Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab
Led by Jennifer Nichols · Biomedical Engineering
What we study
The lab studies musculoskeletal biomechanics using computer simulations, medical imaging, and machine learning to improve orthopedic treatments and patient outcomes.
What working here is like
- Computational
- Clinical
- Wet lab
- No organisms (data only)
- Human participants
- Coding required
- Projects
- 4
- Papers
- 3
Current projects
Variation in Thumb Muscle Coactivation: A Study of Age and Sex Differences
The lab records thumb muscle activity with fine wire EMG in 30 people to see how age and sex affect how two thumb muscles work together during flexion and extension. Early results from 16 participants show more coactivation during flexion and age‑related differences during extension.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 413
Impact of Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis on Range of Motion and Movement-Evoked Pain During a Jar Twist Task
The lab studies how osteoarthritis at the thumb joint changes how far the thumb can move and how much pain is felt when women twist a jar. Six women with early or end‑stage disease did the task while motion sensors recorded thumb angles and a 101‑point pain scale was used. End‑stage patients had more pain and different movement patterns.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 313
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A Biomechanical Analysis of Model Scaling: Examining How Specificity of Measurement Pairings Influence Simulations of the Hand
The lab studies how the detail of hand measurements affects computer models of hand movement. Students will compare low, medium, and high detail marker sets to see how they change simulated joint forces.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 191
Evaluating the Reliability and Accuracy of Goniometer Measurements for Thumb Range of Motion
The lab checks how consistently different people can measure thumb joint movement with a handheld tool called a goniometer. The student helped collect the measurements and analyzed how much the results varied.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 102
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Biomechanical Sequelae of Syndesmosis Injury and Repair
2023 · Foot and Ankle Clinics
- Linear relationship between electromyography and shear wave elastography measurements persists in deep muscles of the upper extremity
2022 · Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology
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Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Jennifer Nichols hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.