Team

Naveen Chandrashekar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. His research interests are in orthopaedic biomechanics, the design of biomedical devices, and tissue engineering. Professor Chandrashekar and his team are conducting innovative research on the anterior cruciate ligament, commonly known as the ACL. He has designed a simulator to enact the movements of a human knee to measure the damage inflicted on the ACL during athletic maneuvers. A sensor is attached to the mechanical ligament on the knee simulator, and readings from the sensor provide insight into how different motions and factors like movement from the hip influence the injury. Using this approach, the team is working on designing and evaluating new knee braces.

Professor Chandrashekar teaches several upper-year Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering courses at the university. He has published several articles in the Journal of Biomechanics and the Journal of Mechanical Behaviour of Biomedical Materials. He has also taken part in several conferences such as the Annual Meetings of Orthopaedic Research Society, American Society of Biomechanics, Biennial Meeting of Canadian Society of Biomechanics, and the Annual Ontario Biomechanics Conference. Professor Chandrashekar’s research has been funded by several organizations, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Ontario Centres of Excellence, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.