Contact
Office: Scott 309
Mobile: 970-402-7776
Campus: 970-491-2519
Email: david.prawel@colostate.edu
Website: idea2product.net
Dr. David Prawel
Associate Research Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Biomaterials Research and Engineering Laboratory
School of Advanced Materials Discovery
Founder, Idea2Product Lab
Dr. Prawel co-directs the Biomaterials Research and Engineering Laboratory (BREL) with Dr. Susan James, and develops biomaterials for cardiovascular and orthopedic healthcare. They hold several patents on novel technologies for orthopedic and cardiovascular applications.
Dr. Prawel also founded CSU’s Idea2Product (I2P) 3D printing lab, which provides access to 3D printing, scanning, software and related technologies, along with education and support for users.
Dr. Prawel has enjoyed a four-decade career as an entrepreneur, consultant and educator in 3D technology and digital product development. As an entrepreneur, he helped build 6 startup companies, with one successful IPO and hopefully one more in the works. As a consultant, he has advised dozens of manufacturing companies large and small in the application and deployment of 3D technology in global product development and manufacturing. As an author and speaker, he has published many articles and presented at numerous international conferences on a wide range of topics involving 3D technology in digital product development, 3D printing, and design / manufacturing collaboration. He is currently an Associate Research Professor in Mechanical Engineering at CSU, where he develops biomaterials for orthopedic and cardiovascular medicine and teaches additive manufacturing. In addition to his love affair with 3D technology, he is married for 40 years to a remarkable and extremely understanding woman and has an extraordinary son who is shaking things up in high-tech.
Education
- Ph.D. 2011, Colorado State University—Biomedical Engineering
- M.S. 1980, State University of New York at Buffalo—Natural Sciences
- B.S. 1978, State University of New York at Buffalo—Biology
- Certificate, 2002, University of Michigan Executive Education—Mergers and Acquisitions for Technology Companies
Resources
Research Interests
- We develop orthopedic biomaterials and implantable devices to improve and accelerate bone regeneration and healing, with a particular focus on clinical treatment of critical defects.
- Our biomaterials research involves engineering and fabrication (3D printing) of complex, patient-specific scaffold structures using photopolymeric ceramics.
- We also develop implantable, biodegradable devices to support and protect the scaffolds in load bearing and accelerate the healing process.
- We focus on clinical and translational research that has the potential to address current challenges in human healthcare. Clinical applications for our work include treatment of significant bone loss due to trauma and bone cancer.
Honors and Awards
- 2019 – WSCOE Outstanding Researcher Award
- 2014 – Colorado State University, OPIE Award for Innovation in Online Education
International Connections
- Country: South Africa
Contact: Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa – Research Collaboration - Country: New Zealand
Contact: University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand – Research Collaboration - Country: India
Contact: College of Engineering, Pune, India – Research Collaboration - Country: Netherlands
Contact: University of Twente, Fraunhofer Centre for Complex System Engineering, Enschede, Netherlands – Research Collaboration