Ken Gall

Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Professor Gall’s research aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the relationship between the processing, structure, and mechanical properties of materials.  His scientific contributions range from the creation and understanding of shape memory metals and polymers to the discovery of a new phase transformation in metal nanowires.  His current research interests are 3D printed metals and polymers, soft synthetic biomaterials, and biopolymers with structured surface porous networks. 

In addition to his research he has consulted for industry, the US Military and the US Intelligence Community, and served as an expert witness in multiple patent and product litigations.  Finally, he is a passionate entrepreneur who uses fundamental scientific knowledge to hasten the commercialization of new materials and improve the effectiveness of existing materials.   He founded two medical device start-up companies, MedShape and Vertera who have commercialized university based technologies in the orthopedic medical device space.

Appointments and Affiliations

• Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
• Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery
• Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Contact Information

• Office Location: 144 Hudson Hall, Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708
• Office Phone: +1 919 660 5430
• Email Address: kag70@duke.edu
• Websites:
  • Gall Group

Education

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

Research Interests

Materials science, mechanical properties, metals and polymers. Specialties: Shape memory materials, biomaterials, 3D printing.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

• ASEE Curtis McGraw Award. ASEE. 2012
• TMS Robert Lansing Hardy Award. The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society. 2008
• ASM Bradley Stoughton Award. ASM International. 2005
• ASME Gold Medal. ASME. 2004
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineering (PECASE). Department of Energy - NNSA. 2002

Courses Taught

• ME 592: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
• ME 591: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
• ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
• ME 492: Special Projects in Mechanical Engineering
• ME 491: Special Projects in Mechanical Engineering
• ME 392: Undergraduate Projects in Mechanical Engineering
• ME 391: Undergraduate Projects in Mechanical Engineering
• EGR 393: Research Projects in Engineering

In the News

• Hard-Earned Lessons from Spinning Out a Startup Company from a University (Oct 25, 2024 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Stiff, Achy Knees? Lab-Made Cartilage Gel Outperforms the Real Thing (Aug 11, 2022)
• From the Lab, the First Cartilage-Mimicking Gel That’s Strong Enough for Knees (Jun 26, 2020)
• Duke Creates Open-Source Protective Respirator (Apr 13, 2020)
• Solving Pressing Challenges: 3D Printing of Medical Grade Face Shields (Apr 2, 2020)
• Duke-Georgia Tech Spinal Implant Start-UP Acquired by NuVasive (Sep 19, 2017 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Students, Doctors Develop Next-Generation Surgical Implants (May 1, 2017)
• Ken Gall Named Chair of Duke’s MEMS Department (Apr 24, 2015 | Pratt School of Engineering)

Representative Publications

• Daneshdoost, N; Peloquin, J; Gall, K, Structure-performance relationships of multi-material jetting polymeric composites designed at the voxel scale: Distribution and composition effects, Journal of Manufacturing Processes, vol 131 (2024), pp. 2118-2132 [10.1016/j.jmapro.2024.10.009] [abs].
• Knight, K; Breedlove, S; Obisesan, T; Egnot, M; Daneshdoost, N; King, G; Meyn, L; Gall, K; Moalli, P, Vaginal host response to polycarbonate urethane, an alternative material for the repair of pelvic organ prolapse., Acta biomaterialia (2024) [10.1016/j.actbio.2024.09.040] [abs].
• Mathey, E; Pelletier, MH; Walsh, WR; Gall, K; Carpenter, D, Implant Strength Contributes to the Osseointegration Strength of Porous Metallic Materials., Journal of biomechanical engineering, vol 146 no. 10 (2024) [10.1115/1.4065405] [abs].
• Talaski, GM; Wesorick, B; Anastasio, AT; Dibbern, K; Netto, CDC; Adams, SB; Easley, ME; Gall, K, Total ankle/total talus replacement - Retrospective comparison of surgeon decision relative to three-dimensional joint health assessment., J Foot Ankle Surg (2024) [10.1053/j.jfas.2024.08.017] [abs].
• Heimbrook, A; Gall, K, Effect of surface topography on the fatigue behavior of additively manufactured Ti6Al4V and CoCr alloys, Materials Science and Engineering: A, vol 909 (2024) [10.1016/j.msea.2024.146821] [abs].