Ivars Knets

Interests:

• Mechanics of Deformable Solids
• Mechanics of Composites
• Biomechanics
• Mechanics of Biological Tissue
• Biomaterials

Languages: Latvian, English, Russian, German

Education:

• Riga Technical University (Faculty of Civil Engineering), 1961
• Dr.sc.ing. (Candidate of Sciences in former USSR, Ph.D. in Western countries), Riga Technical University, 1965
• Dr. habil. sc. ing. (Doctor of Sciences in former USSR), Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1977
• Professor, Riga Technical University, 1978 -

Experience

• Rector, Riga Technical University, 1999 -
• Director,  Institute of Biomaterials and Biomechanics of the Faculty of Materials Science and Aplied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, 2001 -
• Director, Professor's Chair of Biomaterials and Biomechanics (part-time), Riga Technical University, 1998- 2001
• Director,  Specialized Institute of  Biomechanics (part-time), Riga Technical University, 1994- 1998
• Director, Research Laboratory of Biomechanics(part-time), Riga Polytechnic Institute (until 1990) and  Riga Technical University, 1987-1994
• Pro-Rector for Research and International Relations, Riga Technical University (former RPI), 1990 - 1999
• Pro-Rector for Research and International Relations, Riga Politechnic Institute, 1987 - 1990
• Director, Research Laboratory of Biomechanics, Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1969-1987
• Senior Research Associate, Senior Engineer, Head of Research Group,  Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1963-1969
• Junior Research Associate, Riga Polytechnic Institute, 1961-1963

    Lecturing activities:

• Full Professor, Riga Technical University (former RPI), 1990 -
• Full Professor (part-time), Riga Technical University  , 1978-1990
• Docent (part-time, 1971-1978), Lecturer (part-time,1963-1967), Assistant  (part-time, 1967-1971),  Riga Polytechnic Institute

    Abroad:   

• Postdoctoral researcher at the Brown University, Yale University, UCLA and Stanford University (USA) on the basis of Agreement between the USSR Academy of Science and National Academy of Science of the USA (September 1967 – July 1968);
• Invited Lecturer, International School of Bone Biomechanics (Varna, Bulgaria, 1975);
• Visiting Professor, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA (Dec. 1977 - Jan. 1978);
• Invited Lecturer, International School of Bone Biomechanics (Udine, Italy, 1986);
• Visiting Professor, International University Centre (Monte San Savino, Italy, 1995);
• Timoshenko Visiting Professor, Stanford University (Stanford, USA, 2000).

Honors and Awards:

• Corresponding Member, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 09.01.1992-09.04.1992
• Full Member, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1992 -
• Honorary Member, European Society of Biomechanics, 1986 -
• Honorary Member, Czechoslovakia Society of Mechanics, 1987-1993
• Academician, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europea, 2000 -
• Honorary Doctor, Medical Academy of Latvia (now - Riga Stradins University), 2000 -
• Latvian State Prize in Science, 1976
• The Latvian Academy of Sciences Presidium  Awards, 1971, 1976, 1980
• The Latvian Academy of Sciences and Joint Stock Company "Grindex" Prize for the development of the Scientific branch of biomechanics and the training of specialists in Latvia, 2004
• The Riga Prize in Science, 2006

Professional Activities and Memberships:

• Member, The World Committee for Biomechanics, 1990 - 2006
• Member, European Society of Biomaterials, 1987 -
• Foreign Member, National Committee of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of Russia, 1992 -
• Member of the Supervision Commission for EU fundings 2007-2013, (since 2007 -)
• Chairman (1992-1993, 1995-1996), Deputy Chairman (1991-1992,1994-1995), Member of Board (1991 - ), Latvian Council of Science
• Chairman, Commission for International Coordination in Science, Latvian Council of Science, 1992 -2007
• Chairman of Budget Commission, Latvian Council of Science, 1998 - 1999
• Chairman, LR Governmental Commission for overtaking the research institutions in Latvia which were under control of the former USSR, Aug 25 - Sept 10, 1991
• Member, Commission of the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia for Reorganization of Science Financing System, 1995
• Member, Commission for Integration of Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia, 1996
• Member, Commission for Estimation of Conception of the Development of National Higher Education System&Institutions, Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia, 1998
• Member, Latvian Council of Rectors, 1996 -
• Member, Latvian Council of Higher Education , 2000 -
• Member of Senate, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1998 -
• Scientific Secretary (1977-1983) and Deputy Chairman (1983-1989), Scientific Council on the Problems of Biomechanics, USSR Academy of Sciences
• Member (1988-1996), Member of Board (1988-1993), Vice-President (1990-1994), Latvian Olympic Committee
• President of the Latvian Universities Sports Federation, 1990-1996
• Member of Editorial Boards for Journals: 
       Journal of Material Science – Materials in Medicine (Chapman and Hall, London, UK, 1990 - ), Mechanics of Composite Materials (Zinatne, Riga, Latvia, 1981 - ); Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering (Gordon & Breach Science Publ., London, UK (1998-2001) and  Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, USA, 2001 - ), Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics (Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland, 1999 - ); Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (International OCSCO World Press, Gliwice - Portland, Madrid, 2006 - ); Archives in Material Science and Engineering (International OCSCO World Press, Gliwice - Portland, Madrid, 2007 - ); Journal of Engineering in Medicine (Professional Engineering Publishing Ltd., London (UK),  2006 - ); International Journal of Computational Materials Science and Surface Engineering, (Interscience Enterprises Ltd,  2007 - ).

• Member of  International Steering Committees
          - 1st (San Diego, USA, 1990), 2nd (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1994), and 5th (Munich, Germany, 2006) World
             Congress of Biomechanics 
          - Scientific Secretary, 1st (Riga, 1975), 2nd (Riga, 1979) and 3rd (Riga, 1983) USSR Conference of 
             Biomechanics 
          - Deputy Chairman, The 4th USSR Conference of Biomechanics held jointly with the European Society of
             Biomechanics (Riga, 1986) 
          -  2nd  (Swansea, UK, 1994), 3rd (Barcelona, Spain, 1997), 4th (Lisbon, Portugal, 1999), 5st (Roma, Italy,
             2001), 6th (Madrid, Spain, 2004), 7th (Antibe, France, 2006), and 8th (Porto, Portugal, 2008)   International
             Symposium   on  Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering            
          -  Interntional Conference on Research in the Central and Eastern European Universities (Krakow, Poland, 1997)
          -  IUTAM International Conference on Research at Central and Eastern European Symposium in Bio Solid               Mechanics   (Lyngby, Denmark, 1998)
          -  8th IMEKO Conference on Measurement in Clinical Medicine (Dubrovnik, Croatia, 1998) 
          -  11th Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering (Tallinn, Estonia, 1999)
          -  4th (Wroclaw, 1999), and 5th (Krakow, 2001) Polish Scientific Conference of Biomechanics
          -  10th (Dublin, Ireland, 2000) and 11th (Wroclaw, Poland, 2002) Conference of European Society of    
              Biomechanics
          -  IASTED Biomechanics Conference (Rodos, Greece, 2003)
          -  International “Regional Central and Eastern European Conference on Sustainable Building” (Warsaw, Poland,
             2004)
          -  7th International Congress on Biomaterials (Sidney, Australia, 2004)  
• Chairman, Friendship Society Latvia - Republic of South Africa, 1993 - 1998

Lectures:

• Visiting Professor, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA, Dec.1977-Jan.1978
• Invited lecturer, International Schools of Bone Biomechanics (Udine, Italy, 1986 and Varna, Bulgaria, 1975)
• Visiting Professor, International University Centre (Monte San Savino, Italy, 1995)

Courses:

    Riga Technical University:

• Mechanics of Biological Tissue
• Biomaterials
• Testing of Biological Tissue
• Mechanics and Structure of Hard Biological Tissue

Recent / Representative Publications

Total number of publications  - about 200, including 3 books and 6 patents ((in France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the UK and the USA).

   Scientific books:

• I.Knets. Major Trends in the Mathematical Theory of Plasticity. 1971, Riga: Zinatne Press, 146 pp. (in Russian); Translation in English by USA Army Foreign Science and Technology Center, Charlottesville, 1972.
• I.Knets, G.Pfafrods, J.Saulgozis. Deformation and Fracture of Hard Biological Tissue. 1980, Riga: Zinatne Press, 319 pp. (in Russian)
• I.Obrazcov, I.Adamovich, A.Barer, I.Knets. The Problems of Strength in Biomechanics. 1988, Moscow: Vishaya Shkola Publ. House, 311 pp. (in Russian).

    Some significant scientific publications in 1998-2007:

• I.Knets, J.Laizans, R.Cimdins, V.Vitins, M.Dobelis. Biomechanical reaction of double coating on metal implants. - In:. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering -2, 1998, Singapore: Gordon&Breach Science Publishers, pp. 173-177
• I.Knets, J.Laizans, M.Dobelis. Numerical modelling of the biomechanicl reaction of human tibia under complex loading stste. - ibid, pp.299-304 
• I.Knets, A.Melnis, M.Dobelis. Effect of time dependence on the mechanical behavior of compact bone tisue. - In: Solid Mechanics and its Applications (IUTAM Symposium on Synthesis in Bio Solid Mechanics, Lyngby, Denmark, 1998). Proceedings. Dordrecht/Boston/London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999, pp. 129-138.
• I.Knets. General principles of the biomechanical behavior of reological tissue. - Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing, 1999, vol. 37, Suppl. 1, pp.37-42
• I.Knets. General principles of the bone tissue testing. - Acta of Bioengineering and Computing, 1999, vol. 1, N 2, pp. 55-66.
• V.Filipenkovs, I.Knets, R.Cimdins, V.Vitins. Mechanical properties of biocomposites and their bonding strength with the bone tissue. - Acta of Bioengineering and Computing, 1999, vol. 1, Suppl. 1, pp. 157-160.
• V.Vitins, V.Filipenkovs, I.Knets, R.Cimdins. Effect of bioglass coating at the interface between the bone tissue and implant. - Acta of Bioengineering and Computing, 1999, vol. 1, Suppl. 1, pp. 531-533.
• Yuehuei H. An, William R.Barfield, Ivars Knets. Methods of Evolution for Bone Dimensions, Densities, Contents, Morphology, and Structures. - In: Mechanical Testing of Bone and the Bone-Implant Interface (eds. Yuehuei H. An, Robert A. Draughn), CRC Press, 2000, pp. 103-118.
• I.Knets, J.Laizans, A.Bigestans, J.Middleton, M.Dobelis, V.Vitins. 3D model of the human mandible and dentition system. – In: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering – 3 (eds.: J.Middleton, M.L.Jones, N.G.Shrive, and G.N.Pande), Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, The Netherlands, India, etc., 2001, pp.643-648.
• Knets I., Laizans J., Dobelis M., Middleton J., Bigestans A., Vitins V. Stress analysis in the human mandible during simulated tooth clenching. -  In: Computer Methods in Biomechanics & Biomedical Engineering –3 (Eds., J. Middleton, M.L. Jones, N.G. Shrive & G.N. Pande), Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, The Netherlands, India, etc., 2001, pp. 661-666.  
• Filipenkovs V., Knets I.. Mechanical properties of biocomposites made of mineral components for bone tissue replacement. -  Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics, 2001, vol. 3, Suppl. 2, pp. 149-156.
• M.Dobelis, I.Knets, J.Laizans, A.Bigestans, J.Middleton, V.Vitins.   FEM analysis of fractured mandible. - In: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering – 4. University of Wales College of Medicine Publ., (e-publication; ISBN: 1 903847 09 5). 2002. 6 pages.
• I.Knets. Basic principles of the mechanical testing of bone tissue. – In: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering – 4, University of Wales College of Medicine Publ., (e-publication; ISBN: 1 903847 09 5), 2002, 8 pages.
• Knets I. Peculiarities of the structure and mechanical properties of biological tissue. – Meccanica (Kluwer Academic Publishers), 2002, vol. 37, pp.375-384.
• M.Dobelis, I.Knets, J.Laizans, V.Vitinš, “3D modelling of the human mandible for FEA study. Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics, 2002, Vol.4, Suppl. 4, 151-152.
• I.Knets, V.Filipenkovs, M.Dobelis, V.Vitinš. Mechanical properties of biomaterials made of mineral components, and bonding strength between bone tissue and implant”. - Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics, 2002, Vol.4, Suppl. 4, 696-697.
• A.A.Natali, R.T.Hart, P.G.Pavan, I.Knets. Mechanics of Bone Tissue. – In: Dental BioMechanics, Taylor & Francis: London, 2003, pp.1-19.
• V.Vitins, M.Dobelis, J.Middleton, G.Limbert, I.Knets.  Flexural and creep properties of human jaw compact bone for FEA studies. -  Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, USA,   2003, Vol.6, Nr 5/6, pp. 299-304. 
• G.Limbert, J.Middleton, J.Laizans, M.Dobelis, I.Knets. A transversely isotropic hyperelastic constitutive model of the PDL. - Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, USA, 2003, vol.6, Nr 5/6, pp. 337-346.
• I.Knets, V.Vitins. Biomechanical compatibility of biomaterials with the biological tissue to be replaced. - In: Proceedings of the 7th World Biomaterials Congress, Sydney, Australia, 2004 (e-publication; ISBN: 1 934700 114),  6 pages.
• I.Knets. Time dependent behaviour of bone tissue. – Proceedings of 6th International Symposium on Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomechanical Engineering, Madrid, Spain, 23-28 February, 2004 (invited lecture, e-publication; ISBN: 0-9549670-0-3). 2005. FIRST Numerics Ltd, Cardiff Medicentre, 9 pages ) .
• Dobelis M., Laizans J., Middleton J., Knets I.  Numerical simulation of dental fillings induced by thermal loads. - Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering (Madrid, Spain, 2004), (e-publication; ISBN: 0-9549670-0-3). 2005. FIRST Numerics Ltd, Cardiff Medicentre, 6 pages.
• R.Cimdins, J.Bossert, J.Locs, I.Knets. Use of nanotechnologies for synthesis of dens alumina ceramic. - Book of abstracts in 3rd International Symposium on Advanced Biomaterials / Biomechanics (ISAB 2005) , Montreal, Canada, 2005, pp.270.
• I.Knets, V.Vitins, M.Dobelis. Ageing of Compact Bone Tissue. - Journal of Biomechanics, 2006,  Vol. 39, Suppl.1.
• V.Filipenkovs, J.Laizans, I.Knets. Bond strength of implant to the bone tissue and the stress-strain state of “bone-implant” system by the finite element method. - Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics (Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland), 2006,  Vol. 8, No. 2,  pp. 19-26.
• Veide Z., Dobelis M., Knets I., Laizans J., Vitins V.  Viscoelastic Properties of the Human Mandible for Finite Element Simulation. - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference „Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering” (Antibe, France, 2006). (e-publication; ISBN: 0-9549670-2-X). 2007. FIRST Numerics Ltd, Cardiff Medicentre. P# 304 pdf, 6 pages.
• Veide Z., Knets I., Vitins V., Dobelis M. Biomechanical Peculiarities of Physiologically Wet Compact Bone in Cyclic Three Point Bending Loading. - Proceedings of the 6thInternational Conference „Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering” (Antibe, France, 2006). (e-publication; ISBN: 0-9549670-2-X). 2007. FIRST Numerics Ltd, Cardiff Medicentre. P# 672 pdf, 6 pages.
• Filipenkovs V., Laizans J., Middleton J., Knets I. Bonding strength of composite implant to compact bone tissue and stress-strain state of system “bone-implant” by finite element method. - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference „Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering” (Antibe, France, 2006). (e-publication; ISBN: 0-9549670-2-X). 2007. FIRST Numerics Ltd, Cardiff Medicentre. P# 679 pdf, 6 pages.
• Knets I., Krilova V., Cimdins R., Berzina L., Vitins V. Stiffness and strength of composite acrylic bone cements. - Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, 2007, Vol. 20, nr. 1-2, . P. 135-138.

Research Projects:

• I.Knets. (Head of Project). Development of Functional Materials Based on the Investigation of the Structure and Biomechanical Properties of Biological Tissues. Latvian Council of Science (1991-1996).
• I.Knets. (Head of Project). Investigation of the Biomechanical Reactions of Biomaterials in Biological Systems and its Computer Modelling. Latvian Council of Science (1996-2000)
• I.Knets. (International Coordinator). Development of Educational Systems in Bioengineering, Biomechanics, and Biomedical Engineering. EC TEMPUS S-JEP-4962/92 (1992-2005).
• I.Knets. (International Coordinator). Integration of Engineering Education and Research in Latvia. EC TEMPUS S-JEP-09777/95 (1995-1998).
• I.Knets. (Head of Project). Mechanical Behaviuor and Biomechanical Compatibility of the Facial Bone Tissue and Their Implant Materials in the Long-Term Loading Conditions. Latvian Council of Science (2001 - 2004).
• I.Knets. (Head of Project). Peculiarities of the Deformation and Fracture Processes in the Compact and Spongy Bone Tissue and their Implant Materials under Cyclic Loading. Latvian Council of Science (2005 - ).
• I.Knets (Coordinator of Programme in Latvia) Approaching Reliability of Biomedical Devices. Leonardo da Vinci Scientific Programme EC (1999 - 2001)
• I.Knets. (Head of Latvian Part of Project). Development of a Nonlinear Numerical Constitutive Model for the Periodontal Ligaments. NATO Scientific Project (2002 – 2004)
• I.Knets . EU TEMPUS programme on “Development of Educational system in Bioengineering, biomechanics and biomedical engineering (September 1992 – August 2005)

Avocations: Sports (basketball, tennis).