Rate My Professor Clare Fitzpatrick

Dr. Clare Fitzpatrick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at Boise State University, a position she has held since her promotion following her arrival in August 2016 as an Assistant Professor. She serves as Director of the Computational Biosciences Laboratory and Coordinator of the Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Program. Prior to Boise State, she worked at the University of Denver’s Center for Orthopaedic Biomechanics, progressing from Post-doctoral Fellow (2009-2011) to Senior Research Engineer (2011-2016), and held a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at University College Dublin (2008-2009). Fitzpatrick earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin in 2007, focusing her dissertation on statistical shape models of the knee joint to optimize implant sizing for knee replacement devices.

Her research specializes in computational biomechanics, utilizing finite element modeling to inform surgical decisions, assess implants and techniques, and enhance patient mobility and functionality. Key areas include biomechanics of implanted knee and hip joints, multi-scale modeling of the natural knee, and anatomic considerations for recurrent patellar dislocation. As a co-investigator on industry- and federally-funded grants, she has published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and two book chapters. Selected publications encompass "Efficient development of subject-specific finite element knee models: Automated identification of soft-tissue attachments" (Journal of Biomechanics, 2025), "Neuromusculoskeletal Modeling and Force Prediction: Verification Through Experimental Neuromuscular Dynamics" (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2025), "Predicting Surgical Outcomes in Patients With Recurrent Patellar Dislocations" (Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025), and "Accuracy of machine learning techniques for real-time prediction of implanted lower limb mechanics" (Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 2025). Fitzpatrick has received the NSF CAREER Award ($563,139, 2020-2025) for a framework predicting osteoarthritis risk, the 2021 Graduate College Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award, the 2015 Best of the Orthopaedic Research Society award, and a 2013 featured article in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. She recently co-led a $2 million NSF grant for organoid intelligence research. Her global collaborations with academic, industry, and clinical partners advance orthopaedic treatments and osteoarthritis prevention.