Keynote Prof. Dr. Nick Stergiou

Abstract 

An optimal level of variability enables us to interact adaptively and safely to a continuously changing environment, where often our movements must be adjusted in a matter of milliseconds. A large body of research exists where using nonlinear analysis it has been demonstrated that natural variability exists in healthy movement such as gait and posture (along with variability in other, healthy biological signals e.g., heart rate), and a loss of this variability in sports injury, as well as in a variety of neurodegenerative and physiological disorders. In this talk, I present updates in this field of research. Our recent efforts are concentrated on the innovative “next step” that goes beyond the many descriptive studies that characterize levels of variability in various populations. Our research aims to eventually devise novel interventions and technologies that will harness the existing knowledge on biological variability and create new possibilities for those in need to improve performance and/or restore their decreased physical abilities.

Bio 

Dr. Nikolaos (Nick) Stergiou is the Distinguished Community Research Chair and Professor in Biomechanics as well as the Director of the Center for Research in Human Movement Variability at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) where his primary appointment is. Recently he was also appointed as the Assistant Dean and Director of the Division of Biomechanics and Research Development. He is the Founder and the Founding Chair of the first ever academic Department of Biomechanics that graduates students with a BS, MS, and PhD in Biomechanics. His research focuses on understanding variability inherent in human movement and he is an international authority in the study of Nonlinear Dynamics. He has published 4 scientific textbooks, 250+ peer-reviewed papers with 16000+ citations and an H-index of 63. He has been inducted as a Fellow to the National Academy of Kinesiology, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Society of Biomechanics. Dr. Stergiou’s research spans from infant development to older adult fallers and has impacted training techniques of surgeons and treatment and rehabilitation of pathologies, such as peripheral arterial disease. He has received more 40 million dollars in funding from NIH, NASA, NSF, and many other agencies. He has received the largest grant in the history of UNO, a NIH P20 grant that was worth more than 10 million dollars. This grant allowed him to develop the Center for Research in Human Movement Variability. Recently, he was able to renew this grant by receiving another 10.3 million dollars. He has also several inventions and has procured a private donation of $6 million to build the 23,000 square feet Biomechanics Research Building that has opened in August of 2013. This is the first building dedicated to biomechanics research in the world. It is also the first building on his campus exclusively dedicated to research. Recently was able to procure 11.6 million in private donations to build a 30,000 square feet expansion to this building which opened in October of 2019.