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Flagstaff Festival of Science — Local Science Spotlight: Audrey Martin

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Local Science Spotlight: Audrey Martin,

Corrosion Metallurgical Engineer

 Local Science Spotlight Articles by Communications Intern, Claire Gibson

In the pursuit of understanding the unknown, Audrey Martin, Corrosion Metallurgical Engineer at W. L. Gore & Associates, chronicles the story of taking opportunities, and the tough questions needing answers along the way. Audrey’s work spans both engineering and science, where she works in research and development (R&D) and supports product development for medical implants used to save and improve lives in patients. Audrey’s work is to ensure that these products are corrosion-resistant and safe for patients to use for long amounts of time. Corrosion, the gradual destruction of materials through interaction with the environment, is all around us and affects our lives every day from the products we use to the cars we drive.
Audrey showing a young visitor our lab's shoulder simulator which simulates the movement of a shoulder and could also be used to test shoulder replacements.

“Many scientists say this, but I came upon my field by accident!” Audrey’s interest in medical devices started in her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley, where there were opportunities to work in orthopedic implants, specifically shoulder replacements.

This led Audrey to the path of working in medical implants. At first, Audrey wanted to work in orthopedics, but taking the opportunities where she saw them, she eventually landed in research and development for one of the biggest material science companies in the world. Audrey explains that much of her work consists of writing reports and coordinating reviews for the testing of new devices. Sometimes, Audrey will spend the day in the lab running samples and collaborating with others on research and development projects. Often this research will focus on material science and medical implants to address complex issues in the medical field today.

Audrey approaches her work by understanding progress in her field to create better and safer devices for the future. “We can look back on the history of medical devices, and not make the same mistakes again.”

To read the full interview, check out our blog!

Visit scifest.org for more details about the 2022 Festival of Science!