Research Interests
Advancing the mechanical design and control of medical robotic systems, including continuum robotics, with a special interest in image and sensor feedback, integrated sensor design, robotic system modeling and control, utilization of smart materials, and applications in surgical robotics.
Bio
Dr. Joanna Bertram is an assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University, where she leads research in medical robotics. Her work focuses on advancing the design, modeling, and control of robotic systems for medical applications.
At Duke, Dr. Bertram strives to foster an interdisciplinary approach to medical robotics by collaborating with the university's world-class clinical and academic communities to develop innovative, life-saving robotic systems.
Before joining Duke, Dr. Bertram earned her Ph.D. in Robotics from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she conducted groundbreaking research in the Medical Robotics and Automation (RoboMed) Laboratory. Her work included the design and control of steerable needles and the development of a robotic guidewire with integrated shape and force sensing, measuring less than 1mm in diameter. She also holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Bertram’s research contributions have been published in top-tier journals and conferences, including IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics (T-MRB), IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics (TMECH), and the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).
Her lab invites motivated students and researchers to join in pioneering the next generation of medical robotic technologies.
Education
- B.S. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018
- M.S.M.E. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2024
- Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2024
Positions
- Assistant Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Assistant Professor in Surgery
- Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
Courses Taught
- ME 592: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
- ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
- EGR 224L: Electrical Fundamentals of Mechatronics
Representative Publications
- Kheradmand, Pejman, Kent K. Yamamoto, Emma Webster, Keith Sowards, Gianna Hatheway, Katharine L. Jackson, Sabino Zani, et al. “The OncoReach Stylet for Brachytherapy: Design Evaluation and Pilot Study,” January 19, 2026.
- Reid, C. M., A. Haughey, S. Barter, K. K. Yamamoto, S. Thornton, L. L. Jackson, S. Zani, J. D. Bertram, and B. Mann. “Dynamic Motion Metrics for Objective Evaluation of Laparoscopic Camera Navigation Skill.” In International Symposium on Medical Robotics Ismr, 15–21, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISMR69606.2026.11536555.
- Kheradmand, P., K. K. Yamamoto, E. Webster, K. Sowards, G. Hatheway, K. L. Jackson, S. Zani, et al. “The OncoReach Stylet for Brachytherapy: Design Evaluation and Pilot Study.” Journal of Medical Robotics Research, January 1, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1142/S2424905X2650011X.
- Bertram, J. D., P. Soneji, D. Elliott, T. A. Brumfiel, and J. P. Desai. “Tutorial: Nitinol and Tungsten Tendon Attachment Techniques for Steerable Continuum Robots.” Journal of the Indian Institute of Science 104, no. 3 (July 1, 2024): 623–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41745-024-00455-3.
- Chitalia, Yash, Achraj Sarma, Timothy A. Brumfiel, Nancy J. Deaton, Maxina Sheft, and Jaydev P. Desai. “Corrections to “Model-Based Design of the COAST Guidewire Robot for Large Deflection”.” IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 9, no. 2 (February 2024): 1155–57. https://doi.org/10.1109/lra.2023.3338783.