Gerard A. Ateshian

Gerard A. Ateshian is the Andrew Walz Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, where he has been a faculty member since 1991. He also served as Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 2011 to 2014 and is the founding director of the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory (MBL), established in 1996.

Education:

• BS (1986), MS (1987), MPhil (1990), and PhD (1991) in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University.

Research Interests:
Professor Ateshian's research focuses on the mechanics of soft biological tissues, particularly articular cartilage. His work integrates theoretical, experimental, and computational approaches to understand cartilage lubrication, tissue engineering, and growth and remodeling in living tissues. He has extended continuum mechanics frameworks to model complex biological phenomena such as mass transport, osmotic effects, and reactive mechanics in tissue mixtures. His recent efforts include developing open-source computational tools (FEBio) and translating research into clinical treatments for osteoarthritis.

Scientific Awards:

• H.R. Lissner Medal, ASME (2017)
• OARSI Basic Science Award (2013)
• Columbia Engineering Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award (2012)
• Great Teacher Award, Society of Columbia Graduates (2002)
• YC Fung Young Investigator Award, ASME (1997)
• Fellow: ASME, BMES, AIMBE

Advising and Mentorship:
Professor Ateshian has advised numerous PhD students, including recent graduates Vince Sise and Katherine Spack, who completed their dissertations on cartilage fatigue and osteochondral allografts, respectively. His lab actively mentors students from both Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering programs.

Laboratory and Collaborations:
He directs the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory (MBL), which collaborates closely with the Cellular Engineering Laboratory of Prof. Clark Hung and with Dr. Jeffrey Weiss at the University of Utah on computational modeling (FEBio). He also collaborates with Columbia University Medical Center faculty on clinical translation of cartilage research.