11): jeb225482 (2020)
M.M. Barak. Bone modeling or bone remodeling: that is the question. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 172: 153-5 (2020)
Z. Wood, L. Lynn, J.T. Nguyen, M.A. Black, M. Patel and M.M. Barak. Are we crying Wolff? 3D printed replicas of trabecular bone structure demonstrate higher stiffness and strength during off-axis loading. Bone. 127: 635-45 (2019)
A.N. Kunde, V.J. Frost, M.M. Barak. Acute exposure of white-tailed deer cortical bone to Staphylococcus aureus did not result in reduced bone stiffness. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 82: 329-37 (2018).
M.M. Barak, M.A. Black. A novel use of 3D printing model demonstrates the effects of deteriorated trabecular bone structure on bone stiffness and strength. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 78: 455-64 (2018).
M.M. Barak, E. Sherratt, D.E. Lieberman. Using principle trabecular orientation to differentiate joint loading orientation in the 3rd metacarpal heads of humans and chimpanzees. Journal of Human Evolution113: 173-82 (2017).
J.W. Barrera, A. Le Cabec, M.M. Barak. The orthotropic elastic properties of fibrolamellar bone tissue in juvenile white-tailed deer femora. Journal of Anatomy229(4):568-76 (2016).
M.M. Barak, D.E. Lieberman, D. Raichlen, H. Pontzer, A. Warrener, J.J Hublin. Trabecular evidence for a human-like gait in Australopithecus africanus. PLOS ONE8(11): e77687 (2013).
M.M. Barak, D.E. Lieberman, J.J. Hublin. Of mice, rats and men: Trabecular bone in mammals scale to body mass with negative allometry. Journal of Structural Biology. 183:123-31 (2013).
M.M Barak, D.E Lieberman, J.J. Hublin. A Wolff in sheep’s clothing: Trabecular bone adaptation in response to changes in joint loading orientation. Bone. 49:1141-51 (2011).
M.M Barak, S. Weiner, R. Shahar. The contribution of trabecular bone to the stiffness and strength of rat lumbar vertebrae. Spine. 35:E1153-9 (2010).
M.M. Barak, S. Geiger, N. Lev-Tov Chattah, R. Shahar, S. Weiner. Enamel dictates whole tooth deformation: A finite element model study validated by an optical method. Journal of Structural Biology 168:511-20 (2009).
M.M. Barak, A. Sharir, R. Shahar. Optical metrology methods for mechanical testing of whole bones. The Veterinary Journal180:7-14 (2009).
M.M. Barak, J.D. Currey, S. Weiner, R. Shahar. Are tensile and compressive Young’s moduli of compact bone different? Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials2:51-60 (2009).
M.M. Barak, S. Weiner, R. Shahar. Importance of the integrity of trabecular bone to the relationship between load and deformation of rat femora: An optical metrology study. Journal of Materials Chemistry18:3855-64 (2008).
A. Sharir, M.M. Barak, R. Shahar. Whole bone mechanics and mechanical testing. The Veterinary Journal 177:8-17(2008).
L. Nadav, V. Kalchenko, M.M. Barak, E. Naparstek, B. Geiger, B.Z. Katz. Tumorigenic potential and disease manifestations of malignant B-cell variants differing in their fibronectin adhesiveness. Experimental Hematology36:1524-34 (2008).
R. Shahar, P. Zaslansky, M.M. Barak, A.A. Friesem, J.D. Currey, S. Weiner. Anisotropic Poisson's ratio and compression modulus of cortical bone determined by speckle interferometry. Journal of Biomechanics 40:252-64 (2007).