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Robin Pourzal, PhD

Robin Pourzal
Director of Implant Materials Analysis
Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, RUSH Medical College
Adjunct Professor, Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago
Education

MS (Dipl.-Ing.) in Mechanical Engineering, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
PhD (Dr.-Ing.) in Material Science and Engineering, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany

Research Areas

Retrieval analysis, wear and corrosion behavior of implant materials, failure analysis, analysis of implant debris, wear particle dissemination to remote organs, infrared spectroscopic imaging (FTIRI) for the characterization of chemical changes within periprosthetic and remote organ tissues in response to implant debris, implant alloy metallurgy

Contact Info:

1611 W. Harrison Street
Suite 204
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (312) 942-7270
Robin_Pourzal@rush.edu
Links:
Biography

Robin A. Pourzal, PhD, is an assistant professor and Director of Implant Materials Analysis in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. He received his Dipl.-Ing. (Master’s equivalent) degree in mechanical engineering as well as his PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Duisburg, Germany. He conducted two postdoctoral fellowships at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush where he is now. He also holds an adjunct faculty position at the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research focus lies on the performance of orthopedic implant materials, and local and remote tissue reactions to implant debris. He is active in the Biocompatibility and Implant Pathology Laboratory, as well as the Tribology Laboratory. His research activities leverage the use of high-resolution tools for the characterization of materials and the availability of retrieved implants and tissues. Research highlights include:

  • Wear and corrosion modes in modular total joint replacements: including hip, knee, shoulder, and ankle replacements
  • Dissemination of wear particles and corrosion products and potential systemic effects
  • Implant alloy metallurgy: characterization of the implant alloy microstructure and its implications on wear, corrosion, fatigue, and osseointegration
  • Histopathological analysis of musculoskeletal tissues supported by clinical spectroscopy including infrared spectroscopic imaging and Raman spectroscopy
  • Implant retrieval analysis
Honors and Activities
  • 2019: Co-author on the “William H. Harris, MD Award” awarded by the Orthopedic Research Society (ORS) (first author: Divya Bijukumar)
  • 2018: Recipient of a Cohn Fellowship awarded by the Mentoring office at Rush University Medical Center
  • 2018: Best Poster Award at the Rush Research Mentoring Program Symposium
  • 2016: Best Abstract Award at the Rush Research Mentoring Program Symposium
  • 2009: Tahio Young Tribologist Encouraging Award, World Tribology Congress 2009, Kyoto, Japan
  • 2009: Best Presentation Award at the World Tribology Congress 2009, Kyoto, Japan
  • 2009: Peter Blau Award at the Wear of Materials conference, Las Vegas, NV (co-author)
  • 2005: Research scholar sponsored by Initiativkreis Ruhrgebiet (Germany)
Publications

View complete list of publications for Robin A. Pourzal here

 

 

Grants
  • NIH/3R01AR070181-05S1, Title: Dissemination of metallic implant debris to the brain and implications on Alzheimer’s disease, Co-Principal Investigator (PIs: Pourzal, Hallab)
  • NIH/NIAMS R01 AR070181, Title: Corrosion Induced Hip Implant Failure: Synergistic Interaction of Patient, Material, Design, and Surgical Factors, Co-Principal Investigator (PIs: Hannah J. Lundberg, PhD, Mathew T. Mathew, PhD, Robin Pourzal, PhD)
  • Academy of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Pilot Grant, Title: “Periprosthetic tissue response to wear and corrosion debris from total shoulder arthroplasties”, Co-Investigator (PI: Grant Garrigues, MD)
  • NIH/NIBIB R21 EB024039, Title: Determination of excessive immune reactivity to real time implant debris, Co-Investigator (PIs: Markus A. Wimmer. PhD, Nadim J. Hallab, PhD)
  • Cohn Family foundation/ Rush Mentoring office, Title: Spectroscopic Imaging of Periprosthetic and Remote Organ Tissue of Joint Replacement Patients, Principal Investigator
  • Rush Translational Science Consortium (RTSC) Pilot Grant, Title: Corrosion in modular hip implants: Identifying the ideal alloy microstructure, Principal Investigator