Helping to save People’s knees 

by developing innovative approaches to treat knee injuries and osteoarthritis  

Dr. Tammy L. Haut Donahue 
Biomedical Engineering Department 
Tammy.H@memphis.edu 

Research interests: The Soft Tissue Mechanics Laboratory (STML) integrates biology and engineering, leading to a better understanding of the mechanical behavior and cellular responses of biological tissues; namely the knee joint meniscus. Research in the laboratory aims to find ways of preventing the onset of diseases, such as osteoarthritis, a painful and dehabilitating disease caused by bone-on-bone wear on the knee joint surface. A multiscale approach utilizing experimental techniques is employed. 
 
Education:     
B.S. 1995, Michigan State University - Mechanical Engineering 
M.S. 1997, University of California, Davis - Mechanical Engineering 
Ph.D. 2000, University of California, Davis - Biomedical Engineering 

Brief Research Summary: 
Tammy Haut Donahue joined the faculty at The University of Memphis in August 2021. Her PhD was in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California at Davis where she earned the Allen Marr Award for distinguished dissertation in Biomedical Engineering in 2000. She is an Editorial Consultant for the Journal of Biomechanics, and was integral in the establishment of the Orthopaedic Research Society Meniscus Section. Dr. Haut Donahue’s research includes analytical and experimental biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system with ongoing research in orthopedic biomechanics and post-traumatic osteoarthritis.  An emphasis is put on prevention, treatment, and repair of injuries to the soft tissue structures of the knee, focusing primarily on the meniscus. With over $15 million in funding from Whitaker Foundation, CDMRP, NIH, NSF, as well as industrial sponsorship her research program has had more than 60 mentees. Dr. Haut Donahue has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.  Dr. Haut Donahue was awarded the Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnson Jr. Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award from the American Society of Engineering Education for exceptional contributions to mechanics education. Dr. Haut Donahue is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.  
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Publications 
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jRLTCQMAAAAJ&hl=en 
 
Honors/Distinctions:  
2020  American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Fellow 
2018   Inaugural Department Head of Biomedical Engineering, UMass, Amherst 
2017  Graduate Advising and Mentorship Award- Graduate Student Council 
2017   SBME Poster Presentation Prize- Best Laboratory 2017 
2015  Fellow- American Society of Mechanical Engineers 
2014  Journal of Biomechanical Engineering- Editor’s Choice Award for Research  
2010  Member of Michigan Technological University Academy of Teaching Excellence 
2008,2009 Invited to Special NIH Study Section for Fellows 
2008  First Place Research Presentation, Bioengineering in Ireland, Sligo, Ireland, Jan 2008 
2006   Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnston Jr. Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award – ASEE 
2002   Allen Marr Award for distinguished dissertation in Biomedical Engineering  
2002   Selected for participation in NSF sponsored “New Century Scholars” program 
2000   UC Davis, Travel Assistant Award to attend winter IMECE 
1998-2000  Whitaker Foundation Stipend/Biomedical Eng./UC Davis 
1998   Microstrain Award Recipient for innovative instrumentation in biomechanics, NACOB 
1998   3rd Place in ASME Masters Level Student Paper Competition 
1997   Earl C. Anthony Fellowship/UC Davis 
1995   Honorable Mention ASME Bachelors Level Student Paper Comp. 
1995   TOPS (Towards Outstanding Post-Graduate Studies) Award Fellowship/UC Davis