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Biomechanics and Technology: Bridging the Gap BetweenStructure and Function

The study of modern biomechanics has emerged from a quest to understand the eff e c t s

of force and movement on the biological system. As the technology capable of

a d d ressing these questions has improved, biomechanists are now able to concentrate

on the causes of these behaviors and in determining the gap between stru c t u re and

function. Major developments have emerged in two general areas: the integration of

computer technology in the development of complex models to perf o rm realistic simu-

lations on the musculoskeletal system and the ability to analyze underlying stru c t u res of

bone, muscle and soft tissue. With these advances, the field of biomechanics has

become instrumental in shaping the scope medicine as it pertains to orthopaedics and

d e n t i s t ry, ergonomics, medical forensics, sport science, injury and accident re s e a rch as

well as many other clinical applications.

CO N TAC T I N F O R M AT I O N:

Call our office at (305) 348-6950

Email us at cve c i n f o @ e n g . f i u . e d u

visit our website at www.eng.fiu.edu/bmei (go to News & Eve n t s )

Susan E. D’Andrea, P h . D .Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Director of Re s e a rc hBa r ry Un i versity School of Graduate Medical Sciences

Dr. Susan D’Andrea re c e i ved a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Un i versity of Connecticut and an M.S. and Ph . D .in Biomedical Engineering from Clemson Un i versity and Ohio State Un i ve r s i t y, re s p e c t i ve l y. Cu r rently employed at Ba r ryUn i versity in the School of Graduate Medical Sciences, Dr. D’Andrea joined the Biomedical Engineering Institute at FIUin 1999 as an adjunct pro f e s s o r. She serves as the Di rector of the Center for Applied Biomechanics and Motion Analysisw h e re her work concentrates on the biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system including projects related to the design ofo rthopaedic implants, measurement of dynamic foot pre s s u res, the evaluation of human motion and the mechanical assess-ment of surgical pro c e d u re s .

Biomedical Engineering In s t i t u t e

I n a u g u r a l Y e a r 2 0 0 0 - 2 0 0 1

The Biomedical Engineering Lecture Series“ Cu r rent Topics in Biomedical En g i n e e r i n g”