Mechanical Engineer

OBJECTIVE

To obtain an engineering position in the medical device industry, preferably with an emphasis on implant/device testing, research or development.

EXPERIENCE

Research Scientist 2011-Present

Equinext L.L.C./Orthopeutics L.P., Lexington, KY

Supervisor: Thomas Hedman PhD

•Gained experience in researching, developing and implementing mechanical testing methods of soft tissues

•Worked with neurosurgeons and veterinarians to solve clinical issues seen in the human spine and in equine tendons

•Developed testing methodologies, carried out studies, and conducted analysis to determine optimum clinical delivery parameters of an exogenous collagen cross-linking reagent into the porcine and human spinal disc in-vitro and in-situ.

•Developed mechanical testing protocols, carried out studies, and conducted analysis regarding the effects of injectable exogenous collagen cross-linking reagent in equine tendons in-vitro

•Developed device for measuring and recording forces applied to the plunger of a syringe during injection

Senior Research Engineer I 2010-2011

Zimmer Holdings Inc., Warsaw, IN

Supervisor: Fred Wentorf PhD

•Developed protocols, oversaw tests and wrote test reports for new orthopedic implant designs for FDA submission

•Co-developed novel method of physically testing six degree of freedom kinematics of cadaveric joints both with and without orthopedic device implantation

•Participated in design review meetings as the research team member

•Worked with hydraulic, pneumatic and robotic testing systems

Graduate Research Assistant 2005-2009

Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Faculty Advisor: David Pienkowski PhD, MBA

•Designed an implant for stabilizing the proximal and distal interphalangeal joint, allowing for faster bony ingrowth

•Worked closely with surgeons to help solve relevant clinical issues

•Created 3D reconstructions of bones using MRI scans

•Worked with cadavers to obtain anatomic and kinematic data

•Learned to acquire kinematic data through the use of electromagnetic tracking systems and reflective marker systems

•Gained knowledge on hydraulic mechanical testing devices and ran fatigue and compression tests on various orthopedic implants and materials

•Obtained electromyographic data on forearm muscles for use in biomechanical modeling

Graduate Research Assistant 2003-2005

Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Faculty Advisor: Richard D. Komistek, PhD

•Designed and made mechanical fixtures for biomechanical vibration testing

•Created a data acquisition system to acquire 16 channels of vibration data to a computer at a rate of 20,000 Hz

•Created a 3-D mathematical model of hip joint reaction forces

•Learned 3-D biomechanic analysis through a method involving overlaying a 3-D CAD model over a series of 2-D fluoroscopic images

•Repaired, set-up and used 3-D force plate for biomechanical analysis

•Trained on how to use a Stratasys FDM prototype machine. Became responsible for showing all lab personnel how to create prototypes of laser scanned or segmentally reconstructed bones

•Obtained extensive knowledge of digital data acquisition, filtering and processing through the use of Matlab

•Coordinated fluoroscopy studies used for biomechanical gait and motion analysis.

Biomechanical Engineering Co-op Student 1999-2001 (Alternating Semesters)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control, Morgantown, WV

Supervisor: Renguang Dong, PhD

•Physically set up and organized brand new ergonomic vibrations lab

•Set up and learned how to use many new pieces of equipment in the vibrations lab such as scanning laser vibrometer, accelerometer calibrator, 700 lb programmable shaker, Qualysis 3-D motion capture system

•Learned basics of ergonomic vibration and impact testing

•Collected field vibration data and aided in preliminary data analysis

SKILLS

Matlab, Autolev (3-d dynamic modeling software using Kane’s method of dynamics), Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign, Basic HTML, Basic Fortran, Basic Labview Mechanical Desktop, Inventor, Autocad, ProEngineer, all Microsoft Office programs, Sigmascan, Tablecurve, Finite Element Analysis (Abaqus and Ansys), Mechanical Testing (Instron,MTS, and TestResources), Orthotrak and Visual 3D (used for kinematic analysis in skin marker studies), KUKA Robot Language, KUKA 6 degree of freedom robot, Basic Unigraphics

EDUCATION

•Doctor of Philosophy: Biomedical Engineering

University of Kentucky December 2011

Dissertation Title: Distal Radioulnar Joint Biomechanics and Forearm Muscle Activity

•Master of Science: Mechanical Engineering

University of Tennessee August 2005

Thesis Title: Clinical Significance of Hip Separation in Metal on Polyethylene, Metal on Metal, and Ceramic on Ceramic Total Hip Arthroplasty Due to Resonant and Energy Dispersion Effects

•Bachelor of Science: Biomedical Engineering

University of Tennessee May 2003

Senior design project involved developing a pneumatic device to offset and neutralize vibrations from power tools in order to minimize the effects of hand-arm vibration

HONORS

•January 2011– Podium Presentation: 57th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society

•August 2009 – Podium Presentation: 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics

•February 2009 – Podium Presentation: 55th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society

•March 2008 – Won Best Poster Award in Hand and Wrist Category: 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

•October 2007 – Podium Presentation: Orthopaedic Research Society 6th Combined Meeting

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS/ABSTRACTS

•Determination of the Distal-Radio-ulnar Joint Reaction Forces Using Cadaver and EMG Data.

Bader, J.S., Boland, M.R., Uhl, T., Nitz, A. and D. Pienkowski, Podium Presentation at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Long Beach, California, January 2011.

•The Influence of Fifteen Muscles on Distal Radioulnar Joint Loading: A Biomechanical Model.

Bader, J.S., Boland, M.R., Rishmawi, H., Uhl, T., and D. Pienkowski, Podium Presentation at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Las Vegas, Nevada, February 2009.

•The Protective Effect of Brachioradialis on the Distal Radioulnar Joint.

Boland, M.R., Bader, J.S., Spigelman, T., Royalty, R., Pienkowski, D., and T. Uhl, Podium Presentation at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Chicago, Illinois, September 2008.

•Determination of Joint Reaction Forces in the Distal Radioulnar Joint Using Maximal Muscle Forces.

Boland, M.R., Bader, J.S., Royalty, R., Uhl, T., and D. Pienkowski, Podium Presentation at the 75th Annual Meeting of the AAOS, San Francisco, California, March 2008.

•The Relationship Between Muscle Length and Function in the Forearm During Pronsupination.

Boland, M.R., Bader, J.S., Royalty, R., Uhl, T., and D. Pienkowski, Poster Presentation at the 75th Annual Meeting of the AAOS, San Francisco, California, March 2008.

•Joint Reaction Forces in the Distal Radioulnar Joint Using Maximal Muscle Forces: A Biomechanical Model.

Bader, J.S., Boland, M.R., Royalty, R., Uhl, T. and D. Pienkowski, Podium Presentation at the Orthopaedic Research Society 6th Combined Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2007.

•Joint Reaction Force in the Distal Radioulnar Joint during Pronosupination: A Biomechanical Study.

Boland M.R., Bader J.S., Royalty, R., Uhl T., and D. Pienkowski, Poster Presentation at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Seattle, Washington, 2007.

•Clinical Significance of Hip Separation in Metal on Polyethylene, Metal on Metal, and Ceramic on Ceramic THA Due to Resonant Energy and Dispersion Effects.

Bader J.S., Komistek R.D., Wasserman J.F, and B.D. Haas. Poster Presentation at the 51st Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Washington D.C., 2005.

•An Accurate Method for Measuring the Exposure Duration of Hand-transmitted Vibration.

Dong R.G., Bader J.S., Welcome D., Rakheja S., and A.W. Schopper. Presented at the 36th UK Group Conference on Human Response to Vibration, Farnborough, U.K., 2001.

Complete List Available Upon Request

CERTIFICATIONS

Engineer in Training, State of Tennessee (Certificate #:22872)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

•American Society of Mechanical Engineers

•Biomedical Engineering Society – UK Chapter Treasurer 2006-2007

•Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers

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