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 Raphaël Hamard. Nantes University, Nantes, France: International Travel Grant

I have just started to work as a postdoctoral researcher at Nantes University (France).

I did a research mobility in the Dr Taylor Dick’s lab at the University of Queensland (Australia). My research stay lasted 19 weeks.

The main goal of this research stay was to conduct a study which aims to assess the influence of passive ankle exoskeletons on the neuromuscular control of the leg muscles during balance. To this purpose, we collected data on 20 participants. For each participant, the data collection lasted approximately three hours.

During the experiment, participants performed eight different balance tasks, with and without passive ankle exoskeleton. We first recorded the muscle activity of the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius medialis, gastrocnemius lateralis and soleus using high-density electromyography to determine whether the passive ankle exoskeleton affects the neural control of balance. Then, we further imaged the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius medialis using B-mode ultrasound to determine whether the passive ankle exoskeleton influence the muscle fascicle behavior during balance.

We also recorded motion capture data and ground reactive force during both the high-density electromyography protocol and the B-mode ultrasound protocol to determine the influence of passive ankle exoskeleton on kinematics and balance performance. These data would also enable to estimate the muscle force involved using inverse dynamics.

From a work perspective, I truly enjoyed discovering a new lab after four and a half years in the same lab for my master and PhD. I believe that the Dr Taylor Dick’s lab was the perfect place for me to explore a new working environment for two main reasons. First, this lab contains a powerful suite of equipment that enables to study the movement from the motor unit and the muscle fascicle to the whole body. I therefore gain experience in a wide variety of scientific instruments. Second, in this lab, I met numerous undergraduate students, PhD students, researchers and international visiting researchers who opened my mind to a large diversity of projects. All things considered, the Dr Taylor Dick’s lab was for me a very stimulating environment where I have learned constantly. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Taylor for hosting me and for this memorable experience.

This mobility was also a rewarding experience outside the lab. It was the first time that I really live abroad, and it was an instructive experience to be in immersed in a new culture. I am very glad to have experienced the Australian “mateship”, culture and lifestyle. I will also remember the amazing fauna, flora and the diversity of landscape that we can contemplate in this beautiful country.

I believe that this research stay was a valuable experience for me from both an academic perspective and a personal life perspective mainly thanks to the people I met. As a consequence, I would recommend being proactive in making connexions with people. These interactions with people catalyze the learning process and enable to fully enjoy the new working place and the new culture.

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 Andrew Quarmby. University of Potsdam, Berlin, Germany:  International Travel Grant

My research stay lasted for six weeks and took place in the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Lab within the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. The research stay was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Kornelia Kulig.

The primary aim was to conduct a joint research project, investigating the biomechanical alterations in people with Achilles tendinopathy. This involved in depth discussion of methods and approaches to two sets of data gathered from clinical populations at both Uni Potsdam and USC. We were able to amalgamate our knowledge and began applying new data techniques to the data available. This work will continue as we discuss the results of this analysis, and plan to write a joint research paper based upon our findings. The research stay also involved the learning of new techniques in data science and coding, particularly in MatLab software, which was a relatively new experience for me.

When considering cultural experiences, I found the interactions within the lab to be particularly rewarding. Engaging with field experts and fellow students on a daily basis allowed me to test new ideas and hypotheses, creating an environment that facilitated personal growth. Beyond the lab, I thoroughly enjoyed the stunning local nature and beaches, as well as indulging in the delicious Mexican food available.

One piece of advice I would offer future ITG recipients is to engage with their hosting institution from an early stage, develop a professional relationship with them, and enable them to be a part of the whole process. By fostering the connection from an earlier timepoint, the research stay itself will be even more rewarding and productive.

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Carlos De la Fuente, Chile International Affiliate Development Grant)

I am a Physical Therapist with an MSc. in Clinical Biomechanics and Engineering Sciences. Recently, I completed my Ph.D. in Physiological Sciences from The Federal University of Pampa in Brazil, alongside diplomas in AI. I have worked in orthopedic clinics, conducted research in biomechanics labs, taken on roles as a lecturer in physical therapy, and consistently strived to enhance my academic skills before earning my degrees. I come from a non-developed country, and like many citizens, my graduate studies were delayed or developed in parallel due to the necessity of funding different life requirements.

In 2020, I won the Delsys Foundation competition, and in 2021, I received the Development Country Travel grant as well. Both grants profoundly impacted my academic journey. My interest in "good Science" ignited when I delved into the manuscripts of Professors De Luca, Benno Nigg, and von Tachnner during my PT studies. I aspired to understand how impactful scientific work begins and to witness firsthand what exemplary science looks like. In Brazil, I was fortunate to be surrounded by esteemed professors such as Dr. Carpes, Dr. Vaz, Dr. Diefenthaeler, Dr. Pereira de Andrade, Dr. Germano (Germany), Dr. Herzog (Canada), and many more professors promoted by the Brazilian Society of Biomechanics during my third academic stop.

The ISB travel grant enabled me to visit the University of Calgary with Prof. Darren Stephanyshen. The state-of-the-art facilities at the Human Performance Lab, the dedicated scientists, and the history shared about HPL by Prof. Darren left me in awe. Here, I would like to thank Prof. Herzog, who demonstrated exceptional care, promptly responding to my email, and arranging a plan of activities through an old job colleague of mine, now a Ph.D. student of Prof. Walter (MSc. Delgado).

Once in HPL with Prof. Darren, we discussed eccentric control during running in patients recovering from Achilles tendon rupture, utilizing Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques for kinematics pattern tracking and recognition—a manuscript as part of my Ph.D. and related to this grant. It was a great time there. Prof. Darren's insightful comments on data analysis and visualization were invaluable. It was a perfect learning experience, witnessing how swiftly he identified gaps and provided scientific solutions.

Under Prof. Darren's mentorship, he connected me with other outstanding people like Dr. Jared Fletcher and Prof. Brent Edwards. In the first case, I had the opportunity to know Mount Royal University, sharing thoughts about tendon biomechanics, and learning about their strategies to create a biomechanics Lab with existing technology, blending excellent research questions with limited equipment and advanced knowledge of computational vision. Back in the HPL with Prof. Edwards, engaging discussions on microstructure and bone geometry from in vitro experiments opened doors to exploring the relationship between porosity, the active phase of vertical ground reaction force during running, and stress injuries. We discussed Impact vs Active phase of vGRF and how increased strain and porosity suggest mechanical determinants. At this moment, I shared thoughts about graph theories and stress field clustering, and I could see some posters showing how bone geometry determines the stress field using the Eigen-problem, a very elegant solution. I also had the privilege of interacting with brilliant young students like MSc. Andrew Koshyk, who excels in engineering microstructure modeling. Prof. Brent's entire team allowed me to attend open Lab activities oriented for high-school students. Other beautiful experiences were witnessing for the first time a muscle fiber contraction experiment, in vitro devices at HPL, running experiments with different shoes, and observing animal models of obesity and metabolic syndrome tissue harvesting.

The International Affiliate Development Grant from ISB remains an immeasurable experience for overseas students from non-developed countries, who face diverse difficulties and fears but also possess many strengths. For now, I can better align myself with my economic conditions and academic priorities. This visit helped me believe in my next academic steps with a better understanding of how things work and are required overseas. All of this was a tremendous experience. Therefore, I want to thank ISB for the opportunity to attend overseas.

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