Ken Gall

Ken Gall is a Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University with cross-appointments in Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering. His career integrates fundamental materials science with biomedical device commercialization, focusing on processing-structure-property relationships in metals and polymers for orthopedic applications.

Education:

• B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1995)
• M.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1996)
• Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1998)

Gall specializes in shape memory materials (metals and polymers), biomaterials, and 3D printing for medical devices. His current work targets 3D printed metals/polymers with engineered porous networks, soft synthetic biomaterials for tissue integration, and biopolymer surface structures. This bridges materials mechanics with clinical orthopedics and pelvic organ prolapse repair.

Recent publications (2023-2025) show a clear shift toward computational methods (neural networks, finite element modeling) for predicting mechanical behavior of porous 3D printed structures. Key trends include clinical translation of gyroid lattices, in vivo validation of titanium implants, and material optimization for pelvic tissue applications—reflecting his entrepreneurial focus on commercializing university research.

Scientific awards:

• ASEE Curtis McGraw Award (2012)
• TMS Robert Lansing Hardy Award (2008)
• ASM Bradley Stoughton Award (2005)
• ASME Gold Medal (2004)
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineering (PECASE) (2002)

Gall actively consults for industry, the US Military, and US Intelligence Community while serving as an expert witness in patent litigation. His entrepreneurship includes co-founding MedShape and Vertera to commercialize orthopedic technologies. He teaches mechanical engineering courses (ME 592, 591, 555, 492, 491, 392) and engineering projects (EGR 393).

The Gall Group research team develops porous metallic/polymeric implants using additive manufacturing, with emphasis on osseointegration, load-sharing, and fatigue behavior—particularly for foot/ankle and spinal applications.