Biomechanics and Energetics of Human Feet: From Basic Mechanisms to Clinical Translations
Kota Takahashi, PhD
Assistant Professor,
Department of Health & Kinesiology,
University of Utah
Friday, September 23rd at 11:45 am
In-Person in SMBB 2650!
Understanding the mechanisms of healthy musculoskeletal function provides a road map for interventions aimed to augment human mobility. Over the last ~10 years, our research group has integrated a variety of computational approaches to extract key features of the human foot and ankle structures, including functions pertinent to muscle mechanics, energetics, and thermodynamics. What emerged from these mechanistic studies were fundamental principles for understanding foot-ankle pathologies and inspiring designs of simple wearable devices (e.g., prosthetics, footwear). In this talk, I will share several examples of how our basic studies can inform clinical translations for individuals with mobility-affecting conditions (e.g., aging, amputation, and diabetes).
Dr. Kota Takahashi is an assistant professor in the Department of Health & Kinesiology at the University of Utah. Dr. Takahashi received his Ph.D. from the Biomechanics and Movement Science Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Delaware. He completed postdoctoral training from the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. The goal of his research is to examine the mechanics and energetics of human foot and ankle structures to inspire applications of wearable devices (e.g., prosthetics, footwear) for enhancing mobility. Using a variety of tools (e.g., motion capture, ultrasound, thermal imaging), he aims to bridge concepts from engineering and physiology to identify structure-function relationships that govern human locomotion.
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