Dr Juntong Lai (he/him)

School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

Research Associate

Research Associate in Computational Biomechanics

Photo Juntong Lai
Profile picture of Photo Juntong Lai
juntong.lai@sheffield.ac.uk

Full contact details

Dr Juntong Lai
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Pam Liversidge Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

Juntong Lai is a Research Associate in Computational Biomechanics in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at the University of Sheffield. He completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield in 2026, fully funded by a UKRI EPSRC studentship.

He is currently working on METASTRA, a Horizon Europe project developing robust computational tools for fracture-risk stratification and personalised treatment planning in patients with vertebral metastases. His work contributes to the construction and validation of computational spine models that integrate clinical imaging, mechanical characterisation and numerical simulation to support improved assessment of vertebral fracture risk and treatment decision-making.

Research interests

Juntong’s research focuses on the development and validation of computational models for musculoskeletal disease, with particular emphasis on patient-specific modelling, finite element analysis, image-based biomechanics and mechanistic modelling of tissue degeneration.

His wider research background spans computational biomechanics of the spine and systemic disease across different scales. His doctoral research investigated adiposity-associated mechanisms in osteoarthritis using mathematical and computational modelling approaches.

Publications

Journal articles

Software, code or databases

Research group

Integrative Musculo-Skeletal Biomechanics Research (IMSB) Group

Professional activities and memberships

- Member of Insigneo Early Career Researcher (ECR) Committee
- Member of the Young Scientists Committee (YSC) at Virtual Physiological Human Institute