About
Hai Yao is the Ernest R. Norville Endowed Chair and Professor of Bioengineering (Clemson) and Oral Health Sciences (dual appointment, MUSC), Associate Vice President for Biomedical Innovation (Clemson), and Associate Chair for the Clemson-MUSC Joint Bioengineering Program. He received a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Miami. Hai has served on or leads several expert panels, including the NIDCR Council’s Research Workforce Development Committee, the NIH/CSR Skeletal Biology Structure and Regeneration (SBSR) Study Section, and the NASEM-sponsored Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD) consensus study. His research interests include the biomechanical function, degeneration and regeneration of skeletal systems, including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and spine intervertebral disc (IVD). Hai’s current research areas include the biomechanical mechanisms of cell-mediated tissue degeneration, novel imaging techniques for nondestructive assessment of skeletal tissue composition and structure, and interactions between mechanical, electrical, chemical and matrix-supplied cues in controlling the development of functional engineered tissues. Hai’s team contributed to the world’s first demonstration of a full synovial joint regeneration, and his research has been funded by NIH R01, R03, R21, R34, R43/44, U01, T32, and P20 awards. His students and trainees have been funded by NIH F30, F31, F32, and K99 awards. He currently directs several NIH grants including the South Carolina Center for Translational Research Improving Musculoskeletal Health (SC-TRIMH); Training in Craniofacial and Oral Health Research; ATTRACT: Assessment of Temporomandibular Joint Morphology, Mechanics, and Mechanobiology in Class II and III Target and Surgical Phenotypes; and TMJ SYMPHONY: Systems-integrated model and mechanisms of patient-centered holistic outcomes and network-supported training and therapy.
Visit Dr. Yao's Faculty Profile and Lab Website.
How their research is transforming health care
Hai’s Tissue Biomechanics Laboratory applies the principles of biomechanics and biology at multiscale levels, from the whole body to single cells, to provide new perspectives on skeletal tissue degeneration and regeneration processes. Much of his research focuses on temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs), which currently impact 35 million people in the United States yet remain poorly understood. In order to address TMDs with early diagnoses and management methods, research into the pathophysiology of TMJ disc degeneration is needed. Hai is working to develop a novel measuring system that can lead to the ability to identify bio-indicators of TMJ disorders, allowing for early clinical diagnosis of these disorders. His group is also using cutting-edge machine learning methods to analyze complex data and build predictive models for patient treatment responses.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Faculty Scholar, Mechanobiology, Orthopaedics, Oral Health, Tissue Regeneration, Molecular Transport, Biomechanics, AI/machine learning
