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Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, 2018
  • M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, 2016
  • B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, 2013
Professional Honors
  • Cornell Biomedical Engineering Teaching Assistant of the Year, 2018
  • Cornell Three Minute Thesis Competition Runner-up, 2018
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Testing and Materials: F04 Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices
  • Orthopaedic Research Society
  • Biomedical Engineering Society

Dr. Holyoak specializes in preclinical assessments, regulatory compliance, and postoperative performance of medical devices. His primary focus is the biomechanical interaction between medical devices and surrounding tissue, particularly in the spine and joints. Dr. Holyoak leads biomechanical evaluations of medical devices and ex vivo tissue specimens, using custom setups on electromechanical and servohydraulic mechanical test systems. He performs MRI compatibility assessments of medical devices using ASTM and ISO standards. Dr. Holyoak assesses wear debris and particulate generation with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). He also manages and assists failure analyses and legal matters involving medical device product liability and intellectual property. Professionally, Dr. Holyoak contributes to ASTM standards development for shoulder arthroplasty and MRI compatibility test methods.

Prior to joining Ä¢¹½tv, Dr. Holyoak obtained his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University where he developed and tested novel approaches to treat osteoarthritis. Specifically, he applied novel loading regimens to attenuate the progression of osteoarthritis in animal models. He designed, fabricated, and tested synthetic hydrogel systems for intra-articular drug delivery. Dr. Holyoak was a key contributor to preclinical studies investigating the role of the gut microbiome, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in osteoarthritis onset and progression. Through his graduate work, he gained skills working with in vivo and ex vivo models, micro-surgeries, intra-articular injections, micro-computed tomography (µCT), histology, immunohistochemistry, and image processing, in addition to mechanical assessments involving custom-made loading fixtures, uniaxial mechanical testing, fatigue analysis, and rheology. He has research, teaching, and work experience with human studies, gait analysis, motion capture systems, electromyography (EMG), and force plates. Dr. Holyoak's primary research interests are tissue biomechanics, osteoarthritis, medical devices, spine, arthroplasty, trauma, and exercise science.

In addition to his Ph.D. work, Dr. Holyoak examined the effects of malnutrition on post-operative infection after total hip replacement as part of a clinical study at the Hospital for Special Surgery. He also analyzed pre- and post-operative canine walking gait working with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. At Cybex, International (now Life Fitness), Dr. Holyoak performed exercise biomechanics studies to investigate the effects of body position on lower limb joint stresses during the forward lunge exercise.