BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Wikum Roshan Bandara Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage (R. Surowiec, advisor)

Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:30 PM.

Title: Bone Water as an Early Biomarker and Cortical Pore Network Dynamics as a Mechanistic Indicator of Skeletal Fragility in Chronic Kidney Disease

Date: November 3, 2025

Time: 2:30 PM

Location: SL 220A,  SL Building, 723 W Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN 46202 and Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/96685482564?pwd=MdJ4JHA9ger3nuG90mw7uSxuGNVzh9.1

Committee members:

· Dr. Rachel K. Surowiec (Major advisor)

· Dr. Joseph M. Wallace

· Dr. Taimoor Qazi

· Dr. Stuart J. Warden

· Dr. Christopher L. Newman

Abstract:

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) disrupts mineral metabolism and bone structure, leading to a fracture risk up to 17-fold higher than in the general population. Standard bone mineral density (BMD) measurements fail to detect early deterioration because they overlook key contributors to bone quality, hydration and microstructure. This research combines two complementary approaches to elaborate skeletal fragility: (1) quantifying bone water compartments using ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI, Fourier-transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectral imaging and Thermogravimetry Analysis (TgA), and (2) tracking 3D cortical pore networks using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and graph-based modeling. We hypothesize that alterations in bone water early in CKD progression and we can detect these changes with MRI. Together we seek to understand the microstructural changes in the cortical bone as CKD progresses and develop a comprehensive methodology to support assessment of treatments and their impacts on porosity. This integrated approach will provide fundamental insights into hydration–structure interactions in bone and support the development of clinically translatable imaging biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of bone fragility in CKD and related metabolic diseases. Data collected to date suggest that loosely bound water can serve as an indicator of changes in bone hydration. The pore-tracking study demonstrates promising results in extracting the cortical pore network and quantifying key pore metrics. Together, these findings highlight the potential of combining hydration and pore network analyses to reveal early, mechanistic signatures of skeletal fragility in CKD.