Postdoctoral Fellows
Postdoctoral Fellows
Keisuke is a visiting researcher from Japan. He earned his M.D. at Osaka university in 2008. After his residency, he became an Orthopaedic surgeon and started training as a fellow. In 2013, he entered the PhD program at University of Osaka, where he completed research concerning the hip, specifically hip arthroplasty. Keisuke successfully graduated with his PhD in March 2017. Following graduation, he came to the University of Utah to perform additional research. Specifically, Keisuke is working on analyzing in-vivo kinematics of the hip with the use of the dual fluoroscopy. Outside of work, Keisuke enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with his wife and his son.
Jen grew up in Unionville, Connecticut. In 2004, she earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. For graduate school, she joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She earned a M.S. in 2011 and a Ph.D. in 2014 under the mentorship of Dr. Wendy Murray in the Applied Research in Musculoskeletal Simulations (ARMS) Laboratory. Jen’s dissertation research elucidated how two common surgical treatments for wrist osteoarthritis alter wrist biomechanics, thereby leading to impairments in both wrist and hand function. Through a cadaveric experiment, she identified key changes in carpal kinematics and muscle moment arms following surgery. She also developed a predictive musculoskeletal modeling and simulation framework that provided novel insights into how the wrist influences thumb function. While at Northwestern, Jen concurrently completed a M.A. in Medical Humanities and Bioethics. Through this program, she studied the ethical, legal, and cultural factors that influence the translation of biomedical research into clinical practice. In August 2014, Jen joined Dr. Andrew Anderson’s laboratory at the University of Utah. Her current research utilizes advanced medical imaging (e.g., dual-fluoroscopy, CT) and patient-specific musculoskeletal models to understand how surgical treatments for ankle osteoarthritis affect joint and muscle mechanics. Outside the lab, Jen enjoys swimming, reading, and eating ice cream.
Nic was born and raised in Longwood, FL, just outside of Orlando. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science. After graduation he pursued biomechanics research interests at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. He spent two years at the NIH as a Post Baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award Fellow (IRTA) prior to attending graduate school at the University of Virginia (UVA). At UVA Nic was mentored by Dr. Silvia Blemker in the Multi-scale Muscle Mechanics Lab. The contributions of Nic’s dissertation work were to better understand acute muscle tissue strain injury susceptibility relative to an individual’s muscle shape, size and activation. Nic now works as a Postdoctoral Research Associate under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Anderson in the Orthopaedics Research Lab. Nic’s research focus is the connection between hip bone geometry in patients and movement deficiencies/tissue damage. He uses a combination of medical imaging (CT and MRI), motion capture (dual fluoroscopy and marker motion) and modeling (biomechanical and finite element). Outside of work Nic enjoys playing soccer, going to concerts, snowboarding and hiking with his wife and dog, Amos
Visiting Researchers
Arne was raised in Ghent, Belgium. During high school, he developed a strong scientific interest and graduated with great distinction in the Latin-Scientific section. He studied Medicine at Ghent University where he continued to develop his passion for understanding and improving patient care through a scientific approach. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he matriculated in a biomedical engineering program at the Trinity University College, Dublin, Ireland, which confirmed his decision to pursue biomechanical orthopaedic research in combination with his clinical studies. He completed his master’s thesis on molecular components associated with shear forces in Achilles tendinopathy under mentorship of Prof. Forsyth. His work was awarded best medical scription in the year 2015-2016.
He continued to improve his laboratory skills and collaborated on cartilage lesions during his Erasmus program under mentorship of Prof. Jagodzinski at theorthopaedic research lab of Hannover, Germany.
He graduated from medical school in 2016 and began training as an orthopaedic resident with an interest in foot and ankle surgery. After two years as a clinician, he obtained a research grant to combine his clinical studies with a PhD program in the biomechanical lab of Prof Victor and VIB inflammatory lab of Prof Elewaut at the University of Ghent. During this time, he also collaborated with Prof Jonckers in the biomechanical lab of Leuven University and Prof Leardini in the biomechanical lab of The Rizzoli institute, Italy. His main research focus is now on hindfoot pathologies and weightbearing CT. He was also involved in founding the Weightbearing CT International Study Group, of which he is currently the secretary.
Arne is honoredfor the opportunity to be a Research Fellow at University of Utah in the Harold K Dunn Orthopaedic research lab, as this lab is strong in the areas of hindfoot disorders, weightbearing CT, 3D modelling/shape model analysis, and arthrokinematics.
Supervised by Professor Barg and Professor Saltzman on all clinical projects and by Prof Anderson and his team on all 3D computed engineering projects, he is convinced working alongside such experts will contribute to his ambition of building a clinical practice founded on a strong scientific background. Outside of work, he enjoys the impressive Utah outdoors by running, hiking, and biking.
Jan Van Houcke grew up in Oudenaarde, Belgium. He finished high school in 2007 in the field of science-mathematics with great distinction and started his medical studies at Ghent University. During his studies, he completed a thesis on the kinematics of the hip joint in patients with femoroacetabular impingement at the Ghent University Department of Orthopaedics under the mentorship of Prof. Emmanuel Audenaert and Prof. Christophe Pattyn. Jan graduated from medical school in 2014 with great distinction and began training as an orthopaedic resident. His growing interest in hip biomechanics led to his receipt of a prestigious PhD scholarship from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). With this funding, Jan continued to investigate the mechanical causes for cartilage lesions in the hip joint. As part of this research, he used inverse dynamics models to quantify hip kinetics during deep squatting in asymptomatic volunteers. In addition, he gained experience in 3D morphometrics and statistical shape modelling. In 2017, he joined the esteemed Anderson group at the University of Utah Orthopaedic Research Laboratory for a research rotation under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Anderson. Jan is currently working on contact mechanics of the hip joint, whereby he will validate a computationally efficient discrete element analysis method for use in patient-specific and population-wide applications.
Graduate Students
https://www.sci.utah.edu/people/pennyatkins.html
Penny was born in Colorado and grew up throughout the Rocky Mountain states. She earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Montana State University in Bozeman, MT in 2009 and then worked at the Idaho National Laboratory for four years. Penny completed her PhD in Bioengineering at the University of Utah in 2018 under Dr. Andrew Anderson. Her graduate research applied a variety of experimental and computational methods to quantify population-based morphometrics and subject-specific biomechanics towards improving our understanding of the initiation and progression of hip diseases affecting young, active populations. For her postdoctoral research, Penny utilized high-resolution imaging to evaluate bone remodeling and healing in patients with radius fractures under Prof. Ralph Mueller at ETH Zurich and Inselspital in Bern, Switzerland. In late 2020, Penny returned to Utah as a Research Associate at the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute with a continuing focus on advancing the computational methods used to understand hip and other orthopaedic pathologies. Recently, she accepted a position as Associate Director of the Data Science Hub as part of the One U Initiative at the University of Utah. Outside of research, Penny enjoys spending time outdoors, especially while mountain biking or skiing.
Koren was raised in Plymouth, New Hampshire. In 2007, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Koren spent the next six years as a design and development engineer for Accellent Inc.. In 2013, she decided to pursue a PhD in Bioengineering at the University of Utah. Koren studied ankle biomechanics, more specifically, hindfoot kinematics, using dual fluoroscopy and standard motion capture techniques. Upon graduation, Koren completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California – San Francisco, working with Professors Sharmila Majumdar and Richard Souza. Koren accepted a position as tenure-track faculty at the University of Calgary. Outside of the lab, Koren enjoys competitive running, mountain biking, and skiing.
Christine grew up in Los Altos Hills, California. She attended Claremont McKenna College, where she earned her BA in Biology and Mathematics. As a research scholar in the undergraduate program, Research Experiences at the Biology-Mathematics Interface (REBMI), Christine quantified the accuracy of an intra-operative navigation system to guide the peri-acetabular osteotomy procedure used to correct hip dysplasia. Her efforts as an undergraduate sparked continued interest in hip dysplasia which led her to pursue her PhD in the University of Utah Department of Bioengineering. Under the supervision of Dr. Anderson, Christine developed patient-specific finite element models to study hip contact mechanics before and after peri-acetabular osteotomy. She also quantified the accuracy of high-resolution DESS MRI to measure acetabular cartilage thickness as a less-invasive methodology to generate geometrically accurate 3D models of the hip. Recognizing the computational efficiency of discrete element analysis, Christine also developed and implemented an approach to estimate cartilage contact stresses in the hip. Finally, she analyzed 3D morphometrics of patients with dysplasia to better understand the complexity of the disease. Christine is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Veristride, working under the mentorship of Dr. Stacy Bamberg. This startup company seeks to utilize advanced technology to improve the stride of individuals who suffer from various gait abnormalities. Christine is currently a Quality Engineer at BD. Christine enjoys mountain biking, skiing as well as spending time with her family and her beloved dog, Barney.
Ashley was raised in Farmington Hills, Michigan until she moved to Colorado Springs her senior year in high-school. Ashley attended Colorado State University, where she graduate summa cum laude with a BS in Civil Engineering and a certificate in biomedical engineering. With an interest in clinical research and biomedical engineering, Ashley matriculated as a graduate student in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Utah. Under the mentorship of Dr. Anderson, Ashley developed the laboratory’s high-speed dual fluoroscopy system. After quantifying the accuracy of the system to measure in-vivo hip kinematics, Ashley applied it to study hip arthrokinematics and impingement in asymptomatic volunteers and patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). She also led clinical research projects investigating the prevalence of FAI in collegiate athletes, such as football players, and evaluated the potential of clinical exams to screen asymptomatic subjects for FAI. Ashley served as postdoctoral fellow in the Utah Orthopaedics Department where she directed the clinical and basic science research efforts of Drs. Stephen Aoki and Travis Maak. Ashley is currently Director of Research and Science Operations for the University of Utah Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys exercising, hiking, camping, skiing, and mountain biking.
Mike grew up in Bountiful, Utah. He earned his BS in Bioengineering at the University of Utah. Thereafter, he matriculated as a graduate student in the Bioengineering Department, working under the supervision of Dr. Anderson. He successfully defended his PhD in April, 2013. As a PhD student, Mike gained expertise in subject-specific finite element modeling, CT arthrography, 3D morphometrics, muscle modeling, and statistical shape modeling. Mike served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Denver in the Center for Orthopaedic Biomechanics. In this capacity, he developed finite element and muscle models of the knee and hip. In 2016, Mike accepted a position as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and Department of Orthopaedics at Washington University, St. Loius. Outside work, he enjoys the outdoors, soccer, and spending time with his wife and four children.
Undergraduate
Lindsay was born in South Lake Tahoe California, but mostly grew up in Mapleton Utah. After graduating Maple Mountain High School in 2012, she decided to study at the University of Utah because of her acceptance to the ACCESS program that summer. Pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering appealed to Lindsay because of the range of topics/subjects the courses cover within the STEM field and the amazing opportunities that Utah has to offer within the field. Learning is one of Lindsay's favorite hobbies, she also enjoys trail running, painting or cartooning, reading, adventuring, and the summertime.
Dylan was born and raised in Utah. He graduated high school from Bingham in 2012. Growing up, he was an avid fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, due to random selection, and a fan of the University of Utah football team; therefore, pursuing an education at the University of Utah was inevitable. Upon arriving, he was very indecisive of what degree to pursue. Later, he decided to take calculus for fun to see if it might interest him. This led him to graduating with a BS in Applied Mathematics in the Summer of 2018. Dylan then completed an MS degree in Biomedical Engineering in the Spring of 2020. He is currently a Research and Development Systems Engineer at Alucent Biomedical Inc.
Rich has always been passionate about healthcare and engineering. Rich joined the Orthopaedic Research Lab in Spring of 2018 where he found an interest in ankle biomechanics. His work focuses on subtalar morphology and in-vivo function across surgically treated populations. Rich enjoys hiking and climbing with his partner and their puppy, attending metal shows, and spending time with his family and friends.
Kalebb was raised in Orem, Utah. He worked predominately on image processing and biomechanical analysis of the ankle. He is currently a medical student at Penn State University. Recently, Kalebb was admitted into the early residency program in Orthopaedics at the same institution. One day, he plans to run his own practice. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain biking or just cooking and watching movies with friends.
With a robust educational background, holding a BS in Biomedical Engineering and an MS in Mechanical Engineering, Andrew stands at the forefront of biomechanical research, specializing in foot and ankle biomechanics. At the core of his expertise lies a growing understanding of the complex relationship between bony morphology, movement, and functionality in the foot and ankle across a diverse pathological spectrum. Andrew's proficiency extends into the realms of robotics and programming, which play a pivotal role in his innovative approach to research. His work and passion are focused on unlocking new possibilities in patient care by tackling challenging questions with creative solutions. Outside the lab, Andrew enjoys spending quality time with his family, friends, and dog, exploring the great outdoors, especially the National Parks. He is also an avid mountain biker, competing in many races and challenges. Andrew tries to embody the essence of a modern engineer: technically skilled, creatively driven, and deeply committed to making a difference in the world, both professionally and personally.
Joe grew up in rural Maryland on the east coast. He transferred from a small community college in Maryland to the University of Utah in 2015. He looks to graduate with a BS in Biomedical Engineering with a focus in biomechanics. In Fall 2016 he joined the Orthopedic Research Lab to gain experience with biomechanical modeling techniques. His inspiration for entering the medical field comes from his younger brother, who suffers from type I diabetes. Years of following work on the artificial pancreas piqued his interest in the application of engineering principles to solve medical problems. Outside of school, he enjoys hiking, camping, basketball, and video-games.
Spencer Kendell is a student at the University of Utah pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Biology. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, where he developed a love for all forms of seafood. Working as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in Dr. Andrew Anderson's lab in the University Orthopaedic Center, Spencer's work primarily focuses on segmenting 3D images of the tibia, talus, and calcaneus as part of a project to determine the mechanical limitations of patients with tibiotalar arthrodesis.
In the past he has worked in a cancer lab at the Huntsman center, in an ecology conservation lab in the U of U Biology building, and right next to the Anderson lab in Dr. Henninger's lab. He enjoys food, hiking, his wife, and learning Mandarin.
Bryant was born and raised in Logan, Utah, and graduated from Sky View High School in 2013. After serving a 2 year LDS mission in southern Texas, Bryant moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah. Having enjoyed physics in high school, and always having had an interest in the mechanics of the human body, Bryant decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering, and hopes to pursue a PhD in Biomechanics in the future. Bryant has always been drawn towards helping others, and to do so, hopes to advance current prosthetic and orthotic technology. Outside of school, Bryant enjoys skiing, backpacking, and spending time with his wife.
Conor was born and raised in Park City, Utah. He graduated from Montana State University with a BS in Exercise Science in 2016. He became interested in orthopedics while working as a PT aide at an outpatient clinic and decided to further that interest by working in a research lab at the orthopedic center. His role at the research lab was to build 3-D models from medical image data. Outside of work, Conor enjoys mountain biking, backcountry skiing, camping, and being with his dogs.
Kosta was raised in Salt Lake City, graduating from Cottonwood High School in 2011. He is pursuing a BS in physics, with a mathematics minor. After his undergraduate degree, Kosta plans to pursue a graduate program in biophysics. In the Fall of 2016, he joined the Orthopedic Reseach Lab to gain experience in bioengineering as a supplement to his goals with biophysics. Outside of his academic career, Kosta enjoys hiking with his dog and performing science experiments as a volunteer for elementary school students.
Justin was raised in Holladay, Utah. He joined the ORL under the supervision of Dr. Anderson in the beginning of 2016. Thereafter, he enrolled in Dental School. Outside of school, Justin loves the outdoors. He has hiked countless mountains, including Timpanogos and Kings Peak. Also, he loves all sports, currently he is on a softball team.
Youngjae grew up in South Korea, and moved to United States in his junior year of high school. He lived in Chicago for 6 months as an exchange student and after one semester, he wanted to move to Provo, Utah and finished high school. He decided to start his college years at the University of Utah. After his first year, he had to go back to Korea to serve in the Korean military for 2 years. After serving in the military for 2 years, he felt compelled to study prosthetics as several of his fellow soldiers experienced injuries. Youngjae evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of standard radiographic measurements for predicting true anatomical variation of the proximal femur using statistical shape modeling.
Sam is an east coast native brought to Utah during his high school years. After graduating early from high-school, he finished his Associates of Science degree at SLCC, and transferred to the University of Utah. Sam began working at the Orthopaedic Research Lab in February of 2016 and graduated with a BS of Biomedical Engineering, plus a minor in Physics. In his spare time, Sam hikes and bikes with his father, plays video-games, or enjoys a good burger with his friends by the grill. Sam hopes to start a biomedical device business with his father upon completion of graduate school.
Asal was born in Baghdad, Iraq. She has lived in Utah for 6 years and completed high school at Cottonwood High. She is currently working towards her BS in Biology and minoring in Chemistry and Pediatric Clinical Research at the University of Utah. During the spring of 2016 she started working at the Orthopedic Research Lab under Dr. Anderson. Asal is aiming to go to medical school and pursue a career in Orthopedic Surgery. She enjoys traveling, watercolor paintings, and learning new languages.
Spencer was born in Omaha, Nebraska but has lived most of his life in the Salt Lake Valley. He graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in BioMedical Physics in 2015. An interest in orthopaedics led him to a position in the research lab at the orthopaedic center in the fall of 2013. He worked on the analysis of hip joint morphology and mechanics in persons with hip dysplasia and who were treated with peri-acetabular osteotomy. This entailed measuring and analyzing pre- and post-operative contact patterns, pressures, areas, and congruency. During his free time, he enjoys being in the outdoors and actively participates in rock climbing, hiking, skiing and biking.
Trevor was born and raised in the Salt Lake Valley. He graduated from high school at Olympus High. In 2011 he lived in Ecuador for two years serving as an LDS missionary. He began studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah upon his return. He enjoys sports and has played competitive soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. In the Spring of 2014, he began working at the Orthopedic Research Lab under Dr. Anderson. Trevor works as a Quality Engineer at Orthogrid Systems in Salt Lake City. Trevor enjoys outdoor activities, especially sports and lives for adventure.
Matt was born and raised in Elko, NV. He completed his BS in Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in biomechanics. He joined the Orthopedic Research Lab in the fall of 2015, where he worked predominately on the analysis of ankle kinematics. Prior to joining the ORL, he worked under the supervision of Dr. Brittany Coats in the Lab of Developmental Head Injury Biomechanics. Outside of school, Matt loves to travel. He spent a summer studying abroad in Galway, Ireland. Also, he loves the outdoors and playing basketball.
Sara grew up in West Jordan, Utah where she graduated valedictorian from West Jordan High School in 2012. Choosing to stay close to home she enrolled at the University of Utah. Sara originally majored in Biology, but has since been drawn to Biomedical Engineering to better suit her desire to problem solve. Before joining Dr. Anderson’s lab, she was a member of an evolutionary genetics research group led by Dr. Michael Shapiro. For her senior project in the Biomedical Engineering program, Sara worked with CT and dual-fluoroscopy data to analyze patient-specific hip kinematics among a control patient population. Sara has received research funding from multiple sources including ACCESS, UROP, and BioURP. Outside of school, Sara loves running, backpacking, and traveling to the Wisconsin Northwoods where she enjoys fishing and swimming.
Mikey was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and grew up in Dallas, Texas. As a member of the research group, Mikey worked to evaluate joint kinetics and kinematics in subjects with normal hip morphology and those exhibiting femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). His research techniques included bi-plane fluoroscopy, motion marker analysis, computed tomography (CT) imaging, and model-based tracking. Mikey earned his BS in Biology with a Cell & Molecular Emphasis and complete an Honors Thesis and chemistry minor in May 2015. Mikey finished his medical degree at UT Southwestern and is currently an Orthopaedic Resident at Brown University.
Tyler grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and completed high school at Olympus High. In 2010, Tyler matriculated into the Bioengineering Department at the University of Utah 2010 to earn his BS degree. In 2011, he left to Argentina for two years to serve an LDS mission and returned to school at the University of Utah in 2013. He worked on image processing and motion analysis. Tyler enjoys many outdoor activities, especially boating.
Justine was matriculated as a Biomedical Engineering student with an emphasis in Biomechanics at the University of Utah. She joined the lab in July 2013. Previously, she worked with Bradley Greger on a prosthetic arm project. During the summer of 2012, Justine participated in the ACCESS summer program at the University of Utah. Justine is currently at Bard Diagnostics.
Lance was born and raised in South Jordan, Utah. After completing a 2 year LDS mission to Estonia in 2011, he enrolled at the University of Utah as an Exercise and Sport Science Major. Shortly thereafter, he began working at the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory as a research assistant. He worked closely with graduate student, Christine Abraham, to quantify the accuracy of DESS MRI in measuring the acetabular cartilage thickness. He became proficient in segmentation using Amira visualization software and helped carry out many aspects of the DESS MRI study. Lance graduated cum laude with distinction as a research scholar from the University of Utah in 2015. He then completed dental student at the University of Utah School of Dentistry. He also became an Officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and became a dental corpsman for the Air Force. Lance enjoys being outdoors and loves new experiences, whatever they may be. His passion is to travel, having visited nearly 25 foreign countries and over half of the United States. He also enjoys watching and playing sports and looks for any opportunity he can get to be active.
Michael grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and is Junior studying Mathematics at the University of Utah. While assisting with research projects he is exploring applications of mathematics in the professional setting and expanding his knowledge of various software engines. He enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including swimming, rock-climbing and mountain-biking
Blake Zimmerman grew up in Ouray Colorado. During his Sophomore summer, Blake worked under Ashley Kapron at the Orthopedic Research Center generating patient specific 3D dynamic models of the hip joint. In the Fall of his junior year, Blake began working with Christine Abraham, generating patient specific finite element models. Blake completed his BS, MS, and PhD at the University of Utah and is now a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Q Bio. Outside of academics, Blake enjoys climbing, skiing, mountain biking, and hiking along with many other outdoor activities.
Anndee grew up in Soda Springs, Idaho. After high school, she moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah where she obtained a BS in Athletic Training in 2018. Anndee is grateful to have joined the research team because she sees value in understanding the process that shapes her clinical decisions. After working in the lab, Anndee went to Physical Therapy school, where she graduated with the PT degree in 2022. Anndee enjoys eating at new restaurants and being outdoors, especially if she gets to take her puppy, Ranger.
Adison Cook 2016 - 2017
Josh Winegar, BS 2015
Skyler Perkes, BS 2015
Rachel Thomas, BS 2012
Eric Earnshaw, BS 2010
Richard Amendola, MD 2010
Joseph Albright 2009
Ryan Davis, BS 2008 – 2009
Dylan Nelson, BS 2008 – 2009
Dave Salmon, BS 2007
Michael Harris, PhD 2007
Kristen Davis, BS 2007 – 2008
Ben Tuttle, BS 2004 – 2006
Janna Balling, BS 2003 – 2004
High School
Cole Stanton 2015 – 2017
Alex Yokubison 2015 –2017