November 12, 2024

Joseph LeSueur is awarded a 2024 Excellence in Research Award from Friends of MCW. LeSueur is a recent PhD graduate from the Marquette-MCW Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering whose research was conducted at the Zablocki VA Medical Center Laboratories under the mentorship of Dr. Frank Pintar. LeSueur's research explored the mechanical behavior of skin under puncture and ballistic impact, focusing on the effects of impactor size, rate, and skin thickness to inform protective designs against penetrating injuries. Using in vitro and computational modeling, LeSueur characterized failure thresholds and predicted penetration probability in ballistic impacts, offering applications in forensic science as well as protective gear development and safety regulations for recreational projectiles. 

I greatly appreciate the MCW graduate school, which has given back so generously and frequently to its students through many diverse opportunities. The research recognized by this award was only possible with a great team at the VA Neuroscience Labs and an inspirational advisor in Dr. Frank Pintar, who made this work enjoyable and fulfilling. I hope to continue impacting the lives of others through biomechanics research and inspiring the next generation of students through mentorship and teaching.

The Friends of MCW is a decades-old organization of volunteers from MCW, affiliated institutions and the community, that supports the educational, scientific and community service activities of MCW. The Friends of MCW Excellence in Research Award is a highly competitive award given out to PhD graduate students who have passed the PhD qualifying examination and who have exhibited exemplary scholastic and research excellence as assessed by the awards subcommittee of the Graduate Studies Council. The award recognizes current research accomplishments, as well as future research potential.  

 

Learn more about BME Biomechanics Research

Learn more about the Zablocki VA Medical Center Labs