This is a past event.

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Candidate Seminar

Rachel Jones, PhD

Adjunct Instructor
New Jersey Institute of Technology

Abstract

The human body’s musculoskeletal system is incredibly adaptive, sometimes to its own detriment. Bone density and muscle mass grow and shrink, corresponding to external stimulus. Neurofeedback pathways give constant information about body position and velocity that elicit responses from muscles in milliseconds to stabilize an unwieldy bipedal frame. But is this always a good thing: do our bodies’ responses to trauma, deterioration, and heavy loading help or hurt us? Do long-term adaptive postures create musculoskeletal stress? In this seminar, I will discuss how the principles of biomechanics help to clarify and quantify the body’s own response to stress, trauma, and deterioration. Ultimately, this knowledge can inform how best to prevent musculoskeletal injuries through ergonomic practices and be beneficial to the rehabilitation process after the fact.