Alex Fok

Professor University of Minnesota, US.

Dr. Fok obtained his BEng and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester, UK. He also holds a BA in Mathematics from the UK Open University and an MSc in Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Analysis from the University of Oxford.

Dr. Fok has expertise in stress and structural analysis. His research activities cover a range of topics in the biomechanics of dental restorations. These include probabilistic failure analysis, micro-structural modeling of composite materials, shrinkage stress and strain, design of mechanical tests, nondestructive examination and shape optimization of dental restorations. A principal aim of his research is to instill more rigorous engineering principles into the design and assessment of dental restorations and treatments so as to improve their reliability.

Dr. Fok has been the Director of the Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics (MDRCBB) since 2007. Established as an industrial-academic collaboration, with the 3M Foundation and 3M Dental Products Division providing the founding funds, the MDRCBB works with industry on the development of new dental biomaterials and technologies. New materials are evaluated using the many techniques unique to the MDRCBB to determine their applicability and chances for clinical success in the oral cavity. The MDRCBB has been continuously funded since 1991.