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Kevin L. Ong, Ph.D., P.E.

Managing Engineer

Biomedical Engineering

Professional Profile


Dr. Ong’s area of expertise is product design evaluation and failure analysis of medical devices, with a focus on evaluating how patient, surgical, and design factors influence performance. He also has expertise in nonlinear finite element analysis, solid mechanics, and orthopaedic biomechanics. He has experience with orthopaedic, spine, fracture fixation, cardiovascular, and diagnostic medical devices from product liability, intellectual property, regulatory (FDA) compliance, product development, epidemiology, health economics, and technology assessment perspectives. Dr. Ong has directed preclinical and postmarket mechanical testing experiments of bone and soft tissue to evaluate and characterize biomaterials and medical devices, including wear testing and retrieval (explant) analysis. He has designed experiments for standard tests (e.g., ASTM, ISO), as well as developed non-standard or novel testing protocols. His research interests include investigating the failure mechanisms of implantable devices, as well as evaluating the efficacy of novel medical devices. He has also evaluated the interaction between medical devices and injury tolerances/patterns.

Dr. Ong has been involved in biomechanics and biomedical engineering research since 1997. He is also presently holding a research faculty appointment at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems at Drexel University. Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Ong was a research assistant in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, in the Cornell University-Hospital for Special Surgery Program in Biomedical Mechanics.

  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, 2004
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University (summa cum laude), 1998
  • Lawrence D. Dorr, MD Award for the most outstanding paper in surgical techniques and technologies at AAHKS 19th Annual Meeting, Awarded by the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, 2009
  • TribOS™ New Investigator Prize Paper for Issue 7 of the 2009 TribOS™ Newsletter
  • 2nd Prize research paper at the British Orthopaedic Association Annual Congress 2008, Awarded by the British Orthopaedic Research Society and the British Orthopaedic Trainees Association, 2008
  • Lawrence D. Dorr, MD Award for the most outstanding paper in surgical techniques and technologies at AAHKS 18th Annual Meeting, Awarded by the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, 2008
  • Best Poster Award at AAHKS 17th Annual Meeting, Awarded by the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, 2007
  • Cornell University Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, 2002
  • Olin Fellowship, Cornell University, 1998–2001
  • Merrill Presidential Scholar, Cornell University, 1998

    • Registered Professional Engineer, Pennsylvania, #PE077597

    • Visiting Research Professor, Drexel University, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems