Gregory Lewis, MS, PhD

Dr. Gregory Lewis' research program focuses on orthopaedic biomechanics, with an emphasis on bone, joints and surgical procedures including fracture fixation and shoulder replacement. A major program area is the development of surgeon-targeted software platforms for education and preoperative planning.

The lab has built large simulation libraries of fracture fixation constructs having different implant types, geometries, materials, fracture geometries and bone quality. Computational finite element simulations are used to predict clinically important biomechanics that influence fracture healing and postoperative complications. An innovative, interactive software is being developed for visualizing these biomechanics.

For surgical education, these efforts are currently funded by an NIH R01. For preoperative planning, the group is modifying its approaches to include patient-specific models derived from CT imaging.

Experimental validation using cadaver specimens, and rigorous software testing with surgeons, are also important parts of the research.

Dr. Lewis’s lab has strong collaborations with orthopaedic surgeons, musculoskeletal biologists and other engineers. He is a co-investigator on several NIH R01 projects studying bone biology and regeneration. He provides expertise in bone quality assessment through micro-computed tomography imaging and mechanical testing. He also provides expertise related to in vivo mechanical loading in animal models.

In the area of shoulder replacement biomechanics, Dr. Lewis and collaborators are investigating the multiscale mechanics of glenoid component fixation. The lab has had industry support for several other biomechanical projects.

Dr. Lewis is director of the micro-CT core and the research thrust leader for Penn State Center for Biodevices.

Dr. Gregory Lewis directs the Center for Orthopaedic Research and Translational Science's basic science curriculum for orthopaedic residents. 

Dr. Lewis also serves as an adviser for medical student research projects, is an instructor for the senior undergraduate capstone design course in mechanical engineering at Penn State Harrisburg and provides other lectures to students at three campuses.