Dr Christine Helms

Christine Helms is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Richmond. Christine’s research is interdisciplinary, bridging physics, biology, and engineering. She studies the mechanical properties of nanofibers using AFM. Nanofibers are important in the body, for example, they are major components of the extracellular matrix and blood clots. Using the technique of electrospinning the lab can produce synthetic nanofibers that are similar in size to fibers found in the body. These synthetic fibers offer promise for tissue engineering and drug delivery. However, to optimize their performance the mechanical properties of the nanofibers must match their intended application. Because of their small size, around 100 nm in diameter, the AFM is a crucial tool for measuring the mechanical properties such as modulus, strength and extensibility. Beyond synthetic fibers, the AFM also allows the lab to study the mechanical properties of the fibers that form blood clots, fibrin fibers. These studies provide insight into the relationship between protein structure and mechanics. They also allow us to test conditions that alter blood clot properties as clot properties relate to disease.    

Christine Helms

Recent AFM-related papers:

• Helms C.C. (2024) Variability in individual native fibrin fiber mechanics Physical Biology 21, 066003

• Rajeev M. & Helms C.C. (2023) A Study of the Relationship between Polymer Solution Entanglement and Electrospun PCL Fiber Mechanics Polymers 15 (23)

• Fryer C., Scharnagl M. & Helms C.C. (2018) Electrostatic alignment of electrospun PEO fibers by the gap method increases individual fiber modulus in comparison to non-aligned fibers of similar diameter AIP Advances 8(6) 065023

• Li W., Sigley J., Baker S., Helms C.C., Kinney M., Pieters M., Brubaker P., Cubcciotti R. & Guthold M. (2017) Non-uniform internal structure of fibrin fibers: Protein density and bond density strongly decrease with increasing diameter BioMed Research International

Biography: Christine is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Richmond, where she carries out research in the fields of biophysics, biomaterials, and mechanical engineering.  She received her Ph.D. from Wake Forest University in 2010. Changing labs but remaining at Wake Forest she did her postdoctoral work from 2010 through 2013. In 2013, Dr. Helms began as an assistance professor in the physics department at the University of Richmond and is currently an associate professor and chair of the physics department. 

Website: https://physics.richmond.edu/faculty/chelms/

---

Are you a woman conducting AFM research or know of someone you would like to nominate to be featured in our next #WomenInAFM campaign? Contact us at community@nunano.com!