Dr. Gilbert has published over 120 peer-reviewed manuscripts or book chapters, 200 conference transactions, and four patents with four more pending. Dr. Gilbert’s research interests involve the study of Biomaterials Science with emphasis on the electrochemical behavior of medical alloys and their interaction with the biological system, the role of reduction reactions on biocompatibility, the mechanical-electrochemical interactions at metal-oxide-solution interfaces, and the development of novel mechanical, electrochemical, and polymeric test methodologies for orthopedic, spinal, dental and cardiovascular medical devices and biomaterials. He has worked in orthopedic bone cements, molecular orientation effects on amorphous polymeric materials, surface micro- and nanomechanics of polymers, metals, and biological tissues, use of atomic force microscopy to study the physics of passive metal-oxide film surfaces, polymer degradation mechanisms, adsorption phenomena on metallic biomaterials in the presence of electrochemical stimuli, and viscoelastic behavior of biomaterials.

He received his PhD in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, and Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon in 1987. Dr. Gilbert was an Assistant and Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Materials at Northwestern University Dental School and Department of Biomedical Engineering in the Engineering School for 11 years before moving to Syracuse University as Professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Neuroscience. He became Chair of the Department in 2002, and subsequently was named Associate Dean for Research and Doctoral Programs in the College of Engineering from 2004 to 2008.

Dr. Gilbert has served on numerous national and international panels and editorial boards, including Chairing the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) special study section for the SBIR/STTR program, as a panel member for the NIH/NIAMS Special Emphasis Panel on Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering as well as several other ad-hoc panels for NIH/NIBIB/NIAMS. He has also participated in the NIH Consensus Development Conference on Total Hip Replacements in 1994, and the FDA panel on Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Devices. Dr. Gilbert currently previously served as an assistant editor for the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research – Part A, and has twice Chaired the organizing committee for the ASM International’s Materials and Processes for Medical Devices Conference in 2007 and 2009, and has served as a peer reviewer for the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and as a reviewer for over 25 scientific journals.

At the Gilbert Research Lab, the primary objective is to foster interdisciplinary biomaterials research related to advanced and specialized metals, polymers, ceramics, and composite materials. The labs are a part of the Syraucse Biomaterials Institute where we strive to provide a rich environment for students to explore new ideas and develop the skills necessary to become leading researchers in Biomaterials. Because of the broadly interdisciplinary nature of biomaterials science, students are expected to develop broad understanding of the field while also developing deep expertise in specific areas of the field. This breadth and depth approach is a major feature of the lab.