Justin Robert Ryan PhD, MS

Dr. Justin Robert Ryan, Ph.D. is the Director of the new 3D Innovations (3DI) Lab at Rady Children’s Hospital. He received his B.A. in digital art with a specialization in 3D imaging and computer animation (ASU), an M.S. in biomedical engineering (ASU), and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering (ASU). 

In 2012, through the acquisition of a Leadership Circle Grant, the Cardiac 3D Print Lab was created in order to bring novel visualization tools to clinicians and researchers at PCH. He served as the junior scientist in the lab since its inception. To date, the lab has produced over 200 heart models for surgical planning, medical education, and family consultation. In addition, the lab has produced models in conjunction with other departments and institutions; these models include patient-specific replicas of ears, brain tumors, bones, and other vascular anomalies.

Dr. Ryan is leading the lab to address two main fields of interest. First and foremost, the lab serves as a novel clinical support tool, producing models of patient anatomy prior to surgery. This immediately translatable research has impacted the surgical process, and a clinical trial is currently in the works to directly measure the impact of this novel process on the patient’s outcomes. The lab’s second focus is on novel research utilizing image processing, 3D printing, and casting techniques. This focus includes virtual surgical processes and educational simulator models with collaborators at Barrow Neurological Institute and Mayo Clinic Arizona.