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
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
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: