Bio-X SIGF Graduate Student Fellow

Awarded in 2012
Home Department: Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Advisors: Scott Delp (Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering) and Michael Fredericson (Orthopaedic Surgery)

Research Title: Barefoot running: changes in injury mechanisms between forefoot and rearfoot strikers

Research Description: Running is a popular recreational activity with notoriously high injury rates. Though running injuries are often attributed to overtraining, the specific causes of injury remain unknown. Barefoot or minimalist running has recently experienced a resurgence, being touted as a more natural running pattern that can reduce injuries. Barefoot runners often run with a different foot strike pattern, landing on their forefoot rather than heel striking, and have reported fewer injury rates associated with skeletal loading such as lower limb stress fractures. The goal of this project is to investigate potential injury mechanisms in rear foot striking runners compared to forefoot striking runners in order to reduce running injuries.

WHERE IS SHE NOW?

Jenny is a Human Factors Researcher at Google.