June 2024 - International Society of Biomechanics (2024)

Table of Contents

• President's Blog

• Student's Corner

• Biomechanics Through Time

• Affiliate Society News

Chilean Association of Movement Sciences (ACCM)

Brazilian Society of Biomechanics (BSB)

• Technical Group News

3-D Analysis of Human Movement Technical Group

• Around the World

Featured Labs – EDC Series

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of ISB: Special Publications

National Biomechanics Day

• Obituary

Jim Andrews (1934-2024)

Robert van Deursen (1958-2024)

Scroll down to see all featured articles:

President's Blog

We have had lots of activity in the past three months; reviewing student awards, reviewing plans for technical group symposia, and reviewing support for affiliate societies. Some updates on these activities feature in this newsletter.

The main activity of the Presidents over the past three months has been supporting bid submissions for the 2027 ISB Congress. ISB has recently undertaken a review of the Congress hosting guidelines, and these revised guidelines have been used in the recent bid submissions. I am happy to report that we received 5 proposals, and I am very grateful to our President-Elect, Felipe Carpes, for managing and supporting these submissions. I am also very grateful to those teams for taking the time to submit bids to host the 2027 ISB Congress. It is a big task to submit a bid and to host a conference, so thank you to those teams for your willingness to do this, and for your efforts in submitting a bid as the first step. We are performing a preliminary review and will select the top proposals to deliver a detailed bid presentation in August.

You may have noticed a recent email from the “ISB Presidents” inviting you to participate in a strategic survey. ISB is working on a strategic plan and this survey is the first step. It is the consultation of our membership on which ISB activities and initiatives are most valuable to you personally. The survey is anonymous and should only take a few minutes to complete, so please consider completing the survey so that you can have your say as to where ISB should focus our attention and resources. ISB will use the results of the survey to guide the development of an ISB strategic plan, and I will share the insights from the survey in a future newsletter.

Finally, I would also like to share with you all that the Special Issue publications for the ISB 50^th Anniversary are near completion. I am very grateful to Alberto Leardini for initiating these Special Issues and for managing the publication process to completion, with assistance from Véronique Feipel and Felipe Carpes, and for the contributions of many of our ISB members as guest editors and authors. The Special Issues already include over 50 papers across 6 issues in 5 journals, and a position paper. This has been a huge undertaking, documenting our history and progress in the field of Biomechanics, with contributions from many ISB members. Thank you all for your contributions and congratulations on this achievement.

I hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter, and as always, I invite you to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.

Elizabeth Clarke

ISB President

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Updates from the Student Representative

I hope that everyone had a great Semester and is enjoying life as it slows down a bit (or perhaps this is when you get to really kick it up a notch)!

The call for abstracts for ISB 2025 is just around the corner! I hope you all are as excited as I am for the upcoming conference in Stockholm! Don’t forget that you can always reach out to your Mentor(s) through our Mentoring Program with questions regarding your research. If you are still stuck, feel free to discuss via the Biomech-L forum, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter).

We have some great plans forming for the student event and the student-mentor lunch. Be sure to stay on the lookout as more information will follow in the months to come. Looking forward to seeing you all next year!

Get ready for ISB 2025 in Stockholm!

The 30^th Congress of the International Society of Biomechanicswill be held at the Waterfront Convention Centre in Stockholm, Sweden on the 27 - 31 July 2025.

Mentoring Program

ISB is dedicated to promote and facilitate both the academic and personal development of young biomechanists around the world. If you are not already a part of our mentoring program, I highly encourage you to join! Interested ISB student members can be matched student-student or researcher-student. Find out more information here or email me directly to learn more!

Science in the Break (SitB)

Be sure to watch the latest videos on Youtube!

Are you interested in participating? Did we miss a topic you would like to chat about? Do you want to learn how to interview people or edit videos professionally?

Reach out to us via email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Twitter (@ISBiomechanics and @ScilnTheBreak). We are always excited to connect with passionate students – we look forward to chatting with you and sharing your experiences/research with the community!

Keep in touch!

Stay up to date with ISB by liking our ISB Facebook page, joining the Student Members Facebook page, and following ISB on Twitter. Please reach out to me with any comments, questions, suggestions, or just to talk. You can contact me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Best Wishes,

Shaye Tiell

ISB Student Representative

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Biomechanics Through Time

Here, you will uncover historical information about the society. Enjoy these nuggets curated by John Challis, our Archives Officer.

On August 8th, 1900, at the International Congress of Mathematicians held at the Sorbonne in Paris, David Hilbert presented ten unsolved mathematical problems. Hilbert (1862-1943) was one of the leading mathematicians of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; many may be familiar with his eponymous Hilbert spaces used in linear algebra and calculus. His mission in presenting the problems was to set an agenda for research in mathematics. The publication of his problems actually comprised 23 problems, related to many branches of mathematics (Hilbert, 1902). The first problem solved, number three, asked whether for two polyhedra of equal volume it was always possible for one of them to be sliced into many polyhedral pieces and for the other to be assembled from those pieces. It turns out one polyhedron cannot always be assembled from the slices of the other polyhedron. Some of Hilbert’s problems remain unsolved, including problem nine, the Riemann hypothesis. The Clay Mathematics Institute has, in a similar vein, presented seven problems: the Millennium Prize Problems. The Riemann hypothesis is one of those seven problems. Hilbert thought solving any of his problems would advance mathematics and potentially provide glory to the mathematician solving a problem; the Millennium Prize Problems also have a monetary incentive.

Biomechanics builds on knowledge from the natural sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, and physics). In all of these areas, mathematics provides essential tools. Indeed, wonder has been expressed at the effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences (Wigner, 1960). Progress in science is, in important ways, different from the way mathematics progresses. Generally, scientific hypotheses are proposed and then tested based on evidence, typically from experiments. The evidence does not provide proof; rather, it can provide support for a hypothesis. In mathematics, the testing of ideas is not based on evidence from the natural world, and it is possible in a single paper to provide a proof (e.g., Wiles, 1995). In mathematics, a paper with a valid proof can be sufficient evidence for acceptance of the proof by the mathematics community.

Given the differences between science and mathematics, while it is possible to present problems to the biomechanics community, there is less chance of a definitive answer to the problem. In biomechanics, rather than problems to solve, challenges to tackle are perhaps more relevant (e.g., Fregly et al., 2012). Robert (Bob) Norman, a former ISB president (1989-1991) and an honorary member, wrote an article for the ISB Newsletter in 1985: “Biomechanics: Are there substantive issues?”. He presents three challenges to the biomechanics community, which are both thought-provoking and still relevant (Norman, 1985). While Bob acknowledges his list is not exhaustive, the areas of his problems are still enticing and have some of the desirable potential rewards outlined by Hilbert (1902):

“Who of us would not be glad to lift the veil behind which the future lies hidden; to cast a glance at the next advances of our science and at the secrets of its development during future centuries?”

References

• Fregly, B. J., Besier, T. F., Lloyd, D. G., Delp, S. L., Banks, S. A., Pandy, M. G., & D'Lima, D. D. (2012). Grand challenge competition to predict in vivo knee loads. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 30(4), 503-513.
• Hilbert, D. (1902). Mathematical problems. Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, 8, 437-479.
• Norman, R. W. (1985). Biomechanics: Are there substantive issues? International Society of Biomechanics Newsletter, 18, 2-4.
• Wigner, E. P. (1960). The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences. Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics, 13(1), 1-14.
• Wiles, A. (1995). Modular elliptic curves and Fermat's last theorem. Annals of Mathematics, 141(3), 443-551.

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The International Women in Biomechanics (IWB), a new ISB affiliated society, has released their new website and membership database: https://www.intwomenbiomech.org/. The new website offers a means for the biomechanics community to exchange information, foster connections, and promote gender equity in the field of biomechanics.

An exciting feature of the website is the release of a Public Repository of women and other underrepresented genders in biomechanics! IWB maintains this list so that anyone in biomechanics can readily consider IWB members for invited talks, award nominations, research collaborations, and more.

IWB membership runs on a calendar year (all 2024 memberships expire Dec 31, 2024) and are offered at three levels, including a discounted rate for students/trainees*:

• Professional Members (10 USD)
• Trainee Members (5 USD)
• Supporter/Ally Members (5 USD)

Dues will support IWB in multiple ways, including the maintenance of the website and member-only content and programs. IWB membership comes with several perks, including:

• Directory access to readily find IWB members by country and research area
• Access to Message Boards, including job postings and teaching resources
• Support and resources for biomechanics award nominations
• Member-only event access and Resources to support your career, professional development
• …and more!

IWB is grateful to the ISB for their support through the Affiliate Society Membership program. The ISB community is invited to continue their support of IWB and take advantage of these exciting features and perks on the IWB website. Your involvement is what makes this an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone in biomechanics!

*If you need financial assistance to cover the costs of memberships - for any reason - do not hesitate to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Chilean Association of Movement Sciences (ACCM)

THE CHILEAN ASSOCIATION OF MOVEMENT SCIENCES (ACCM) ANNOUNCES THEIR IV CONGRESS IN 2024

by South America Representative - Felipe P Carpes, President-Elect ISB

In northern Chile, the Chilean Association of Movement Sciences (ACCM) will organize the IV Congress of ACCMat the University of Antofa*gasta next November 6 – 8, 2024. The ACCM is an ISB affiliate society created with the objective of promoting the development and dissemination of Movement Sciences and related disciplines, including Biomechanics, Neurosciences, Psychology, Physiology, and Engineering, either individually or through interdisciplinary collaboration.

The congress is presented as a thrilling opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and fruitful collaboration between professionals from various disciplines, both nationally and internationally. It provides a dynamic space for discussion and advancement in the Movement Sciences. This academic event represents a significant opportunity for collaborative work towards strengthening research and collaboration in northern Chile, contributing to the development of the region and the progress of the scientific disciplines involved.

We invite the community to visit www.accm.cl and follow the society on social media at @ciencias_del_movimiento_chile to have access to the latest content regarding ACCM activities. Companies willing to support and participate in the event are invited to reach out to the society through the e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Brazilian Society of Biomechanics (BSB)

THE BRAZILIAN SOCIETY OF BIOMECHANICS CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF BIOMECHANICS IN THE COUNTRY

by South America Representative - Felipe P Carpes, President-Elect ISB

The Summer and Winter Schools are events recognized worldwide regarding their effectiveness in attracting young students to the field of biomechanics as well as leveraging collaborations. Similar to what happened in the past year, the Brazilian Society of Biomechanics (BSB) will fund at least five different winter school events that will take place in different regions of the country during this winter season. In addition to the winter school, BSB has encouraged its membership to join the National Biomechanics Day (NBD) activities and, for the second year in a row, will fund laboratories developing NBD to participate in the XXI Brazilian Congress of Biomechanics in 2025. The funding will include full registration for all members of the laboratory that were involved in the promotion of an NBD in 2024. These initiatives are important for the biomechanics community in Brazil and also may serve as a motivation to other national societies to promote similar initiatives together with their members.

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3-D Analysis of Human Movement Technical Group

Are you planning to attend the World Summit on 3D Analysis of Human Movement (3DAHM)?

For the first time, 3DAHM will be held in Latin America, in beautiful Uruguay, from December 3-6, 2024.

Highlights include:

• Renowned speakers from five continents, including Albertus, Herzog, Minetti, Mullerpatan, and Pandy.
• A unique blend of academic and social activities with tango as the leitmotif.
• Accepted papers will be published in IEEE Xplore.
• Major biomechanics manufacturers are confirmed sponsors.
• An exclusive Sports Medicine track at the Uruguay National Football Team facilities.

Please check below the invitation from the President of 3DAHM, Professor Franco Simini and join us for this remarkable event!

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Special publications in celebration of ISB

We highly recommend checking the following special issues and position paper, organized in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of ISB:

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National Biomechanics Day

Hello, Biomechanists Worldwide…

National Biomechanics Day 2024 celebrated our Breakthrough Science for the ninth¹ consecutive year on five continents around the world. Again, over 4,000 high school students, and some other grades, participated in 58 NBD celebrations. These totals raise our participants to >44,000 students and 616 total NBDs.

NBD successfully held its grant programs for the fourth consecutive year. We received 42 submissions from 33 countries and funded 22 applications from seven nations with $19,970. These programs supported women, Black, and LatinX students as well as biomechanists working in the area of disability. NBD has now provided ~$70,000 to support the growth and development of our science. We give special acknowledgment to Bertec, Inc., American Society of Biomechanics, and Books of Discovery for their direct support of these programs.

We have some outstanding videos including these two favorites this year:

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cal State East Bay

The UNAM event was directed by María Daniela Trejo Méndez, NBD Grant recipient and Raúl Gerardo Paredes Guerrero, her faculty advisor. Cal State NBD was Vanessa Yingling and Michael Rowley, NBD stalwarts!

As always, we cannot accomplish our goals without the support of the scientific and commercial foundations of biomechanics, our many sponsors, all of whom broadly support our science in so many ways.

With your continued support, with the support of our sponsors, and with new biomechanists joining NBD each year, we strive to make Biomechanics the Breakthrough Science of the 21^st Century!!!!

Biomechanics, where science meets fun!

Sincerely,

Paul DeVita, Lisa MacFadden and Felipe Carpes, Executive Board of The Biomechanics Initiative, Inc

¹ Two NBD celebrations were held in early 2020 just prior to shutting down for the COVID pandemic.

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Featured Labs - EDC Series

Dr. Jansen Estrazulas is an Adjunct Professor at the University of the State of Amazonas (UEA) in Brazil and holds a Ph.D. in Production Engineering/Ergonomics from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) (2017). He completed his Postdoctoral studies in Physical Therapy at Florida International University (FIU) in the USA in 2019. Prof. Estrazulas is the Coordinator of the Biomechanics Postgraduate Program at UEA and serves as the Coordinator of Research, Development, and Technological Innovation Projects (PDI) at UEA.

Below you will find some thoughts from Jansen regarding his lab and his research.

ISB: What is the focus of your research, and could you describe some examples of cutting-edge projects your lab is engaged in?

Our current research focuses on occupational health and the risk of falls among the elderly. We are completing a dissertation examining the musculoskeletal health and biomechanics of fishermen in remote Amazon regions. Additionally, we're conducting a study with industrial workers to gather innovative data aimed at improving workplace machinery.

ISB: What inspired you to establish your lab and delve into biomechanics within an EDC, and what unique challenges or opportunities does your lab face?

Growing up in the more developed region of southern Brazil and now working in the less developed north has motivated me to make significant advancements in the lives of this population. Despite the geographical challenges of reaching the Amazonas region, advancements in online connectivity have facilitated collaborations with other researchers. Actively engaging in conferences and networking opportunities has been crucial for our scientific evolution. We also receive substantial funding from industries attracted to the Free Trade Zone of Manaus.

ISB: Can you provide insights into the facilities, equipment, and resources available in your lab that contribute to your research endeavors?

Our lab is equipped with state-of-the-art tools including X Sens IMUs, thermography cameras, and baropodometers.

ISB: Have you established international collaborations or partnerships with other research institutions?

We haven't established international collaborations yet, but we recognize the potential benefits they offer and aim to pursue them in the future. We aspire to establish more international collaborations to broaden the scope and impact of our research.

ISB: What are your suggestions and wishes regarding ISB’s support for biomechanics in EDCs, and what advice would you give to other researchers or aspiring biomechanists from EDCs?

I think ISB's support for biomechanicists from economically developing countries is fantastic. Perhaps expanding initiatives such as organizing events or workshops in regions like the Amazon could further enhance support. Who knows, maybe an ISB Congress in the Amazon could be a possibility in the near future… For aspiring researchers, persistence and passion are key qualities. Just like Dory and Nemo, "keep swimming, keep swimming."

If you would like to visit the Amazon and participate in the activities in our lab, please let us know (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

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Obituary: Jim Andrews (1934-2024)

Jim Andrews (1934-2024)

In Memory of Jim Andrews
September 27, 1934 - May 31, 2024

Jim Andrews was the co-supervisor for my doctoral studies at the University of Iowa. Along with the late Jim Hay, Roy Crowninshield, Richard (Dick) Brand, and Tom Brown, he helped establish the legacy of biomechanics excellence at Iowa and they were among the first to offer a doctoral degree program in this emerging field.

Jim Andrews passed away on May 31st, leaving me feeling orphaned. Who was Jim Andrews? He was the engineer behind the theoretical works emanating from the Iowa team. He was also an athlete, an accomplished tennis player who loved the sport. Kit Vaughan, a former graduate student at Iowa, recounts a story where a fiery John McEnroe, at the top of his game at Wimbledon in 1981, made the infamous comment to umpire Edward James, “You cannot be serious!” Jim Andrews, it seems, was mortified and said to Kit, “We don’t all behave that way. On behalf of America, I apologize!". He was a gentleman on and off the court.

A sentence I often repeat to my students, first told to me by Jim Andrews, is, “It is good to have intuition in science, but you must always check if your intuition is indeed correct.” At Iowa, I taught a graduate course called “Biomechanics of Human Motion,” which Jim Andrews supervised and observed from the back of the room. After each class, we would discuss my lecture at length. I learned more about teaching and mechanics in those discussions than in all the formal courses I ever took. He was patient, thoughtful, and most of all, understanding of the student experience. In group meetings, he would regularly fall asleep and snore to the students’ delight, but then he would wake and, out of nowhere, ask profound questions, leaving everybody stunned.

Jim Andrews was the engineer to the scientist, the harbor in a sometimes-tumultuous sea, and most of all, he was generous with his knowledge and respectful of the students who had the pleasure of learning from him.

Here is a link to his obituary for all who knew him and for all who want to know a bit more about this early, quiet, and humble pioneer of American biomechanics.

Walter Herzog, University of Calgary

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Obituary: Robert van Deursen (1958-2024)

Robert van Deursen (1958-2024)

Robert van Deursen, a member and contributor to the ISB, passed away in June of this year from cancer at the age of 65. Robert served on the ISB Executive Council from 2007-2011.

Professor Robert van Deursen was recently retired from Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd), where he worked in their School of Healthcare Sciences. In the school he was Director of Physiotherapy, and research lead. He became an Emeritus Professor on his retirement, although up until the time of his passing he was still actively publishing.

In 1981, Robert received a BSc degree in physiotherapy from the Stichting Utrechtse Paramedische Academie (StUPA) in Utrecht, The Netherlands. On graduation he practiced physiotherapy first in the Netherlands (Apeldoorn), then in India (Guntur), and Sri Lanka (Kegalla). After returning to the Netherlands, where he worked in Harderwijk, Robert took on another international assignment in Chitungwize (Zimbabwe). He returned to the Netherlands to practise physiotherapy in Arnhem before completing an MSc in Human Movement Sciences at the Free University of Amsterdam (1994). From there he moved internationally again to the Pennsylvania State University where he received a PhD in 1997, studying under ISB Honorary member Peter Cavanagh. His PhD was titled “The effect of diabetic neuropathy on lower leg muscle spindle function and postural control strategies”. In 1998 he was appointed to the academic staff of Cardiff University where he remained for the rest of his academic career.

His frequently cited research spanned a number of areas including the prevention and rehabilitation of lower limb complications due to diabetic neuropathy, mobility problems in chronic neurological disease, and rehabilitation of joint instability after knee injury. His research work was always informed and energized by his wealth of clinical training and experience.

Robert was elected to the ISB Executive Council both in 2007 and 2009. On the council, he was the Education Officer, which among other duties included organizing tutorials at the ISB Congresses in Cape Town, South Africa (2009), and Brussels, Belgium (2011). Robert was also active promoting biomechanics and physiotherapy internationally, in part through his work for the British Council. Robert was instrumental in setting up the Center for Human Movement Science at the Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Health Sciences in Mumbai, India. This involved regular visits to Mumbai and much other support work when back in Cardiff.

Robert adjusting Vicon cameras at the MGM Institute of Health Sciences, February 2015.

Robert is survived by his wife and soulmate, Everdien Bouwman. They were an indivisible team, both physical therapists, both warm, compassionate individuals who were devoted to the service of others. Robert was always kind, honest, considerate, and measured in his personal and professional interactions. He left a multi-faceted legacy, but perhaps will be most missed for being one of nature's gentlemen.

John H Challis, Penn State University

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