Joseph Orgel

Joseph Orgel is a Professor of Biology and Biomedical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), with affiliate appointments in the Stuart School of Business. He holds roles as Associate Director of the NIH-funded BioCAT facility and Sector Editor for PLoS ONE. His research focuses on structural biochemistry, collagen mechanics, and pathological tissue mechanisms, with collaborations on Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and heart disease. He leads the Orgel Lab, employing advanced techniques like X-ray diffraction and molecular modeling to study extracellular matrix (ECM) organization.

Education: B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D. from the University of Stirling. Professional affiliations include the American Chemical Society, American Society for Matrix Biology, and National Museum of Health and Medicine (Chicago Board Member). Awards include NSF CAREER (2007), Coleman Foundation Fellowships (2015-2019), and Dean’s Excellence Awards (2006, 2010).

Research emphasizes collagen’s role in disease and regeneration, with recent work on nanoscale tissue visualization (sub-1 nm resolution), immune interactions with collagen fibrils, and mechanical loading effects. His lab’s interdisciplinary approach integrates biophysics, biochemistry, and computational modeling.

Publications span over 60 peer-reviewed articles in journals like International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Scientific Reports, and PLoS ONE, focusing on collagen structure-function relationships, amyloid fibril formation, and ECM dynamics. He also contributes to education initiatives, including the IIT Empowerment, Leadership, and Mentorship (ELM) Program.