News

Highlights from the 2024 ACSM Annual Meeting in Boston

Dr. Beck presented in a highlighted symposium – “The Physiology, Biomechanics, and Performance Implications of using Running-Specific Leg Prostheses”
Hui Tang was awarded the inaugural Joseph Hamill Access to Science Award! Two thumbs up!

The Human Locomotion Lab Attended the South Central American Society of Biomechanics Conference

Kaleigh Renninger's presentation
Kaleigh Renninger presenting her award-winning presentation at SCASB on her Master’s Thesis research – “Is there an Ideal Heel Toe Drop for Economical Running?
Hui Tang's presentation
Hui Tang presenting “The Influence of Foot Arch Stiffness on Running Economy”
Brooke Measeles' presentation
Brooke Measeles presented “NEURAL OR MUSCULO-SKELETAL: WHICH SYSTEM DRIVES THE AGE-RELATED DECLINE IN WALKING ECONOMY?”
Negin Fallah's presentation
Negin Fallah presented “The hip expends more metabolic energy to produce extension moments than the ankle”

Dr. Beck and his colleagues at Georgia Tech discovered that habitually wearing high heels restructures user calf muscles and tendons in a way that enables them to walk using less effort – even after they change shoes.

Link to study >

Read The Washington Post’s feature on our research >


Jason Cullum

Congratulations to Jason Cullum for earning an Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the UT Austin Undergraduate College. This fellowship provides $1,000 to cover costs associated with Jason’s research proposal, “How Does Leg Muscle-Tendon Stiffness Drive Preferred Movement Frequencies and Metabolic Shifts Across the Lifespan?”. The lab is looking forward to Jason’s discoveries!


The Human Locomotion Laboratory Presents at the American Society of Biomechanics National Conference in Knoxville Tennessee!!

Photo of Negin Fallah in front of her presentation
Negin Fallah showing that it takes less energy to perform a task with the ankle compared to the hip
Dr. Owen Beck standing before a presentation
Dr. Owen Beck explaining that footwear design can be used to remodel leg muscle-tendon structure

The Human Locomotion Lab attends South Central American Society of Biomechanics

Dr. Owen Beck and members of the Human Locomotion Lab

Exoskeletons need to react faster than physiological responses to improve standing balance

Dr. Beck’s research was featured on the February 2023 cover of Science Robotics and found that the key to augmenting balance is to have boots that can act faster than human reaction times.

Read the story