Scientific Program > Plenary conferences

Walter Herzog

His research is focused on the neuro-biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system with emphasis on mechanisms of muscle contraction focusing on the role of the structural protein titin, and the biomechanics of joints focusing on mechanisms of onset and progression of osteoarthritis. Expertise is in the area of growth, healing, and adaptation of soft (ligament, tendon, muscle, and articular cartilage) and hard (bone) tissues. Within this area Dr Herzog’s group works experimentally and theoretically on the molecular/cellular, in vitro, in situ, and in vivo level. It also includes cell manipulation and mechanical testing and finite element modeling, continuum mechanics, simulations and theories of growth and adaptation.

Conference title: The three filament sarcomere model: titin-actin-myosin interaction and force production

Christian Hellmich

His work is strongly focussed on well-validated material and (micro)structural models, both for bone as well as man-made biomaterials, and for structures going from the vertebrate skeleton (including implants and tissue engineering scaffolds) to the DNA - with complementary experimental activities if necessary. He has led several interdisciplinary and international research projects sponsored by the European Commission, including the coordination of the mixed industry-academia consortium “BIO-CT-EXPLOIT” at the crossroads of numerical simulation and computer tomography, or the cross-domain COST action NAMABIO integrating engineers, physicists, (stem) cell biologists, and medical doctors across the European continent and beyond.

Conférence title: Complex biomechanics: emergent patterns from atoms to organs

Benedicte Vanwanseele

Prof. Vanwanseele is currently the head of the human movement biomechanics research group and exercise biomechanics (Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium). Her research projects investigate the effect of loading on muscle and tendon adaptations. This research extends to the development and implementation of methodologies to determine loading during all aspect of training: including whole body level loading during training and rehabilitation, and how this loading is distributed on the joint and the tissue level.

Conference title: Wearable technology in order to measure biomechanics and movement characteristics: applications in health and sport