Faculty
Douglas W. Van Citters, PhD
As principal investigator of the Dartmouth Biomedical Engineering Center for Orthopaedics, Douglas Van Citters oversees musculoskeletal biomaterials, biomechanics, tribology, and device design research. He is also responsible for curation and research activities related to Dartmouth’s arthroplasty retrieval collection. His current research interests include polyethylene wear mechanisms at the micro- and nano- scales, fatigue properties of novel polyethylene formulations, wear and structure of alternative bearings for total hips, polymer structure, wearable technologies, and implantable technologies. Professor Van Citters teaches Thayer School’s two graduate courses in biomaterials, as well as classical mechanics courses. He has been an active collaborator and advisor in the biomaterials field for projects from the departments of orthopaedics, plastic surgery, pediatrics, radiology, physiology, and vascular surgery.
- Bachelor of Arts, Dartmouth College, 1999
- Bachelor of Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, 2003
- Master of Science, Thayer School of Engineering, 2003
- Doctor of Philosophy, Thayer School of Engineering, 2006
John P. Collier, DE
John Collier is the Myron Tribus Professor of Engineering at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth and the co-founder of DBEC. He received his A.B. from Dartmouth College and his B.E., M.E., and D.E. degrees from Thayer School of Engineering. He is a member of the Society for Biomaterials, the Orthopaedic Research Society, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Collier has been a research consultant for Canadian Oxygen, Ltd., DuPont Inc., and for DePuy, a Johnson and Johnson company. He has authored over 30 technical articles and delivered more than 50 conference presentations on aspects of orthopedic implant design and engineering. He also holds three patents for design or processes relating to orthopedic prostheses. At Thayer School he teaches the School's signature course, ENGS 21, Introduction to Engineering, as well as other courses in design methodology.
- Bachelor of Arts, Dartmouth College, 1972
- Bachelor of Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, 1973
- Master of Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, 1975
- Doctor of Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, 1976
Michael B. Mayor, MD
Michael Mayor, co-founder of DBEC, is the emeritus William N. and Bessie Allyn Professor of Surgery in Orthopaedics at The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and emeritus Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He received his B.E.E. from Yale's Sheffield School of Engineering and his M.D. degree from the Yale School of Medicine. He is a member of the American Orthopaedic Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the Orthopaedic Research Society. Mayor has served with the F4 Committee of ASTM including terms as chairman, the FDA's Advisory Panel on Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Devices including terms as chairman, and on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' and the Orthopaedic Research Society's committees. He has authored over 30 published articles and delivered more than 20 conference presentations on orthopaedic implant retrieval analysis and biomechanics. He has served on the thesis committees for bachelors, masters, and PhD students at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth for thirty years.
- Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Yale University, 1959
- Doctor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 1965
- Internship and Residency, Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospitals of Cleveland, 1965-70
- NIH Special Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Case Institute Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, 1970-71
- Attending Orthopaedic Staff, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, 1971-2006
- Faculty, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 1971-present
- Adjunct Faculty, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, 1998-present
Full Time Research Team
Postdoctoral Research Associates
Ryan M. Chapman, PhD
Ryan began his career as an engineer by earning his undergraduate baccalaureate degree in electrical engineering from The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Following professional work in the sporting goods industry, he earned a Master's degree from the University of Iowa in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on human motor performance and upper extremity biomechanics. After successfully re-tooling the University of Virginia Sports Performance (SPEED) lab, he joined DBEC as the resident biomechanics expert. His current research efforts are focused on developing medical devices to better diagnose/treat pathologies with symptomatic movement patterns. This includes better characterizing the in-vivo biomechanics of individuals both in and outside the clinic/lab including patients undergoing arthroplasty procedures, athletic injury mechanisms, gait in expectant mothers, and trauma.
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, The University of St. Thomas, 2010
- Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, The University of Iowa, 2013
- Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Sciences, Thayer School of Engineering, 2018
Research Engineers
Barbara H. Currier, MChE
Barbara began her work in orthopaedic device research in 1994 when she joined the Dartmouth Biomedical Engineering Center. Since 1994, she has been involved in the study of polyethylene bearings in hip and knee prostheses. Current research work is focused on investigating the factors influencing fatigue damage in the knee, and also the shelf and in vivo oxidation processes in UHMWPE bearings, using FTIR spectroscopy, uniaxial tensile testing, and numerical modeling. She has been the lead researcher and author of a number of recent studies on the in vivo performance of UHMWPE bearings.
- Bachelor of Science, Rice University, 1978
- Master of Chemical Engineering, Rice University, 1979
John H. Currier, MS
John began his association with Dr. John Collier and his early work on hip prostheses in 1979. After spending a number of years working in both production and research for the petroleum industry, he returned to Dartmouth Biomedical Engineering Center in 1994. He has been involved in the study of polyethylene bearings in hip and knee prostheses. Current research work is focused on investigating wear and damage in knee bearings, the shelf and in vivo oxidation processes in UHMWPE components, and the performance of ceramic hip bearings.
- Bachelor of Arts, Dartmouth College, 1979
- Bachelor of Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, 1981
- Master of Science, Thayer School of Engineering, 1981
Laboratory Manager
Kori C Jevsevar, BS
UPDATE BIO
- UPDATE DEGREES
Graduate Students and Alumni/ae
Michael A. Kokko, MS
Mike comes to DBEC with a background in electromechanical system development and interests that include surgical device design, state estimation, and control systems. He previously led a variety of engineering efforts at Simbex (Lebanon, NH) and designed novel robotic systems at Vecna Technologies (Cambridge, MA). Mike holds degrees in mechanical engineering from RPI (BS, 2005) and MIT (MS, 2007). When not at school, Mike enjoys running, hiking, nordic skiing, and other outdoor adventures with his wife and puppy.
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2005
- Master of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007

Hannah M. Grover, BS
Hannah arrived at DBEC from the University of Maine with a degree in Bioengineering and a minor in Mechanical Engineering (BS, 2016). She is currently collaborating with The University of New Hampshire via the New Hampshire BioMade (EPSCoR) grant, studying processing methods of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to improve its mechanical and wear properties. When not at the office, Hannah enjoys hiking, being on the water, and cooking in her free time.
- Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering, University of Maine, 2016
Peder Solberg, BS
Peder is a student in the Surgical Innovation track of the PhD Innovation program in the Thayer School of Engineering. Originally from Minnesota, he comes to DBEC directly following undergraduate study in mechanical engineering at South Dakota State University (BS, 2019). He comes in with internship experiences at 3M Health Care, Mayo Clinic’s Motion Analysis Lab, and humanitarian engineering work with Resource Exchange International in Indonesia. Peder enjoys running, mountain biking, and Nordic skiing in his free time.
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, South Dakota State University, 2019
Alumni/ae, Laboratory Role (Post-DBEC Placement)
Graduate Degree(s) Earned in the Laboratory and Laboratory Staff
2018
- Fioleda Prifti, PhD (Executive Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship, Duke University)
- Audrey Martin, PhD (Industry, WL Gore and Associates Inc.)
- Ryan Chapman, PhD (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College)
- Rebecca Butler, Laboratory Manager (Medical Student, University of Minnesota Medical School)
2017
- Lindsay Holdcroft, Laboratory Manager (Medical Student, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College)
- Kathleen Lewicki, PhD (Industry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals)
- Shailly Jariwala, TREAT Fellow and Research Associate (Assistant Professor, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences)
2015
- Mitchell Fung, MS (Industry, DePuy Synthes)
2014
- Steven Reinitz, PhD, Innovation Certificate (Industry, Boston Scientific)
- Tanille Paniogue, MS (Veterinary School Student, Utah State University School of Veterinary Medicine)
- Ben Cunkelman, MS (Industry, Abiomed)
2013
- Jay Vincelli, MS (Industry, Materials Science Associates)
2012
- Dermott McHugh, MS (Industry, Total Joint Orthopedics)
2010
- Evan Carlson, MS (Industry, Total Joint Orthopedics)
- Ashley Martin, MS (Industry, DePuy Synthes)
2009
- J. Caitlin Huot, MS (Industry, Keurig)
2008
- Nicola Mootoo, MS (Industry, Takeda)
- Mariah Hughlock, MS (Industry, Shire)
2005
- Jon Kittredge, MS (Surgeon, Prima-CARE Medical Center)
- Sara Atwood, MS (Associate Professor of Engineering, Elizabethtown College)