Megan Routzong, Ph.D. Titles and Appointments Assistant Professor Schools Medical School | Graduate School Departments Biomedical Engineering | Obstetrics and Gynecology Graduate Programs Biomedical Engineering Biography Dr. Megan Routzong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UT Southwestern Medical Center with a secondary appointment in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Education & Training 2016, B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester 2021, Ph.D. in Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh 2021-2025, Postdoctoral Training in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego Dr. Routzong earned her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 2016 and her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021, where she received an NSF GRFP to quantify the morphology and mechanical properties of female human pelvic tissues to improve computational simulations of the maternal pelvic floor during vaginal childbirth. In 2025, she completed her postdoctoral training in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Diego, where she received an NIH K99/R00 award to study pregnancy-induced alterations in the cellular and mechanical behavior of pelvic floor skeletal muscles. Current Research Dr. Routzong's lab integrates computational and experimental approaches at multiple biological scales to study the biomechanics and mechanobiology of musculoskeletal tissues, with a focus on female pelvic tissues during pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnancy induces changes that have been shown to protect soft tissues against stretch-induced injury. Thus, modeling the biomechanics of vaginal childbirth requires understanding the structure and function of maternal tissues in late pregnancy. Current research in the lab aim to address this by developing computational models of the pelvic floor muscles that can simulate changes in structure and function throughout pregnancy and validating those models with in vitro and ex vivo experiments. Research Interest Biomechanics Childbirth Computational Modeling Mechanobiology Pelvic Floor Muscles Pregnancy Publications Featured Publications Passive Mechanical Testing of Female Human Levator Ani and Superficial Perineal Muscles. Routzong MR, Dubik J, De Vita R, Alperin M, Moalli PA, Abramowitch SD, Ann Biomed Eng 2026 Apr Sexual Dimorphism in the Architectural Design of Rat and Human Pelvic Floor Muscles. Routzong MR, Rieger MM, Cook MS, Ukkan R, Alperin M, J Biomech Eng 2024 Oct 146 10 Morphological Variation in the Pelvic Floor Muscle Complex of Nulliparous, Pregnant, and Parous Women. Routzong MR, Moalli PA, Rostaminia G, Abramowitch SD, Ann Biomed Eng 2023 Jul 51 7 1461-1470 Pelvic floor shape variations during pregnancy and after vaginal delivery. Routzong MR, Rostaminia G, Moalli PA, Abramowitch SD, Comput Methods Programs Biomed 2020 Oct 194 105516 Novel simulations to determine the impact of superficial perineal structures on vaginal delivery. Routzong MR, Moalli PA, Maiti S, De Vita R, Abramowitch SD, Interface Focus 2019 Aug 9 4 20190011 Bupivacaine-Induced Regeneration in Rabbit Extraocular Muscles: Implications for the Treatment of Strabismus. Rudell JC, Liang A, Bhavaraju V, Jung C, Chan K, Routzong MR, Granet DB, McLoon LK, Alperin M, Ophthalmol Sci 2026 Jul 6 7 101220 Extraocular muscle volume reduction in a patient treated with two courses of teprotumumab for thyroid eye disease. Richkind H, Shoji MK, Routzong M, Granet D, Kikkawa DO, Rudell JC, Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep 2026 Mar 41 102490 Differential change in extraocular muscle volume after teprotumumab for thyroid eye disease. Richkind H, Shoji MK, Walker E, Routzong MR, Kikkawa DO, Granet D, Rudell J, Orbit 2025 Oct 1-9 Improving radiological quantification of levator hiatus features with measures informed by statistical shape modeling. Vargo VS, Routzong MR, Moalli PA, Rostaminia G, Abramowitch SD, J Med Imaging (Bellingham) 2024 Jul 11 4 045001 Sacrum and Coccyx Shape Changes During Pregnancy and After Delivery. Martin LC, Routzong MR, Moalli PA, Rostaminia G, Abramowitch SD, Ann Biomed Eng 2024 Feb 52 2 292-301 Results 1-10 of 16 1 2 Next Last Honors & Awards National Institutes of Health Pathway to Independence Award (NIH K99/R00) (2024) National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional NSRA Service Award (NIH T32) (2022-2023) National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) Fellowship (2018-2021)
