Dominique Pioletti

Dominique Pioletti is a Full Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), holding multiple positions across the institution. He serves as Director of the Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics (LBO) within the School of Engineering, and has additional appointments in the Institute of Bioengineering (IBI-STI), the School of Engineering Mechanical Engineering (STI-SGM), the Doctoral Program in Bioengineering (EDBB-ENS), and the Institute of Materials (IGM). His office is located at MED 3 2626, Station 9, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.

Dr. Pioletti received his Master in Physics from EPFL in 1992 and continued at the same institution to earn his PhD in biomechanics in 1997, where he developed original constitutive laws accounting for viscoelasticity in large deformations. Following his doctoral studies, he spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow at UCSD (University of California, San Diego), gaining expertise in cell and molecular biology, particularly in gene expression of bone cells in contact with orthopedic implants. In April 2006, he was appointed Assistant Professor tenure-track at EPFL and became director of the Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2013 and subsequently to Full Professor.

His research focuses on orthopedic biomechanics, tissue engineering, and mechano-biology, with specific interests in biomechanics and tissue engineering of musculoskeletal tissues, mechano-transduction in bone, and development of orthopedic implants as drug delivery systems. The Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics (LBO) under his direction is dedicated to advancing techniques and technology for patient care in the musculoskeletal system through fundamental research, applied research, and teaching.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on hydrogel-based biomaterials for cartilage repair, with significant work on temperature effects in cartilage engineering, adhesive hydrogels, and mechanical properties of biomaterials. His research increasingly incorporates computational approaches including AI and deep learning for biomechanical modeling and prediction. There is also a consistent focus on understanding the relationship between mechanical stimuli and biological responses in musculoskeletal tissues.

Professor Pioletti has supervised numerous doctoral students throughout his career, with current PhD candidates including Bouchez Mi-Lane Elodie, Mohammadi Ramin, Nottegar Alexander Arthur, Raja Sruthi, Reitzel Antoine, and Turgut Deniz Cemre. His past students form an extensive list spanning multiple cohorts, reflecting his long-standing commitment to academic mentorship.

The Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics (LBO) serves as the primary research hub for Professor Pioletti's work, focusing on the advancement of techniques and technology for patient care in the musculoskeletal system. The lab's mission encompasses fundamental research, applied research, and teaching, with current work emphasizing biomechanical considerations in orthopedic applications. The lab website (https://lbo.epfl.ch/) provides additional details about ongoing projects and team members.