Hallie Brinkerhuff

Hallie Brinkerhuff

Director of Sports Medicine Research & Development


Zimmer Biomet

Warsaw, IN USA


One of the core values of innovation is humility. If you don’t have humility, you’re not going to be open to new ideas, and that’s what innovation is.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Hallie Brinkerhuff

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
Grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, OH.
Early on, she identified her interests were in math, science, and medicine, which led to her pursuing an honors track in high school focused in these areas.
Before her senior year of high school, she participated in a summer program where she got to explore different areas of engineering—here she discovered her love of biomedical engineering.
Attended Case Western Reserve University, where she did a 5 year degree program earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering, specializing in biomaterials.
Moved to the South to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham to complete her PhD where she researched defective orthopedic devices.
Says her decision to get her doctoral degree was more of a personal goal than a professional one—“I’m a learner, I like to learn”.
Her first job after receiving her PhD was at Zimmer, Inc. (now Zimmer Biomet) researching and developing polymers, molecules that make up countless synthetic and natural objects all around us.
She has worked at Zimmer for the past 16 years, occupying various leadership positions in polymer research, advanced technology, and sports medicine.
Keep following my journey

Career

Director of Sports Medicine Research & Development

I design orthopedic implants and surgical instruments that restore mobility and alleviate pain.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Medicine
Learning / Being Challenged

Day to Day

A great day consists of problem-solving design or manufacturing challenges and making progress on new ideas or designs that help patients. It consists of learning something new, making mistakes, and working together as a team to achieve goals.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for high school students

Get a strong foundation in STEM education. Dig in and learn as much as you can.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

"I could be making money now instead of being in school."

Challenges I Overcame

Physical Issues