Jeffrey Coles
CBTE Fellow 2006-2008
picture coming soon...
Research Interests
I am studying tribology (friction, lubrication, and wear) of articular joints. Currently, this involves using colloidal probe microscopy, a modified atomic force microscopy technique, to measure properties on knockout mice. Specifically, we are looking at the role of lubricin, a boundary lubricating glycoprotein present in synovial fluid.
Outside Interests
Basketball, foosball, pistachio ice cream with caramel syrup and crunched-up double-stuff oreos, scrabble, snowboarding, spiritually uplifting reading material.
Quote of Interest
When asked what had attracted him to Duke for graduate work, Jeff said that he had been very impressed after visiting the campus and talking with Professor Stefan Zauscher. Duke appeared to be a place where he could be productive doing work he enjoyed and it had available all the resources he would need. In addition, during all his graduate school visits, he employed his "smile" test -- smiling at random people and keeping track of what percentage smiled back - and discovered that Duke had the happiest people of any campus he visited. One year later, he says, he definitely feels like he made the right decision in coming to Duke.
Jeff lived in Indonesia from age 11 to 17 and speaks fluent Indonesian. Home-schooled during his high-school years, he pursued his undergraduate education back in his home state of New York. At SUNY Buffalo, Jeff majored in mechanical engineering and minored in biology and gained valuable experience working in a research lab, making model aneurysms and studying biomaterials.
Here at Duke, Jeff is working on a project studying friction and lubrication of articular cartilage, a study which may lead to advances in osteoarthritis treatment. The research area could best be classified as biotribology. Tribology is the subset of mechanics that deals with friction, wear, and lubrication of interacting surfaces in motion. Those processes are in this case being looked at in a biological system.
While engineering, Jeff says, provides a certain logical paradigm that he values, he is more motivated by learning the science behind engineering applications. He also values graduate study as enhancing his ability to think critically and scientifically, and his ability to present information in a useful way. He has enjoyed teaching in the past and may pursue an academic career. It is important to him to be in an environment with the freedom to explore and pursue answers to life's unknowns.