Dr. Richard Debski is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Debski is the Co-Director of the Orthopaedic Robotics Laboratory, a core laboratory facility in the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering. Dr. Debski earned both his BS and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Debski’s research interests focus on orthopaedic biomechanics and are aimed at elucidating the contribution of ligaments, tendons, muscles, and bone to joint stability throughout the musculoskeletal system. Specifically, experimental and computational analyses are performed to

• examine the properties of the ligaments and joint capsules;
• determine ligament forces and joint kinematics; and
• evaluate the effect of injuries and repair procedures on joint motion.

Novel experimental techniques such as a robotic/UFS testing system and Dynamic Shoulder Testing Apparatus rev.4 are utilized to answer research questions. Recent major projects have focused on

• improvement of diagnoses and repair procedures for injuries to the ligaments capsules, and bony structures at the shoulder;
• improvement of rehabilitation for rotator cuff injuries;
• knee stability during kneeling; and
• robotic technology for biomechanical testing.

In 2011, Dr. Debski received the Richard Skalak Award for the best paper published in the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Bioengineering Division. Dr. Debski is the 2006 recipient of the Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award – Junior Scholar, University of Pittsburgh, as well as the 2004 Y.C. Fung Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Bioengineering Division. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering; Assistant Editor of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery; member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Orthopaedic Science and Techniques in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Dr. Debski is a Fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and currently the President of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory Alumni Council. He is a member of the Biomedical Engineering Society and the Orthopaedic Research Society.

View a list of Dr. Debski’s publications here.