M. Ben Christensen

M. Ben Christensen, MSci, PhD

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Surgery , Adjunct - Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery

Divisions: Urology

Academic Office Information

ben.christensen@utah.edu

M. Ben Christensen, PhD Biomedical Engineer and Research Scientist | Fibrosis, Inflammation, Genomics, and Translational Urologic Research

M. Ben Christensen, PhD, is a biomedical engineer and translational scientist specializing in fibrosis, inflammation, genomics, and disease mechanisms. His research integrates population-level data, genomic analysis, and tissue-level molecular profiling to identify the biological drivers of disease and inform the development of targeted therapies. His work has helped define genetic and familial contributions to fibrotic disease risk and is advancing understanding of how genomic and epigenetic changes contribute to disease progression.

Dr. Christensen is a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Urology, Department of Surgery at the University of Utah and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. His research bridges urology, otolaryngology, genomics, and biomedical engineering to address complex diseases characterized by chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and tissue remodeling.

Research Expertise

Dr. Christensen's research focuses on:

  • Fibrosis and chronic inflammatory disease

  • Genomics and epigenetics

  • Translational urologic research

  • Peyronie’s disease

  • Dupuytren’s disease

  • Idiopathic subglottic stenosis

  • Airway inflammation and injury

  • Vocal fold paralysis and nerve injury

  • Tissue remodeling and wound healing

  • Population health and familial disease risk

  • Biomaterials and medical device biocompatibility

His work combines molecular biology, bioinformatics, tissue analysis, and large-scale population databases to better understand disease mechanisms and identify opportunities for earlier diagnosis and targeted intervention.

Education and Training

Dr. Christensen earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University. He subsequently completed both his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah.

Prior to his current appointment, his research focused on the foreign body response to implanted neural devices and neuroprosthetic technologies, helping advance understanding of the biological interactions between medical devices and human tissue.

Professional Experience

Dr. Christensen serves as a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Urology at the University of Utah and collaborates extensively with investigators across multiple disciplines, including urology, otolaryngology, biomedical engineering, and regenerative medicine.

His research program supports both laboratory-based and clinical investigations aimed at improving outcomes for patients with fibrotic diseases and disorders affecting the genitourinary tract, airway, and vocal folds.

Research and Academic Interests

Dr. Christensen has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications spanning fibrosis, genomics, biomaterials, tissue engineering, nerve injury, and translational medicine. His recent work has focused on:

  • Genetic and familial risk factors for Peyronie’s disease and urethral stricture disease

  • Epigenetic changes associated with fibrotic disorders

  • Molecular mechanisms of inflammation and fibrosis

  • Vocal fold injury and regeneration

  • Airway effects of inhaled corticosteroid therapies

  • Tissue responses to implanted medical devices

His research has contributed to a growing understanding of how inherited risk, environmental exposures, and molecular signaling pathways interact to drive chronic disease.

Professional Service and Scholarly Contributions

Dr. Christensen is an active contributor to the scientific community through collaborative research, peer-reviewed publications, and interdisciplinary partnerships. His work has informed advances in both basic science and clinical research and has supported the development of new approaches to understanding fibrosis, tissue repair, and disease progression.

Personal Interests

Outside of research, Dr. Christensen enjoys running in the mountains and traveling.

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Lozano LP, Volk MJ, Miller CD, Berg JE, Allamargot C, Schlaepfer CH, Kurtzman JT, Christensen MB, Myers JB, Hertz AM, Swanton AR, Tucker BA, Erickson BA (2026). Validation and Testing of an In Vitro Model to Study Medical Treatments for Anterior Urethral Stricture Disease: Assessing the Potential Efficacy of Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibition and Testosterone. Urology.
  2. Schlaepfer CH, Ramsay JM, Myers JB, Christensen MB, Hotaling JM, Woodle T, Lozano LP, Erickson BA, Kurtzman JT (2026). Environmental hazards and the risk of development of idiopathic urethral strictures. Transl Androl Urol, 15(7), 233.
  3. Schardein J, Moore J, Olson B, Kaufmann S, Jimbo M, Gross K, Parks S, Jenkins T, Pastuszak AW, Hotaling JM, Christensen MB (2025). Epigenetic differences in non-plaque tissues of men with Peyronie’s Disease. J Sex Med, 22(11), 2043-51.
  4. Titze IR, Christensen MB, Tresco PA (2025). Early fiber development in human vocal folds: An in vitro pilot study. JASA Express Lett, 5(7).
  5. Hebert KJ, Horns JJ, Paudel N, Erickson BA, Grimes M, Christensen MB, Ramsay J, McCormick BJ, Hotaling J, Myers JB (2025). Familial associated idiopathic Urethral Stricture Disease: An assessment using pedigree data from the Utah Population Database. Urology, 201, 125-31.
  6. Pierce JL, Olson B, Merrill RM, Pierce J, Isom A, Torrecillas V, McCrary H, Aylward A, Smith ME, Christensen MB (2025). Amniotic fluid as a potential treatment for vocal fold scar in a rabbit model. J Voice.
  7. Nolta NF, Christensen MB, Tresco PA (2024). Advanced age is not a barrier to chronic intracortical single-unit recording in rat cortex. Front Neurosci, 18, 1389556.
  8. Vasas NC, Forrest AM, Myers NA, Christensen MB, Pierce JL, Kaufmann SM, Lanaghen KB, Paniello RC, Barkmeier-Kraemer JM, Vande Geest JP (2024). A finite element model for biomechanical characterization of ex vivo peripheral nerve dysfunction during stretch. Physiol Rep, 12(21).
  9. Tanner K, Robison HJ, Stevens ME, Merrill RM, Dromey C, Barkmeier-Kraemer J, Christensen MB (2023). Corticosteroid-LABA inhalers increase phonation threshold pressure (PTP) and flow (PTF) in rabbits. Laryngoscope, 133(10), 2680-6.
  10. Kollech HG, Chao MR, Stark AC, German RZ, Paniello RC, Christensen MB, Barkmeier-Kraemer JM, Vande Geest JP (2022). Extracellular matrix deformations of the porcine recurrent laryngeal nerve in response to hydrostatic pressure. Acta Biomater, 153, 364-73.
  11. Allen-Brady KL, Christensen MB, Sandberg AD, Pastuszak AW (2022). Significant familial clustering of Peyronie's disease in close and distant relatives. Andrology, 10(7), 1361-7.
  12. King RE, Lau HK, Zhang H, Sidhu I, Christensen MB, Fowler EW, Li L, Jia X, Kiick KL, Thibeault SL (2019). Biocompatibility and Viscoelastic Properties of Injectable Resilin-Like Polypeptide and Hyaluronan Hybrid Hydrogels in Rabbit Vocal Folds. Regen Eng Transl Med, 5(4), 373-386.
  13. Chao MR, Howe KA, Pierce JL, Stark AC, Smith ME, Christensen MB (2020). Morphometric Differences in the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve in Patients with Vocal Fold Paralysis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 129(1), 32-8.
  14. Christensen MB, Tresco PA (2018). The foreign body response and morphometric changes associated with mesh-style peripheral nerve cuffs. Acta Biomater, 67, 79-86.
  15. Woo JH, King SN, Hoffman H, Dailey S, Wang S, Christensen MB, Thibeault SL (2016). MERS versus Standard Surgical Approaches for Porcine Vocal Fold Scarring with Adipose Stem Cell Constructs. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 155(4), 612-23.
  16. Bartlett RS, Guille JT, Chen X, Christensen MB, Wang SF, Thibeault SL (2016). Mesenchymal stromal cell injection promotes vocal fold scar repair without long-term engraftment. Cytotherapy, 18(10), 1284-96.
  17. Christensen MB, Wark HA, Hutchinson DT (2016). A histological analysis of human median and ulnar nerves following implantation of Utah slanted electrode arrays. Biomaterials, 77, 235-42.
  18. Christensen MB, Wolchok JC, Klemuk SA, Titze IR (2015). Development of a bilayer ring system for achieving high strain in commercial rheometers. J Biomech, 48(12), 3512-6.
  19. Christensen MB, Tresco PA (2015). Differences Exist in the Left and Right Sciatic Nerves of Naïve Rats and Cats. Anat Rec (Hoboken), 298(8), 1492-501.
  20. Christensen MB, Oberg K, Wolchok JC (2015). Tensile properties of the rectal and sigmoid colon: a comparative analysis of human and porcine tissue. Springerplus, 4(142), 142.
  21. Nolta NF, Christensen MB, Crane PD, Skousen JL, Tresco PA (2015). BBB leakage, astrogliosis, and tissue loss correlate with silicon microelectrode array recording performance. Biomaterials, 53, 753-62.
  22. Christensen MB, Pearce SM, Ledbetter NM, Warren DJ, Clark GA, Tresco PA (2014). The foreign body response to the Utah Slant Electrode Array in the cat sciatic nerve. Acta Biomater, 10(11), 4650-4660.
  23. Mathews KS, Wark HA, Warren DJ, Christensen MB, Nolta NF, Cartwright PC, Normann RA (2014). Acute monitoring of genitourinary function using intrafascicular electrodes: selective pudendal nerve activity corresponding to bladder filling, bladder fullness, and genital stimulation. Urology, 84(3), 722-9.
  24. Wark HA, Sharma R, Mathews KS, Fernandez E, Yoo J, Christensen B, Tresco P, Rieth L, Solzbacher F, Normann RA, Tathireddy P (2013). A new high-density (25 electrodes/mm²) penetrating microelectrode array for recording and stimulating sub-millimeter neuroanatomical structures. J Neural Eng, 10(4), 045003.
  25. Winslow BD, Christensen MB, Yang WK, Solzbacher F, Tresco PA (2010). A comparison of the tissue response to chronically implanted Parylene-C-coated and uncoated planar silicon microelectrode arrays in rat cortex. Biomaterials, 31(35), 9163-72.
  26. Choi SI, Christensen MB, Fredin N, Pitt WG (2005). Swellable coatings for hearing aid applications. J Biomater Appl, 20(2), 123-35.

Review

  1. Adam JA, Pastuszak AW, Christensen MB, Spencer R, Sandberg A, Hotaling JM, Lipshultz LI (2023). Occurrence of pulmonary oil microembolism (POME) with intramuscular testosterone undecanoate injection: literature review. [Review]. Int J Impot Res, 35(5), 439-46.
  2. Twitchell DK, Christensen MB, Hackett G, Morgentaler A, Saad F, Pastuszak AW (2022). Examining Male Predominance of Severe COVID-19 Outcomes: A Systematic Review. [Review]. Androg Clin Res Ther, 3(1), 41-53.
  3. Patel DP, Christensen MB, Hotaling JM, Pastuszak AW (2020). Erectile Dysfunction and Peyronie's Disease: Genetic Diseases? [Review]. Eur Urol Focus, 6(3), 572-4.
  4. Patel DP, Christensen MB, Hotaling JM, Pastuszak AW (2020). A review of inflammation and fibrosis: implications for the pathogenesis of Peyronie's disease. [Review]. World J Urol, 38(2), 253-61.

Editorial

  1. Christensen MB, Cui XT, Rieth L, Warren DJ (2024). Editorial: Biocompatibility of implanted devices, modulation, and repair in the nervous system.