Athena received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on Manufacturing, from the National University of Singapore in 2016, where she was awarded the NUS Research Scholarship. During her PhD, she studied biomechanics of the human body, particularly the human spine. Her thesis, “Computational Biomechanical Modeling of Scoliosis for Surgical Correction Prediction,” resulted in a novel dynamic model of scoliosis and an in-house software tool for surgical planning and correction prediction. She published a novel kinematic model of the scoliotic spine, as well as new methods and findings on scoliotic spine behaviour. One of her papers on the application of data mining methods in medicine won a Best Paper Award at the Industrial Conference on Data Mining in New York in 2016.
After her PhD, Athena held a Research Fellow position at the Keppel-NUS Corporate Laboratory at the National University of Singapore for two years. She then joined Deakin University in Australia as a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Design, Production and Management (DPM) at the University of Twente.
Her research builds on her background in computational biomechanics and manufacturing, focusing on patient-specific implant design, additive manufacturing, and clinically driven medical device development.
Organisations
Athena’s research focuses on patient-specific implant design, additive manufacturing, and computational biomechanics to develop clinically relevant, patient-tailored implant solutions. Her work integrates anatomical modelling, biomechanical simulation, design optimisation, and advanced manufacturing to create implant concepts and associated surgical workflows.
Her current projects address patient-specific implants for complex anatomical and clinical challenges. These include the TURBO project, which focuses on the design and additive manufacturing of a patient-specific ankle implant, and the PIHC project, which focuses on a patient-specific ear canal wall implant. Across these projects, her research aims to translate patient anatomy, biomechanical function, material behaviour, and manufacturability constraints into implant concepts with clinical relevance.
Her research is carried out in close interaction with clinical and industrial partners, aiming to bridge computational biomechanics, implant design, additive manufacturing, and clinical translation.
Athena welcomes students, researchers, clinicians, and industrial partners interested in collaboration at the interface of computational biomechanics, additive manufacturing, and patient-specific implant design.
Research profiles
Production 2
Courses academic year 2026/2027
Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.
Courses academic year 2025/2026
Courses academic year 2024/2025
Athena’s current projects focus on patient-specific implant design, additive manufacturing, and clinically driven medical technology development.
TURBO – AMPLANK: An additively manufactured, minimally invasive, patient-specific, multi-material implant for management of ankle cartilage injuries
This TURBO project focuses on the development of a proof-of-concept for a patient-specific, additively manufactured, multi-material ankle implant for young and active patients with ankle cartilage injuries. The project combines ankle imaging, computational biomechanics, implant design, and additive manufacturing to explore a minimally invasive implant concept that can support future clinical and technological translation.
PIHC – Transforming to patient-specific ear canal implants by 3D printing technologies for improved health outcomes
This Pioneers in Health Care project focuses on the development of a patient-specific 3D-printed ceramic implant for reconstruction of enlarged or altered ear canals caused by chronic ear disease or surgery. The project aims to restore the natural shape of the ear canal using patient-specific design and ceramic 3D printing, with attention to implant fit, printing-related shrinkage, surface optimisation, bone ingrowth, and soft-tissue attachment.
Address
University of Twente
Horst Complex (building no. 20), room W250
De Horst 2
7522 LW Enschede
Netherlands
University of Twente
Horst Complex W250
P.O. Box 217
7500 AE Enschede
Netherlands
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