The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology has announced six postdoctoral fellows for 2021, and Elahe Ganji is one of them! The programs support outstanding scientists by providing a unique opportunity to engage in a three-year interdisciplinary research fellowship at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois.

Elahe's proposed research will connect physical activity from childhood to adulthood and bone health. She’ll use quantitative microstructural and metabolic assessments of bone to compare physical activity and bone strength. This work is in collaboration with:

Kate Clancy, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at UIUC

Mariana Kersch, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at UIUC

Elahe will take an anthropological approach to determine the underlying mechanisms that influence bone health and hopes to show how personal and environmental barriers for women affect physical activity. She hopes to suggest for psychological and physical interventions to reduce the disproportionate risk of osteoporotic fractures in women.

To learn more about the Beckman Fellows and the program, visit their website.