Brooke Tornifoglio

Affiliation(s):
Trinity College Dublin

Research interests:

• Reproductive Tissue
• Breast Tissue
• Endometriosis
• Microstructure
• Mechanics
• Imaging

Dr Brooke Tornifoglio is an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Principal Investigator at the Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, where she also serves as Deputy Director. Her research combines biomechanics, extracellular matrix biology and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to understand how tissue microstructure governs mechanical function in health and disease.

Brooke completed a BSc in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut, an MSc in Bioengineering, and a PhD in Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering at Trinity College Dublin. Over the past decade, she has established expertise in tissue biomechanics, quantitative imaging and soft tissue characterisation, publishing pioneering work linking MRI-derived biomarkers to collagen, elastin and tissue architecture. 

Brooke brings expertise in women's health mechanobiology, biomedical imaging and interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, medicine and clinical practice. Her current research focuses on the biomechanics of female reproductive tissues and breast tissue, seeking to uncover how tissue structure enables adaptation throughout life. She leads projects spanning women's health, cancer research and medical technology innovation, working closely with clinicians, radiologists, obstetricians and gynaecologists. Through this work, Brooke aims to address longstanding knowledge gaps in women's health and support the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that improve outcomes for women.

Publications

Diffusion tensor imaging and arterial tissue: establishing the influence of arterial tissue microstructure on fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity and tractography. Tornifoglio, B., Stone A.J., Johnston R.D., Shahid S.S., Kerskens C., Lally C. Scientific Reports 10(1), 20718 (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77675-x.

Microstructural and mechanical insight into atherosclerotic plaques: an ex vivo DTI study to better assess plaque vulnerability. Tornifoglio, B., Johnston, R.D., Stone, A.J. Kerskens, C., Lally, C. Biomechanics and Modelling in Mechanobiology 22: 1515-1530 (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s10237-022-01671-5.

Quantitative susceptibility mapping of the human carotid artery: Assessing sensitivity to elastin and collagen ex vivo. Stone A.J.*, Tornifoglio B.*, Digeronimo, F., Shmueli, K., Lally, C. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 94(2):771-784 (2025). DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30500. 

Measuring Vascular Graft Cellularity Non-Destructively: Merging Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Tissue Engineering. Tornifoglio, B., Stone, A.J., Mathieu, P., Fitzpatrick, E., Kerskens, C., Lally, C. Advanced Materials Technologies 9(1):2301205 (2024)

PubMed Profile
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Tornifoglio+B&cauthor_id=40912026

ORCID Profile
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4359-9012