Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, 2018
  • M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, 2016
  • B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, 2013
Professional Honors
  • Cornell Biomedical Engineering Teaching Assistant of the Year, 2018
  • Cornell Three Minute Thesis Competition Runner-up, 2018
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Testing and Materials: F04 Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices
  • Orthopaedic Research Society
  • Biomedical Engineering Society

Dr. Holyoak's expertise focuses on preclinical testing and postoperative performance of medical devices. He has extensive experience in biomechanical testing of cadaveric specimens, MRI compatibility testing for medical devices, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tissue testing/analysis, wear particle characterization, and medical device failure analysis. 

Working with in vivo models, Dr. Holyoak gained skills in micro-surgeries, intra-articular injections, and custom-made loading fixtures. Additional areas of expertise include micro-computed tomography (µCT), histology, immunohistochemistry, image processing, and protocol development. Dr. Holyoak has experience in biomaterials characterization techniques, including uniaxial mechanical testing, fatigue analysis, and rheology. In addition, he has research, teaching, and work experience with human studies, gait analysis, motion capture systems, electromyography (EMG), and force plates. Dr. Holyoak's primary research interests are tissue biomechanics, osteoarthritis, medical devices, arthroplasty, trauma, and exercise science. 

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Holyoak obtained his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University where he developed and tested novel approaches to treat osteoarthritis. Specifically, he applied novel loading regimens to attenuate the progression of osteoarthritis in animal models. He designed, fabricated, and tested synthetic hydrogel systems for intra-articular drug delivery. Dr. Holyoak was a key contributor to preclinical studies investigating the role of the gut microbiome, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in osteoarthritis onset and progression.

In addition to his Ph.D. work, Dr. Holyoak contributed to a clinical study at the Hospital for Special Surgery that examined the effects of malnutrition on post-operative infection after total hip replacement. He also worked with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine to understand pre- and post-operative canine walking gait. At Cybex, International, Dr. Holyoak performed exercise biomechanics studies to investigate the effects of body position on lower limb joint stresses during the forward lunge exercise. Finally, he was a Teaching Assistant for Measurements and Instrumentation in Biomedical Engineering.