Meet the Team with Senior Engineer Ryan Brune
Ryan Brune, PhD, is a senior engineer at The Ohio State University’s Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME). He joined the team in 2017 and has been a part of numerous divisions in his time.
Brune received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio Northern University and a masters and PhD in materials science and engineering from The Ohio State University.
Previously, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at CDME and as a graduate research associate at the Impulse Manufacturing Laboratory in Ohio State’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Brune currently manages the CDME Prototyping Laboratory in the Medical Modeling, Materials, and Manufacturing (M4) Division. The lab uses polymer-based additive manufacturing for biomedical-device projects and supports other CDME initiatives requiring 3D printing design, preparation, fabrication and post-processing.
CDME: How did you discover CDME?
Ryan Brune: I heard of CDME as a graduate student through my advisor, Professor Glenn Daehn, so I had seen some of the center’s spaces before it existed. As a graduate student, I knew they were trying to grow and take on more projects around the time I was searching for a full-time position. When they were expanding, I was looking for a job. When I was looking at employment opportunities, I wanted to do something with cool innovative technologies in ways people have not done before, so I thought it was a nice fit for the type of work I wanted to do.
CDME: What are some of the other groups you have been a part of in CDME?
Brune: They are called different things now, but I was a part of the materials and welding team, which is now the Materials and Process group. I was also in the mechanical engineering group. I have been a part of the Additive Manufacturing Division, which covers both polymer and metal-based printing technologies. Now, I am part of the M4 Division.
CDME: Can you describe the depth and capabilities of the M4 Division?
Brune: We have a good balance of our staff and student teams doing medical device development and prototyping, which is what I am focused on. The other part of our division focuses on clinical models that are then sterilized to go into the operating room so the doctors can plan surgeries in an effective way.
CDME: How have you seen CDME change?
Brune: Over time we have taken over more lab space. When I started, the office space was in the high bay. Also, the computer labs and the student teams have grown. The formulation of our divisions happened, and our technical capabilities have increased.
CDME: What is a project you have enjoyed working on at M4?
Brune: We have developed a new heart catheter prototype. So, for a specific condition, we are working with some of the doctors and surgeons from Ohio State. They come to us, and we then bring the first iteration of it to life. We have also helped with new types of syringe designs and devices that help assist in performing a surgical operation. Also, we have worked on devices that are related to the accurate transfer of bodily fluids.
CDME: What is your favorite part of the job?
Brune: The variety and uniqueness of the types of things that I get to work on. I like that every day a new project may come in the door and present a new challenge or something I have not worked with. It is also exciting when a doctor or surgeon has a device they want to build and know what they need but are not engineers themselves, so they do not have the tools needed to design and prototype the device. I really like working with these people because we are making a real impact.
CDME: What impact have you seen on students at CDME?
Brune: During my time here managing students, I have managed 20 or so students. It is always great to see when they start here versus when they leave. I always try to make sure they are getting a worthwhile experience out of it. If there is a new skill that they want to learn I always try to work that skill in as best as I can. We want to prepare them for wherever they may end up. Students have said they liked working here because it can make them stand out against other candidates in future jobs. It is always exciting to see students leaving here and being successful at the start of their careers.
CDME: What are your hopes for your career in the future?
Brune: I want to see that we can continue to take on work that leads to the development of new types of devices and processes that really get used in patient-facing situations. It would be a mark of success for me to translate new technology into reality.
By: Sarah Lowenthal, CDME marketing and communications student assistant
