Timothy Wright

Timothy Wright is a distinguished Professor of Applied Biomechanics in Orthopaedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and a member of the Cornell University College of Engineering Graduate Field of Biomedical Engineering. His groundbreaking work focuses on enhancing orthopedic implant performance through multidisciplinary approaches integrating biomechanics, radiology, orthopedic surgery, biomaterials, and biomedical engineering. With over 300 peer-reviewed publications, he has pioneered implant systems for knee, hip, and elbow replacements adopted globally.

• Education: B.S. in Materials Science from Lehigh University (1971), M.S. (1972) and Ph.D. (1976) in Materials Science from Stanford University, followed by a postdoc in Biomechanics at HSS (1977).

Dr. Wright’s research spans orthopedic implant design, tribocorrosion in modular connections, bone mechanobiology, post-traumatic arthritis, and additive manufacturing. His recent studies, including 3D-printed implants that enable customized bone fixation, reflect his focus on advanced manufacturing and computational modeling. Articles highlight his expertise in joint kinematics, implant retrieval analysis, and biomaterial wear mechanisms, with applications across hip, knee, and elbow arthroplasty.

Key scientific awards include the Alfred R. Shands Jr. MD Award (2013), Director’s Special Citation from the FDA (1997), and the Research Career Development Award (1987-1992) and Whitaker Fellowship (1985). He has served as President of the Orthopaedic Research Society (1992), Coordinating Program Director of the NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Center, and co-editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research for 18 years.

• Grants: NIH T32 training program (preceptor), Kellen French Foundation projects (PI/Co-PI), Kirby Foundation’s New Directions in Joint Replacement Design (PI), and NIH UL1 Clinical Translational Science Center (Coordinating Program Director).
• Laboratories: Department of Biomechanics at HSS, Lab of Molecular Osteoarthritis Research, and Lab of Cartilage and Meniscus Mechanics.