Head of the experimental platform for the biomechanics department.

Research topics
– Mechanical characterization of soft tissues and textiles
– In-silico evaluation of the mechanical interactions between medical devices and the human body
– Advanced experimental techniques (2D and 3D full-field measurement methods, FEMU identification)
– Applications to the fields of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular biomechanics, computer assisted surgery.

I teach to engineer and master students in my field of expertise.
I teach in the “Biomechanics” course for BMed Master diploma and tutor multiple student projects in relation with industrial partners.
I also teach an introduction to biomechanics in a school of osteopathy (CIDO).

I studied at the European School of Materials Engineering in Nancy, France, and had the opportunity to spend one year at the Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, where I obtained a Master of Science in 2010. I then joined the Center for Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering in Ecole des Mines de Saint-Etienne, France, and graduated as a PhD in 2013 in the field of orthotic biomechanics. Subsequently, I went abroad for 2 years as a post-dosctoral fellow in University College Dublin, Ireland, to study the mechanical behaviour of brain tissue. I published several papers on mechanical characterization of brain tissue.
Since 2016, I work as a research engineer in the Center for Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering in Ecole des Mines de Saint-Etienne, France. My research topics involve mechanical characterization of biological tissues and textiles, finite element modelling of the interaction between human body and medical devices, and computer assisted surgery. I work in close collaboration with industrial partners and physicians.

1. Pierrat, B., Novacek, V., Belzacq, T., Turquier, F. & Avril, S. Investigation of the mechanical use conditions of implants in abdominal wall hernia repair. in 8th World Congress of Biomechanics 2018.
2. Pierrat, B., MacManus, D. B., Murphy, J. G. & Gilchrist, M. D. Indentation of heterogeneous soft tissue: Local constitutive parameter mapping using an inverse method and an automated rig. J. Mech. Behav. Biomed. Mater. 2018.
3. Pierrat, B., Turquier, F., Novacek, V. & Avril, S. Mechanical characterization and constitutive modelling of textile-based implants. in 5th International Conference on Computational & Mathematical Biomedical Engineering 2017.
4. Gilchrist, M. D., MacManus, D., Murphy, J. G. & Pierrat, B. A new formulation of slight compressibility for arterial tissue and its Finite Element implementation. Comput. Methods Biomech. Biomed. Engin. 2017.
5. Gilchrist, M. D., Murphy, J. G., Pierrat, B. & Saccomandi, G. Slight asymmetry in the winding angles of reinforcing collagen can cause large shear stresses in arteries and even induce buckling. Meccanica 2017.
6. MacManus, D. B., Pierrat, B., Murphy, J. G. & Gilchrist, M. D. Region and species dependent mechanical properties of adolescent and young adult brain tissue. Sci. Rep. 2017.
7. MacManus, D. B., Pierrat, B., Murphy, J. G. & Gilchrist, M. D. A viscoelastic analysis of the P56 mouse brain under large-deformation dynamic indentation. Acta Biomater. 2017.
8. MacManus, D. B., Pierrat, B., Murphy, J. G. & Gilchrist, M. D. Protection of cortex by overlying meninges tissue during dynamic indentation of the adolescent brain. Acta Biomater. 2017.
9. Macmanus, D. B. D. B., Pierrat, B., Murphy, J. G. J. G., Gilchrist, M. D. M. D., Macmanus, D. B. D. B., Pierrat, B., Murphy, J. G. J. G. & Gilchrist, M. D. M. D. Mechanical characterization of the P56 mouse brain under large-deformation dynamic indentation. Sci. Rep. 2016.
10. Pierrat, B., Murphy, J. G. G., MacManus, D. B. B. & Gilchrist, M. D. D. Finite element implementation of a new model of slight compressibility for transversely isotropic materials. Comput. Methods Biomech. Biomed. Engin. 2016.
11. Pierrat, B., Molimard, J. J., Navarro, L., Avril, S. S. & Calmels, P. Evaluation of the mechanical efficiency of knee braces based on computational modeling. Comput. Methods Biomech. Biomed. Engin. 2015.
12. MacManus, D. B., Pierrat, B., Murphy, J. G. & Gilchrist, M. D. Dynamic mechanical properties of murine brain tissue using micro-indentation. J. Biomech. 2015.
13. Pierrat, B., Millot, C., Molimard, J., Navarro, L., Calmels, P., Edouard, P. & Avril, S. Characterisation of Knee Brace Migration and Associated Skin Deformation During Flexion by Full-Field Measurements. Exp. Mech. 2015.
14. Pierrat, B., Oullion, R., Molimard, J., Navarro, L., Combreas, M., Avril, S., Philippot, R. & Calmels, P. Characterisation of in-vivo mechanical action of knee braces regarding their anti-drawer effect. Knee 2014.
15. Gilchrist, M. D., Murphy, J. G., Parnell, W. & Pierrat, B. Modelling the slight compressibility of anisotropic soft tissue. Int. J. Solids Struct. 2014.
16. Pierrat, B. Caractérisation et modélisation des actions mécaniques des orthèses du genou. Mines Saint Etienne, 2013.
17. Pierrat, B., Molimard, J., Calmels, P., Navarro, L., Avril, S. & Edouard, P. Efficiency of knee braces: A biomechanical approach based on computational modeling. ESDA 2012 ( ASME 2012 11th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis) 2012.
18. Pierrat, B., Balat-Pichelin, M., Silvestroni, L. & Sciti, D. High temperature oxidation of ZrC-20%MoSi2in air for future solar receivers. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 2011.
19. Charpentier, L., Dawi, K., Eck, J., Pierrat, B., Sans, J.-L. & Balat-Pichelin, M. Concentrated Solar Energy to Study High Temperature Materials for Space and Energy. J. Sol. Energy Eng. 2011.
20. Pierrat, B., Molimard, J., Navarro, L., Avril, S. & Calmels, P. Evaluation of the mechanical efficiency of knee orthoses : a combined experimental-numerical approach. Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. Part H J. Eng. Med. 2010.