Connor Leek, PhD

Is a biomedical engineer who previously used mouse models to study how cell signaling from muscle and tendon influences bone shape during development. His research focused on muscle-bone crosstalk and how these tissues communicate via ligands and mechanical force. Connor is an expert in histology, transgenic mouse models, and image processing. Before joining the lab of Dr.Lingappan at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Connor worked as a visiting scholar at the University of Michigan. He earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical engineering at the University of Delaware and received BS in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in mathematics at the University of Buffalo. As an undergraduate, he worked at a structural engineering firm and a prosthetics clinic.

Connor was born on Long Island, New York. He saw the necessity of putting his effort into everything he did. He served as a lab technician at his high school, which required getting to school an hour early. After school, he kept active through crew during the spring, summer, and fall and competitive swimming in the winter. He worked to earn what he could for his education and used his spare time to develop his art skills. He now spends his free time drawing, cooking, and exploring Philadelphia by running.