Name: Alyson Colpitts
Position/Title: Manager - Motion Capture Lab
Education:
- BASc. Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2020
- MASc. Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2023
Research Interests: My research interests include human movement analysis, sensor technology for rehabilitation, and translational engineering. I support general activities in the motion capture lab by providing technical support, ensuring accurate data collection, and facilitating research projects that connect engineering innovations to practical applications for improving human motion and recovery.
Name: Christian Mele
Position/Title: PhD Candidate
Education:
- BASc. Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2020
- MASc. Mechanical Engineering - Automation and Control, University of Waterloo, 2023
Research Interests: My research focuses on how people interact with wearable assistive devices, particularly exoskeletons. I investigate models, heuristics, mechanical design, and testing for coupling interfaces to improve their design and effectiveness, with the goal of enhancing the interaction between users and devices. Additionally, I am interested in human motion and training in martial arts, which are uniquely challenging to analyze biomechanically due to the variations in practitioners, schools, and styles. Insights from martial arts may be used to inform methods to improve balance in the elderly or those with impaired mobility, and inspire new balance techniques in humanoid robotics and other wearables.
Name: Dalya Al-Mfarej
Position/Title: PhD Candidate
Education:
- BEng. Biomedical Engineering, University of Guelph, 2019
- MASc. Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2021
Research interests: My research interests lie in the application of engineering principles and computational methods to address current challenges in rehabilitation, movement, and sports sciences. I am interested in the development and advancement of mobility assistive technology, tools for quantitative motor assessment and rehabilitation, and algorithms for utilizing biosignals to control mobility devices.
Links: LinkedIn
Name: Junsong Li
Position/Title: MASc Student
Education: BASc. Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2023
Research Interests: My current research focuses on developing a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) to control wheelchairs for ALS patients, primarily by using Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEP) to trigger target frequencies in the visual cortex as driving signals. Additionally, I am exploring the feasibility of using heat-fluid-driven Shape Memory Alloy in soft robotics to address joint misalignment and non-standard size issues in rigid exoskeletons.
Name: Erica Rossi
Position/Title: MASc Student
Education: BASc. Mechanical Engineering, University of Windsor, 2023
Research Interests: My research interests include assistive device technology, and how it pertains to human mobility. My current research is focused on the development of a mechanical testing bench for prosthetic sockets through the use of a novel mock residual limb.
Name: Harvey Marchant
Position/Title: MASc Student
Education: BSc. Human Kinetics, University of Guelph, 2024
Research Interests: My research interests lie at the intersection of athletic performance and engineering innovation. I am particularly interested in advancing performance through human movement analysis and enhancing human-device interaction via smart wearables and sensor technology. My goal is to develop accessible and effective solutions that benefit both elite performers and individuals in daily life.
Name: Arshak Petrosyan
Position/Title: MASc Student
Education: BASc. Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2024
Research Interests: My research focuses on analyzing human movement. Specifically, I use markerless motion capture to study falls in the context of martial arts and sensor technology to investigate and compare assistive device performance. In both cases, I want to use engineering to make translations to clinical applications and improve patient quality of life.
Name: Ashirbad Pradhan
Position/Title: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Systems Design Engineering
Education:
- BTech. Biomedical Engineering, NIT Rourkela, 2012-2016
- MS. Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick, 2016-2018
- PhD. Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2020-2024
Research Interests: My research focuses on biosignals and machine learning, including EMG-based biometrics for authentication and identification using wrist electromyography, with emphasis on longitudinal robustness, transfer learning, and domain adaptation. I have contributed open datasets and peer-reviewed publications in biomedical signal processing, gesture recognition, human-machine interaction, and applications in rehabilitation and prosthetics. Currently, as an ML Research Scientist, I develop models for time-series analysis, computer vision, and industrial problems in aerospace and HCI and active. My current research projects involve EMG based biometrics and gesture recognition.
Name: Taha Liaqat
Position/Title: PhD Student
Education:
- BSc. Computer Science, Simon Fraser University, 2022
- MSc. Computational Neuroscience, Simon Fraser University, 2024
Research Interests: My research focuses on building intelligent mobility systems for people with severe motor impairments. I develop AI-powered wheelchair technology that combines brain signals with computer vision to translate user intent into safe movement. My work explores shared control, allowing users to choose where they want to go while the system handles navigation. Ultimately, I aim to design technology that restores independence and improves quality of life.
Name: Naomi Thomas
Position/Title: MASc Student
Education: BASc. Biomedical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2025
Research Interests: My research interests include using Brain-computer interfaces for rehabilitation purposes. My current research focus is on decoding auditory spatial attention for subject-independent modelling with a focus on reducing electrodes for a more wearable system for those with hearing impairments
Name: Dan Currie, P.Eng
Position/Title: PhD Candidate
Education:
- BES. Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, 2010
- MSc. Kinesiology - Biomechanics, University of Waterloo, 2024
Research Interests: Biomechanical analysis of human movement in rehabilitation, cycling biomechanics in sport and rehabilitation, relationship between muscle deformation and muscle torque, using wearable sensors with machine learning to estimate kinetic variables.
Name: Jone Kim
Position/Title: MASc Student
Education: BASc. Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2019
Research Interests: My research interests include leveraging biosignal processing, artificial neural networks, neuromorphic computing, and wearable technology to approach neuroscience, neurorehabilitation, and prosthetics engineering with human‑centred ethics in mind. I am also interested in exploring and applying technological possibilities for designing and prototyping new props, toys, and tools that support humanistic, artistic, cultural, entertainment, collaborative, and educational purposes, rather than purely practical, productive, or competitive ones.
Name: Justin Zhou
Position/Title: Lab Co-op Student
Education: BASc. Biomedical Engineering, University of Waterloo (in progress)
Research Interests: My research interests include the development and application of bio-signals in rehabilitation, assistive mobility devices, and other real-world applications. My current work focuses on developing BCI systems, including a BCI video game and a BCI-controlled RC car, to improve quality of life and independence for individuals with motor impairments.