Associate Professor


M.S., Ph.D.

Office Address
Room 2-507, 5/F, Block 2, To Yuen Building, 31 To Yuen Street, City University of Hong Kong

Office Tel
+852 3442-4020

Email
mndean@cityu.edu.hk

Biography URL
CityU Scholars


Biography
Research & Teaching Interests
Selected Recent Publications
Mason Dean is a marine biologist, zoologist and anatomist, studying skeletal development, structure and function in vertebrate animals, but with a particular focus on (and affection for) sharks and rays.
In addition to his work at CityU, he is a Guest Scientist at in the Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (where he led a research workgroup prior to moving to Hong Kong) and an Associate Investigator in the Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin’s Excellence Cluster ‘Matters of Activity’, collaborating with designers, engineers and architects to study anatomy. His work on “form-function” relationships in animal skeletons allows him to combine Zoology and Comparative Anatomy with illustration and 3D digital visualization.



Mechanics and structural properties of biological materials, especially of skeletal tissues
Functional anatomy/morphology and evolution of feeding in vertebrates, particularly fishes
Collaborative multi-disciplinary approaches integrating science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics
Linking science, hands-on experience, and digital technology for teaching and presentation


(? = student first author)
Amini S, H Razi, R Seidel, D Werner, WT White, JC Weaver,?MN Dean?& P Fratzl (2020) Shape-preserving erosion controlled by the graded microarchitecture of shark tooth enameloid.?Nature?Communications. 11: 5971. (doi:?10.1038/s41467-020-19739-0)
Seidel R, Blumer M, Chaumel J, Amini S &?MN Dean?(2020) Endoskeletal mineralization in chimaera –?a comparative guide to tessellated cartilage in chondrichthyan fishes (sharks, rays and chimaera).?Journal of the Royal Society?Interface. 17: 20200474.?(doi: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0474)
?Jayasankar AK, R Seidel, A?Hosny, JC Weaver, P Fratzl, J Chen &?MN Dean?(2020) Multi-scale modeling and mechanical performance?characterization of stingray skeleton-inspired tessellations.?Journal of the Mechanics & Physics?of Solids. 138: 103906.?(doi: 10.1016/j.jmps.2020.103906)
?Chaumel?J,??M Schotte, J Bizzarro, P?Zaslansky, P Fratzl, D Baum &?MN Dean?(2020)?Co-aligned?chondrocytes: Zonal morphological variation and structured arrangement of cell?lacunae in tessellated cartilage.?Bone.?134:?115264.?(doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115264)
?Connors M,??T Yang, Z Deng, A Hosny, Z Deng, F?Yazdandoost, H Massaadi, D Eernisse, R Mirzaeifar,?MN Dean, JC Weaver, C Ortiz & L Li (2019) Biologically-inspired?lessons from chiton scales for the design of flexible armors.?Nature Communications. 10: 5413.?(doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13215-0)