Researchers in Biomedical, Biomechanical, and Bioengineering fields in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering use mechanistic approaches and advanced tools in imaging and computational modelling to study biological systems and movement (see Figures 1 and 2). 

Research strengths in this area include cellular and subcellular mechanobiology, orthopaedic biomechanics (see Figure 3), ergonomics, locomotion, and energetics. The combination of these strengths and the department’s core competencies in mechatronics and mechanical design has produced transformative assistive technologies, including energy-returning prosthetic feet, end-user-designed rehabilitative devices, and energy-harvesting backpacks. With the emergence of state of-the-art biosensors and integration algorithms, the group is rapidly moving biomechanical and bioengineering research from the lab into real-world environments and biomedical research into hospitals and communities. 

Researchers in the Biomechanics Lab at the Human Mobility Research Centre (HMRC)
Figure 1: Researchers in the Biomechanics Lab at the Centre for Health Innovation (CHI) work on a shoulder simulator.

The group includes a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) and a recipient of a Dorothy Killam Fellowship. The group receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence (ORF-RE), the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and Ontario’s Early Researcher Awards program (ERA). 

Work in the Human Mobility Research Centre’s (HMRC)
Figure 2: Work in the Human Mobility Research Centre’s (HMRC) state-of-the-art facility involves unique methods to measure the mechanical factors of joint loading, orientation, and neuromuscular function during activities of daily living, as well as high-demand recreational and occupational tasks.
A final-year design team in Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Figure 3: A final-year design team in Mechanical and Materials Engineering prepares a prototype child-sized prosthetic foot. The team works with Queen’s professors as part of an international consortium providing high-performance devices for developing and post-conflict regions.

Researchers in this group:

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