Welcome to the Biomechanics and Movement Sciences Interdisciplinary Program
The mission of the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomechanics & Movement Science (BIOMS) is to advance the understanding of complex human systems through interaction of experts who cross traditional divisions of academic study. We strive to train outstanding researchers who will contribute to the advancement of health science through translational and interdisciplinary research. Research findings are disseminated through peer reviewed publications in high impact journals and presentations at national and international conferences. The BIOMS program comprises faculty from the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Engineering, and Health Sciences who use an interdisciplinary approach to research and graduate education.
What’s New in BIOMS
Movement with (artificial) Muscle
A team of researchers from the College of Health Sciences has received nearly $200,000 in start-up funding from the University City Science Center in Philadelphia to develop a motorized ankle foot device for children with cerebral palsy that includes a novel artificial muscle. The UD team is among four teams selected for funding from among 50 applicants from 12 institutions in the QED Proof-of-Concept Program, designed to help researchers commercialize their work. The grant, equally funded through the QED program and UD, will be used to develop a prototype of the medical device.
The funded project will be led by Ahad Behboodi, a doctoral candidate in UD’s biomechanics and movement science program and the project’s principal investigator. Project co-PI’s include Samuel Lee, Behboodi’s advisor and associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy; Martha Hall, director of the Innovation for Design Lab; Elisa Arch, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology; and Prabhpreet Gill, licensing associate in the University’s Tech Transfer Office, which is housed in the Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP).
Read more in this UDaily article.
Honor for Jill Higginson
For her contributions to the field, Dr. Jill Higginson, a professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering at the University of Delaware, was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) on Monday, March 25, 2019. Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. Higginson was selected for contributions to the field of neuromuscular biomechanics of pathological movement, musculoskeletal modeling and simulation, and undergraduate research and education. She is one of 156 new Fellows being inducted in 2019.
At UD, Higginson leads a laboratory that focuses on improving the understanding of muscle coordination for normal and pathological movements, which she investigates using experiments and simulation studies. Higginson joined UD in 2004, and in 2008, she became the first female director of UD’s Center for Biomechanical Engineering Research, an interdisciplinary center with a mission to provide engineering science and clinical technology to reduce the impact of disease on the everyday life of individuals. In 2010, Higginson became the founding director of UD’s biomedical engineering program, and she coordinated the undergraduate program through 2013.
Delaware Rehabilitation Institute: Leading National Center for Physical Rehabilitation Research
The Delaware Rehabilitation Institute, directed by Tom Buchanan, finds innovative and improved ways to help people recover from injury and disease by bringing together biologists, clinical scientists, engineers, and policy experts to critically address the issues faced by those with disabilities.
BIOMS Featured Research
Here in the United States, about one in 59 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A dance study at the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences is focused on developing social communication skills, motor skills and behavior in children with autism. The study is through the Move to Learn Innovation Lab at UD’s STAR Campus, where students under the direction of Dr. Anjana Bhat work with kids for 16 weeks of music, dancing and fun.