It’s been a busy start to the new year for ISB! In this issue you’ll find updates on the ISB Congress, ISB Council election, and a special EDC feature article.
ISB is so pleased to announce the Muybridge Awarded Lecturer and the Wartenweiler Memorial Lecturer for the upcoming IBS Congress in Stockholm. Sincere congratulations to Professor Marco Vaz and Professor Walter Herzog, respectively! Please see the full announcements in this newsletter and on the ISB 2025 Congress website to get a taste for these wonderful lectures to come in Stockholm.
During my presidency, I have often been asked about the selection process for our Society's highest honours. For those who may not know, the Muybridge Award Lecturer is chosen by the ISB, while the Wartenweiler Memorial Lecturer is selected by the congress organizing committee. Until recently, ISB did not have a formal, documented procedure for these selections. In response to feedback and to enhance transparency, we have developed a formal selection procedure. Thank you to our Past President, Alberto Leardini, for drafting the Muybridge Award selection procedure, and to those who have reviewed and refined it so far. The draft will be discussed at our upcoming Council meeting, and will be made available on our website to ensure transparency in the selection process.
Another important recent activity for ISB has been soliciting nominations for the ISB Executive Council election. The call for nominations has now closed, and we are in the process of preparing the online voting forms. Please look out in the near future for the election email. We received 24 nominations from 15 counties across six continents and all career stages. Thank you to all the nominees for your willingness to serve our Society, and once again, thank you to Past President Alberto Leardini for managing the nomination process.
This newsletter also includes special EDC features, prepared in collaboration with Professor Franco Simini from Uruguay. Professor Simini recently hosted the 3DAHM technical group symposium in Uruguay. The articles in this issue include an interview with Professor Simini showcasing his Laboratorio de Análisis de la Marcha del Hospital de Clínicas in Montevideo, and an appeal to the biomechanics community – supported by ISB to help advance Biomechanics in Uruguay. Please check these special features and consider if you have the resources or links to help biomechanics thrive in Uruguay. There is a cross-post in Biomch-L to facilitate discussions on this topic.
Additionally, please review other sections of this newsletter and the ISB Congress website for other important updates. For example, the early bird registration deadline has been extended to April 10th, and ISB in conjunction with International Women in Biomechanics is hosting a Women in biomechanics wiki-edit-a-thon in Stockholm. Be sure to check the tutorial announcements and technical group satellite meetings before you book your travel. In the next newsletter, we will have an update on the Advancing Women in Biomechanics workshop. A lot is happening as we prepare for our Congress in Stockholm so please check the congress website regularly!
As always, please be aware that members of the ISB community are regularly targeted by scam emails. There are two new scam emails that we are aware of, that have recently been sent to members of the ISB community, offering direct assistance with travel bookings for the congress, and offering discounts for group travel bookings. These emails are scams. These two scams are in addition to at least two other scam emails sent last year to members of the ISB community requesting favours or funds in relation to ISB. The emails usually appear to sign off from me as the President of ISB, and I am aware that one email in 2024 nearly copied the format of my legitimate email signature, so they look very authentic. Please be extremely vigilant and do not transfer any funds based on email requests. If you are seeking discounts or advice on hotel reservations for the congress, please only do this directly through the contacts listed on the ISB Congress website: www.isb2025.com. Thank you to the many members of the ISB community that are making us aware of these scams.
Finally, I’d like to draw your attention to the Biomechanics Through Time feature from our Archives Officer John Challis, as well as an obituary for Professor Mitsumasa Miyashita. Professor Miyashita gave an inspiring and heartwarming presentation in Fukuoka in 2023, sharing his career journey in biomechanics and his passions for swimming and fishing.
Elizabeth Clarke
ISB President
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