Symposia

Muscle-Tendon Mechanics Across Species

The meeting is organized by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä (JYU), Finland, together with the Comparative Neuromuscular Biomechanics (CNB) group, a technical group that is part of the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB). CNB aims to accelerate cross-pollination between comparative and human biomechanics fields, and is well aligned with the strategic aims of JYU’s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences.

The meeting is scheduled for July 24-25, 2025, directly before the ISB Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, and we envision attendees traveling from Helsinki to Stockholm (ferry and airplane options).

Organizing Committee:

• Professor Neil Cronin (University of Jyväskylä)

• Professor Taija Juutinen (University of Jyväskylä)

• Professor Jonas Rubenson (Penn State University, USA)

• Senior Lecturer Dr. Taylor Dick (University of Queensland, Australia)

• Prof. Huub Maas (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Scientific Sessions:

• From small to big: Comparative Biomechanics across scales

• Muscle-tendon Properties and Mechanisms

• Computational Modelling

• Muscle-tendon Dynamic Function

• The 3 Bs: Biomimetics & Bioinspired-design in Comparative Biomechanics

Confirmed Speakers:

• Nicolai Konow

• Lena Ting

• Dominic Farris

• Massimo Sartori

• Peter Magnusson

• Benedicte Vanwanseele

• Stephanie Ross

• Emma Hodson-Tole

• Kirsten Albracht

• Christofer Clemente

• Jan-Henning Dirks

Learn more here.

Muscles, Models, and Machines

A full-day CNB symposium (August 1, 2023, 8am – 3:30pm) at the ISB has been organized that includes three oral sessions on: 1) direct in vivo experimental approaches; 2) modelling; 3) robotic/engineering approaches to understanding muscle function in movement.  Each session theme consists of one keynote presentation followed by two invited speakers.  The symposium concludes with a moderated flash (2-3) minute poster presentation session.  The symposium is sponsored by the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Organizers:

• Dr. Jonas Rubenson (Penn State University)

• Dr. Greg Sawicki (Georgia Tech)

Keynote Speakers:

• Kiisa Nishikawa, PhD (University of Northern Arizona)

• Friedl De Groote, PhD (KU Leuwen)

• Christopher T. Richards, PhD (Royal Veterinary College, University of London)

Plenary Speakers:

• Jeroen Aeles, PhD (Vrije Universiteit Brussels)

• Josh Baxter, PhD (University of Pennsylvania)

• Surabhi N. Simha, PhD (Emory University)

• Anne Koelewijn, PhD (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität)

• Taylor J.M. Dick, PhD (University of Queensland)

• Andrew Schulz, PhD (Max Planck Institute)

Poster Presenters:

• Caitlin Bemis, PhD (University of Northern Arizona)

• Kavya Katugam-Dechene, PhD (Penn State University)

• Derek J. Jurestovsky, PhD (Penn State University)

• Ajay Seth, PhD (Delft University of Technology)

• Wejdaan Faridi (University of Calgary)

• Jordan Drapin (Université Toulouse)

• Seong-won Han, PhD (University of Münster)

• Fransiska M. Bossuyt (University of Calgary)

• Kristen L. Jakubowski (Georgia Tech)

As part of the International Society of Biomechanics 50-yr anniversary, The CNB is running two, 2-hr mini online symposia.  The first focuses on vertebrate movement (Nov. 18, 2022) and the second covers topics ranging from insects and squid, to robots  (Dec. 2, 2022).  Speakers will cover highlight both the history of comparative biomechanics and cutting-edge advances.

The CNB is excited to partner with the ISB to advance comparative biomechanics and neuromechanics into the next 50 yrs, and beyond!

CNB 2022 Mini-Symposium 1; ‘Vertebrate Movement’

November 18, 2022, 10am – 12pm CST (11am – 1pm EST)

Organizer and Moderator: Dr. Christopher Arellano (University of Houston)

Speakers:

• M. Janneke Schwaner, PhD (University of California, Irvine)

• Christopher V. Anderson, PhD (University of South Dakota)

• Thomas J. Roberts, PhD (Brown University) – Keynote

See speaker bios here.

CNB 2022 Mini-Symposium 2; ‘Invertebrate and Bio-Robotic Mechanics’

December 02, 2022, 8am – 10am PST (11am – 1pm EST)

Organizer and Moderator: Dr. Natalie Holt (University of California, Riverside)

Speakers:

• David Labonte, PhD (Imperial College London)

• Mary Salcedo, PhD (University of Washington)

• Chen Li, PhD (Johns Hopkins University)

• Kari Taylor-Burt, PhD (Mount St. Mary’s University)

See speaker bios here.

Integrative Muscle Modelling for Neuromechanics

A one-day online satellite workshop to be held Monday, August 3, 2020, the day before vASB2020.

Lead Organizer: Monica Daley (University of California, Irvine)

Co-organizer: Greg Sawicki (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Links:

• Youtube live-stream link:  https://youtu.be/Ur9wYYR0nac

• Google Folder for Shared Workshop Files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qmIMYbHuXYZ4ulchB35y-hjI_TYIKHE-?usp=sharing

• Slack Workspace: comparativene-skx6709.slack.com

Overview: 

It remains a fundamental challenge in muscle physiology to develop predictive models that accurately capture muscle’s response to rapid, transient and perturbed dynamics. This workshop aims to bring together scientists with shared interests in muscle physiology, muscle modeling and comparison of model predictions to experimental datasets.

This first in an ongoing series of workshops will be an on-line, interactive, single-track event with ~50 participants in total.  The workshop will take place on Zoom, Slack and Spatial.chat. Talks and group discussion will be live streamed to Youtube and archived for later viewing.

Specific focus topics for discussion and brainstorming at this workshop will include:

1. Identifying and discussing critical gaps in knowledge about muscle-structure function

2. Developing best practice recommendations for validation of muscle models against datasets.

Activities will include tag-team keynote presentations, interactive brainstorming breakout sessions and a wrap-up social hour to develop plans for future CNB-led initiatives to facilitate open sharing of muscle datasets, models and simulation tools.

Confirmed Participants:

• Monica Daley, University of California, Irvine

• Gregory Sawicki, Georgia Tech

• Jonas Rubenson, Penn State

• Suzanne Cox, Penn State

• Madhu Venkadesan, Yale

• Craig McGowan, University of Idaho

• Kiisa Nishikawa, Northern Arizona University

• Brian Umberger, University of Michigan

• Silvia Blemker, University of Virginia

• Simon Sponberg, Georgia Tech

• Friedl de Groote, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven

• Lena Ting, Emory University / Georgia Tech

• Sabrina Lee, Northwestern University

• Jenna Monroy, Claremont McKenna College

• Manny Azizi, University of California, Irvine

• Ton van den Bogert, Cleveland State University

• Natalie Holt, University of California, Riverside

• Russell Johnson, University of Southern California

• Jeff Olberding, University of California, Irvine

• Dean Mayfield, University of California, Irvine

• Janneke Schwaner, University of Idaho

• Emily Abbott, Georgia Tech

• Laksh Punish, Georgia Tech

• Owen Beck, Georgia Tech

• Siwoo Jeong, Northern Arizona University

• Caitlin Bemis, Northern Arizona University

• Jente Willaert, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven

• Tom Van Wouwe, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven

• Kristen Jakubowski, Northwestern University

• Taylor Dick, University of Queensland

• Glen Lichtwark, University of Queensland

See participant bio slides here.

For Participants:

To facilitate dialogue and collaboration,  we will ask participants to complete the following activities in advance of the workshop:

• Complete a registration form with contact details and a brief statement of goals/interests. The form will be circulated by email, and used to help form breakout groups with common interests but diverse perspectives.

• Provide a 1-slide powerpoint introduction, with photo, name, institution and research interests. We will invite registered participants to upload these to a shared folder and make it available to all participants to foster dialog and collaboration.

• We will schedule a Zoom meeting for round-table introductions in advance of the workshop. This meeting will be recorded for later review. If you can’t make this meeting, you will be invited to upload a 30-60 second video introduction of yourself to a shared folder.

Program:

Introduction

10:00-10:15 Monica Daley and Greg Sawicki: Workshop and CNB working group goals.

Module 1: Experimental approaches: What are the challenges to integrating across organizational scales from molecules to whole-animal movement?

10:15-10:45  Talk 1: Simon Sponberg and Natalie Holt

10:45-11:30  Brainstorming Breakout Session 1 (45 minutes)     

11:30- 12:00 Group Discussion (30 minutes)   

Break

12:00-12:30

Module 2: modeling muscle dynamics: What are the barriers to accurate modeling and prediction of dynamic movement?

12:30-13:00 Talk 2: Friedl deGroote and Madhu Venkadesan

13:00-13:45 Brainstorming Breakout Session 2  (45 minutes)

13:45-14:15 Group Discussion (30 minutes)

Wrap Up

14:15-14:30 Talk 3: Wrap up: Monica Daley and Greg Sawicki:  To be continued at ISB 2021! 

Social Hour

14:30- 15:30 PM Virtual Social in spatial.chat

Brainstorming Sessions:

Brainstorming session activities:  Brainstorming sessions will happen in Zoom breakout rooms running in parallel. We will break up into ~10 discussion groups with ~5 participants with a facilitator and spokesperson assigned to each group. The first ~20 minutes will be free-form discussion of the focus question and developing ideas.  The last half of the session should be used to collate a summary answer from the group.  A spokesperson should be nominated to present a 2-3-minute summary for the wrap-up session.  Facilitators will be assigned to each group to watch time-keeping, take notes and ensure the sessions are recorded. The organizers will collate the notes and distribute these to all participants following the workshop, with the aim of drafting a multi-authored perspective article based on the workshop discussion. 

Brainstorming breakout session 1 (45 minutes): Characterizing muscle function: Experimental challenges to integrating across organizational scales from molecules to whole-animal movement.

Q: What are the key gaps in knowledge and what tools/approaches are needed to fill them? 

Task: Create list of three experimental aims/approaches that are most needed, and discuss. 

Brainstorming breakout session 2  (45 minutes): Modeling muscle dynamics: Barriers to accurate modeling and prediction of dynamic movement.

Q: What are the empirical, theoretical, computational or other practical barriers that currently limit accurate modeling and prediction of muscle function during dynamic movement? 

Task: Outline a ‘best-practice’ process for validating models against experimental data

Follow-up @ISB 2021

Follow up events @ISB 2021 will include Keynote speakers, a half-day workshop and a poster session, with awards for best posters from early career participants. We hope that most workshop participants at this virtual meeting will also participate in CNB@ISB 2021. We have secured funding from the Company of Biologists to support small grants for early career researchers to participate, which will be awarded based on an open call for abstracts.

Comparative biomechanics across organizational scales (tissues to whole body dynamics)

The inaugural CNB Symposium was held in conjunction with the ISB / ASB 2019 meeting in Calgary, AB, Canada (July 31 – August 4). This symposium highlighted a range of comparative studies across organizational scales from tissues to integrated systems and whole body dynamics. Speakers presented innovative research in comparative animal biomechanics and neuromechanics, highlighting the potential applications of their findings in more applied fields such as human sports science and rehabilitation, bio-inspired robotics and human-assistive devices.

Organizers: Monica Daley (Royal Veterinary College, UK); Craig McGowan (University of Idaho)

Speakers:

• Mariana Kersh (University of Illinois, USA)

• Spencer Lake (Washington University, St Louis, USA)

• Natalie Holt (Northern Arizona University, USA)

• Manny Azizi (UC Irvine, USA)

• Heather More (Simon Fraser University, Canada)

• Kiisa Nishikawa (Northern Arizona University, USA)

• Greg Sawicki (Georgia Tech, USA)

• Stacey Shield (U. Cape Town, South Africa)

• Christian Hubicki (Florida State U, USA)

Insights from Animal Biomechanics

The CNB Technical Group stems from an initial ASB-SICB Joint Symposium designed to bridge comparative and human biomechanics fields at the 41st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, Boulder, CO, August 8th-11th, 2017, organized by Jonas Rubenson, Suzanne Cox, and Beth Brainerd.