As the body ages, a network of proteins and other molecules may structurally change, leading to a loss of elasticity and tissue strength in skin, joints, and arteries. This can lead to reduced muscle mass, stiffness, and increased susceptibility to chronic diseases like osteoarthritis.

Anna Tarakanova, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering, leads a research group in UConn’s College of Engineering (CoE) that uses advanced computer models to study the mechanical properties of proteins.

In doing so, she’s developing nature-inspired materials that can mimic the flexibility of elastin or the durability of collagen. These designs could lead to innovations in medical devices, prosthetics, or even “repurpose” molecules for resilience in aging.

“Ultimately, our goal is to understand aging and disease at a basic, molecular level and how that fits into the bigger picture of how complex biological systems function,” Tarakanova explains.

For her efforts “exemplifying the creative use and development of mechanics,” the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) awarded Tarakanova with the 2024 Eshelby Mechanics Award for Young Faculty. The award recognizes early-career researchers who’ve made impactful contributions to the field of mechanics and mechanics of materials.

“We’re very proud Prof. Anna Tarakanova for her winning of this prestigious award in engineering,” says JC Zhao, dean of the College of Engineering. “Her innovative approach merges the fields of molecular mechanics, materials science, and bioengineering and advances molecular, multiscale, and data-driven modeling methods to study the mechanics of complex nanoscale and biological materials.” 

Tarakanova received her BS in applied and engineering physics from Cornell University in 2011; and her MS and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

She joined UConn’s CoE in 2018 following a one-year appointment as a postdoctoral scholar at MIT. Since then, she’s led a multi-disciplinary research program funded by NIH and NSF, among other sources, and is a recipient of various awards including the NSF Career Award, the University of Connecticut Excellence in Research and Creativity Early Career Award, the InCHIP Junior Faculty Research Excellence Award, and Mara H. Wasburn Early Engineering Educator Award. She also has co-authored more than 40 articles published in peer-reviewed journals.

The Eshelby Mechanics Award was established in 2012 in memory of Professor John Douglas Eshelby to promote the field of mechanics among young researchers.

Nominees must be in a tenured or tenure-track faculty position or an independent researcher in a national laboratory and not have reached their 41st birthday.

Tarakanova will receive a commemorative plaque and a $1,500 cash award during ASME’s International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in November. More information about the award is online here.