Senior Scientist, Materials Group

Dr Thomas Imwinkelried is a material scientist with more than 20 years of industrial experience as a development engineer and project manager. Metallic materials have been the main focus throughout his career, from nickel based single crystals during his PhD (1989 – 1993), casting of thixotropic aluminium (1995 – 2001), powder metallurgical production of titanium foam (2001 – 2006) to the degradation of resorbable magnesium alloys (2006 – 2014). His work on titanium foam – from the raw material to the CE approval of a spinal implant system  – was honoured in 2009 with the Erwin Schrödinger Award for interdisciplinary research.

He joined the RMS Foundation in 2014 as scientific collaborator, where he also provides services in the areas of surfaces and tribology. He currently organises the elective module «Medical Devices» for pharmacy students at ETH Zurich.