
Biomechanics on our Minds
Your favorite biomechanics podcast! Melissa Boswell, PhD, and Hannah O'Day, PhD, researchers at Stanford University, talk to researchers around the world about the exciting field of human (and animal) movement biomechanics. They also cover overcoming failures, collaborations, open science, leadership, and more. For more information, visit our website biomechanicsonourminds.com.
Latest episodes

Jan 25, 2023 • 50min
Episode 60: Productivity, Focus, and Wellbeing | Brent Shaw
In this episode, Brent Shaw joins us to talk about topics including goal setting, avoiding distractions, and enjoying the journey. Brent is the Director of Research at The Darrow Stem Cell Institute as well as a personal coach and host of the Student Performance Podcast. Brent shared science-backed tips and really actionable advice to help you achieve your goals!
Try out the Organized Researcher Quarterly Planner:
https://tinyurl.com/2p8aeddx
Thank you to our sponsor, Delsys!
Enter a prize draw to win a two-sensor Trigno Lite system: https://delsys.com/boom
Connect with Brent Shaw!
Instagram: @therealstudentmentor
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brent-Shaw
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com

Jan 11, 2023 • 55min
Episode 59: All Levels of Muscle and Power Skills | Silvia Blemker
Happy 2023! We start the year off with a wonderful conversation with Professor Silvia Blemker from the University of Virginia and who is the CSO/co-founder of Springbok Analytics. She talked about her lab’s research exploring muscle from cellular to whole-body levels and also on neuromuscular disorders like Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Silvia highlights the importance of teaching students diverse research skills and rebranding “soft skills” to power skills. She also discusses a collaborative entrepreneurial endeavor co-founding an AI-powered analytics company, and how she balances that with her academic duties. Listen to learn more about this awesome professor and role model in biomechanics.
Thank you to our sponsor, Delsys!
Enter a prize draw to win a two-sensor Trigno Lite system: https://delsys.com/boom
Connect with Silvia!
Lab Twitter: @UvaM3Lab
Springbok: https://www.springbokanalytics.com/about
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com

Dec 15, 2022 • 43min
Episode 58: Musical Biofeedback, Balance, and Sports | Antonia Zaferiou
In this episode, Professor Antonia Zaferiou shares her journey through art and science to becoming an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, as well as some of the exciting research projects in her lab. We discuss her recent and innovative NSF CAREER Award project using adaptive biofeedback (think the strings section of an orchestra responding to changes in angular momentum while you walk) to improve balance during everyday mobility. Antonia openly shares her passion for outreach in the episode and via the American Society of Biomechanics Teaching Repository.
Thank you to our sponsor, Delsys!
Enter a prize draw to win a two-sensor Trigno Lite system: https://delsys.com/boom
Connect with Antonia Zaferiou!
Lab website: https://www.zaferioulab.com/
Personal website: http://antonia-zaferiou.squarespace.com/
Twitter: @AZaferiou
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com

11 snips
Nov 2, 2022 • 53min
Episode 57: Open and Accessible Biomechanics Knowledge | Jacob Goodin
Today we are talking with Professor Jacob Goodin. Jacob is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, and was previously the head strength and conditioning coach and sport scientist for Eastern Tennessee State University's men’s and women’s tennis teams. We learn more about Jacob’s work in the lab and as a biomechanics teacher for many students around the world through his fantastic YouTube channel. His videos spanning movement science - from at-home workouts to statistics in kinesiology, all taught in a free, accessible, and exciting way - so much to learn from!
Thank you to our sponsors!
SageMotion: sagemotion.com
Link to past BOOM episode with Dan Lieberman: https://biomechanicsonourminds.com/episode-31-born-to-run-pt-3-dan-lieberman/?v=7516fd43adaa
Connect with Jacob Goodin!
Jacob’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrJacobGoodin/
Jacob’s faculty profile: https://www.pointloma.edu/faculty/jacob-goodin-phd-cscs-isak-ii
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com
Other resources:
The Biomechanics of Movement course on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3vG2068

Oct 5, 2022 • 50min
Episode 56: Quantifying the Essence of Drumming Biomechanics | Nadia Azar
We had a great conversation with Professor Nadia Azar, an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Windsor. For the first time on BOOM, we learn about the biomechanics of drumming and playing other musical instruments. Nadia shares her findings on the mechanics of how playing-related injuries occur and how to prevent them, along with her own journey through biomechanics and music, and how learnings from each can inform the other. One of our favorite takeaways was from Nadia is where she talks about her quest to be an imperfectionist, and learns that at some point you just have to say, “F*** it, the essence is there.”
Thank you to our sponsors!
SageMotion: sagemotion.com
Connect with Nadia!
Bio: https://www.uwindsor.ca/kinesiology/455/dr-nadia-azar
Twitter: @DrNadiaAzar
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com
Additional resources:
- TED Ed animation from Bit of BOOM “How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JKCYZ8hng
- Music Education and the Brain: What Does It Take to Make a Change? - Anita Collins, 2014: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/8755123313502346

Sep 21, 2022 • 55min
Student Voices Episode 16: Pandemic PhD Reflections | Michael Rose
This Student Voices episode is hosted by Michael Rose, a former clinical research coordinator and soon-to-be PhD student. In the episode Michael interviews three friends and colleagues – Ophelie Herve from UCLA, Gabi Diaz from CU Boulder, and Garrett Weidig from Michigan State University – on their experiences starting their PhD programs in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics range from integrating into new environments under lockdown measures and the pandemic’s impact on early research progress to how expectations were managed and advice for future graduate students.
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com

Sep 7, 2022 • 57min
Episode 55: Proprioceptive Prostheses and Clinical Impact | Hamid Charkhkar and Anna Smith
We talked with Professor Hamid Charkhkar from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland VA Medical Center and Anna Smith, a former Case Western student and research assistant in Professor Charkhkar’s neuroprosthesis group. We discussed the importance of being open to feedback from all stakeholders for human-centered research, how to translate that into holistic treatment strategies personalized to individual users, and about the impactful neuroprostheses that integrate sensory abilities being developed by Hamid’s lab. Anna highlights her experience learning that “I don’t know” is a valid answer in research while Hamid reminds us that things not going according to plan is an expectation in human research.
Thank you to our sponsors!
SageMotion: sagemotion.com
Connect with Hamid!
Hamid’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charkhkar/
Hamid’s Profile: https://www.aptcenter.research.va.gov/staff/investigators/charkhkar/
Connect with Anna!
Anna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aks174/
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com
Resources
Bit of BOOM: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-021-00966-9

Aug 17, 2022 • 38min
Episode 54 Part 2: Biomechanics in Practice | Bill DeSimone
This month we have two awesome interviews with people developing approaches to apply biomechanics in practice so things like performance training or even just standard weight training but in a safer way. This episode is Part 2 with Bill DeSimone. Bill is a personal trainer who focuses on teaching and sharing biomechanics-informed training to help prevent injury and improve performance. Part 1 was released earlier this month with Dr. Bryon Weinberg and Dr. Patrick Welsh from Athletic Movement Assessment. They are two doctors of chiropractic medicine who develop movement screens and can be used with everyday patients and clients, elite athletes, and teams. So if you haven’t listened to that, make sure to go back and check it out.
Thank you to our sponsors!
SageMotion: sagemotion.com
Connect with Bill!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jffproject/
Twitter: @BillDeS
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com
Resources
Bit of BOOM: https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381211056089

Aug 3, 2022 • 57min
Episode 54 Part 1: Biomechanics in Practice | Bryon Weinberg & Patrick Welsh from Athletic Movement Assessment
If you’re interested in learning more about how research in biomechanics can be translated into real and practical guidelines for improving training performance and safety, this episode is for you! We learn about putting biomechanics into practice with Dr. Bryon Weinberg and Dr. Patrick Welsh from Athletic Movement Assessment. Bryon and Patrick are doctors of chiropractic medicine who develop movement screens and can be used with everyday patients and clients, elite athletes, and teams. They are developing approaches to apply biomechanics in practice so things like performance training or even just standard weight training but in a safer way.
Thank you to our sponsors!
SageMotion: sagemotion.com
Connect with Bryon and Patrick!
Website: http://www.athleticmovementassessment.com/
Instagram: @athleticmovementassessment
Twitter: @AssessMovement
Facebook: Athletic Movement Assessment
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com
Resources
Bit of BOOM: https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381211056089

Jul 6, 2022 • 1h 1min
Episode 53: Diversity in Perspectives and People in Biomechanics | Robin Queen
In this episode we talk with Professor Robin Queen, a professor at Virginia Tech in the department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics and the principal investigator of the Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Lab. We discuss her diverse research projects including how she investigates the intersection of race and biomechanics and how she is developing better biomechanical metrics to better quantify and prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reinjury. She also shares the importance of building diverse teams, vulnerability, and connecting with others to do impactful work.
Thank you to our sponsors
SageMotion: sagemotion.com
Connect with Robin Queen!
Lab website: https://www.granatalab.beam.vt.edu/
Lab twitter: @GranataLab
Personal twitter: @rmqueen_VT
Connect with BOOM!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @biomechanicsonourminds
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/biomechanicsoom/
YouTube: Biomechanics On Our Minds
Website and shop: biomechanicsonourminds.com
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8959750/pdf/0200157.pdf
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14763141.2022.2056075
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021929020304942
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451865421000703