
Frank A. Pintar, PhD
Founding Chair, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering; Professor, Neurosurgery
Locations
- Zablocki VA Medical Center
Neuroscience Research Labs – Research 151
5000 W. National Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53295
Education
PhD, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI, 1986
Biography
Dr. Pintar is the Founding Chair of the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Over the years, Dr. Pintar has served as a research mentor to over 30 graduate students, post docs, residents, fellows, and junior faculty in the medical school and engineering school. Dr. Pintar has held numerous committee positions within the Medical College of Wisconsin including the chair of the Faculty Benefits committee.
He has been active as a member of grant review teams (e.g., CDC, NIH, NIDRR) and other scientific organizations (e.g., Cervical Spine Research Society, Stapp Association) and received grant awards from NIH, VA, CDC, DOT, DoD, and foundations. He has authored more than 500 research publications including two books on head and neck trauma and over 290 peer-reviewed journal papers. He is one of the principal investigators of the US-DOT-NHTSA-sponsored MCW CIREN Center (six in the nation).
Dr. Pintar conducts collaborative projects with the Injury Research Center through the departments of Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, and Trauma Surgery. He has also helped to mentor residents and fellows from Otolaryngology, Orthopedic Surgery, and Plastic Surgery. He has a secondary appointment in the department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy where he conducts collaborative projects and mentors basic science graduate students. Additionally, he participates as a faculty member of the Neuroscience Research Center.
His current research interests include the biomechanics of brain and spinal cord injury, mechanics of spine surgical techniques, computer finite element modeling of the cervical spine, and motor vehicle crash trauma. He has received numerous awards and is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine.
He directs the only NHTSA-certified full-scale crashworthiness laboratory in an academic setting in the world, sled lab, biomechanics lab, stem cell lab, neurobiology lab, tissue/culture lab, and neurohistology lab.
Honors and Awards
1982 – Tau Beta Pi, National Engineering Honor Society
1983 – 1986 – Research Assistant, Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin
1984 – Alpha Eta Mu Beta, National Biomedical Engineering Honor Society
1984 – 1986 – Francis Bacon Fellowship Award
1984 – 1986 – Marquette Electronics Fellowship Award
1986 – Nominated for Who’s Who of Students in American Universities
1997 – Best Scientific Paper Award, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine
1999 – Best Research Paper, Mid-America Orthopaedic Association
1999 – Edward D. Henderson Prize for Excellence in Medical Writing
2000 – Best Paper in a Section Award, Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium
2004 – Fellow, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine
2006 – Excellence in Oral Presentation Award, Society of Automotive Engineers
2009 – Best Student Paper, Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium
2010 – John Paul Stapp Best Paper, Stapp Car Crash Conference
2011 – Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
2012 – Award of Merit, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine
2013 – Arnold W Siegel International Transportation Safety Award, Society of Automotive Engineers
2014 – Fellow, Society of Automotive Engineers
Research Experience
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Biomedical Engineering
- Brain Concussion
- Brain Injuries
- Engineering
- Fractures, Bone
- Fractures, Compression
- Head Injuries, Closed
- Internal Fixators
- Orbital Fractures
- Rib Fractures
- Rupture
Methodologies and Techniques
- Accidents, Traffic
- Animal Experimentation
- Blast Injuries
- Brain Concussion
- Brain Injuries
- Computer Simulation
- Finite Element Analysis
- injuries
- Injury Severity Score
- Materials Testing
- Mathematical Computing
- Rupture
Leadership Positions
- Chair, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Director, VA Neuroscience & Biomechanics Research Labs
MCW Program / Core Facilities
- VA Biomechanics Research Facilities
Educational Expertise
- Biomedical Engineering
- Engineering
- Internal Fixators
Community Partnerships
- Safe and Fast Extrication, New Berlin
Research Interests
The biomechanics of brain and spinal cord injury, mechanics of spine surgical techniques, military and motor vehicle crash trauma.
Publications
-
(Somasundaram K, Cusick JF, Yoganandan N, Pintar FA.) Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2022 May 28;97:105688 PMID: 35661894 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85131117739 06/07/2022
-
(Barnes DR, Yoganandan N, Moore J, Humm J, Pintar F, Loftis KL.) Stapp Car Crash J. 2021 11;65:189-216 PMID: 35512789 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85129346481 05/06/2022
-
The Human Lumbar Spine During High-Rate Under Seat Loading: A Combined Metric Injury Criteria.
(Ortiz-Paparoni M, Op 't Eynde J, Kait J, Bigler B, Shridharani J, Schmidt A, Cox C, Morino C, Pintar F, Yoganandan N, Moore J, Zhang J, Bass CR.) Ann Biomed Eng. 2021 Nov;49(11):3018-3030 PMID: 34297262 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85111154516 07/24/2021
-
An Improved Method for Developing Injury Risk Curves Using the Brier Metric Score.
(Hostetler ZS, Hsu FC, Yoganandan N, Pintar FA, Banerjee A, Voo L, Gayzik FS.) Ann Biomed Eng. 2021 Nov;49(11):3091-3098 PMID: 33219439 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85096379124 11/22/2020
-
Human pelvis injury risk curves from underbody blast impact.
(Yoganandan N, Moore J, Humm JR, Baisden JL, Banerjee A, Pintar FA, Barnes DR, Loftis KL.) BMJ Mil Health. 2021 Oct 28 PMID: 34711674 10/30/2021
-
A novel posture control device to induce high-rate complex loads for spine biomechanical studies.
(Humm J, Yoganandan N, DeRosia J, Driesslein K, Avila J, Pintar F.) J Biomech. 2021 06 23;123:110537 PMID: 34034015 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85107752586 05/26/2021
-
Pelvic Injury Risk Curves for the Military Populations From Lateral Impact.
(Yoganandan N, Rooks TF, Chancey VC, Pintar FA, Banerjee A.) Mil Med. 2021 01 25;186(Suppl 1):424-429 PMID: 33499484 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85100590263 01/28/2021
-
Importance of neural foraminal narrowing in lumbar spine fractures of low AIS severity.
(Maiman DJ, Somasundaram K, Yoganandan N, Pintar F.) Traffic Inj Prev. 2021;22(sup1):S140-S142 PMID: 34714690 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85118439033 10/30/2021
-
Belt-induced abdominal injuries in recent frontal impact CIREN cases.
(Halloway D, Hauschild H, Pintar F, Yoganandan N.) Traffic Inj Prev. 2021;22(sup1):S142-S146 PMID: 34714184 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85118446004 10/30/2021
-
Delta-v slope as an indicator of injury.
(Hauschild H, Halloway D, Pintar F.) Traffic Inj Prev. 2021;22(sup1):S165-S169 PMID: 34699275 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85118248384 10/27/2021
-
Time and temperature sensitivity of the hybrid III lumbar spine.
(Schmidt AL, Ortiz-Paparoni MA, Shridharani JK, Nightingale RW, Pintar FA, Bass CR.) Traffic Inj Prev. 2021;22(6):483-488 PMID: 34180741 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85110825197 06/29/2021
-
Intervertebral foramen narrowing during vertical dynamic loading.
(Maiman D, Curry W, Yoganandan N, Pintar F.) Traffic Inj Prev. 2020 10 12;21(sup1):S163-S165 PMID: 33119411 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85094918598 10/30/2020