Saikat Pal
Associate Professor, Bio-Medical Engineering
106 Council for Higher Education in Newark (CHEN)
About Me
I aspire to understand the fundamentals of human movement and mechanisms underlying musculoskeletal disorders. I am passionate about developing assistive technologies to improve the lives of patients and reducing health care costs.
I am the Director of the Computational Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Engineering (CORE) Lab at NJIT. My students and I conduct human movement experiments with specialized sensors and instruments to analyze the mechanics of movement. In addition, we realize that experimental methods alone cannot decode all the complexities of human movement, so we develop and validate multiscale computational models to gain additional insights in to the underlying mechanisms responsible for the production and control of human movement. We apply our controlled experiments and computational models to quantify the limits of human performance, study onset, progression, and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, and understand human interaction with assistive devices and robotic technology.
I am an advocate for interdisciplinary research and collaborative teams. I designed, built, and now serve as the Director of the Life Sciences Motion Capture (LSMC) Lab at NJIT. This lab is a hub for collaborative research, with teams of engineers, scientists, designers, and clinicians conducting a broad range of experiments using motion capture techniques to address compelling societal needs. The LSMC Lab provides state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for hands-on research and learning.
I am driven by impact. I am continuously humbled by my interactions with children with cerebral palsy and their superhuman parents, persons with spinal cord injuries, and the ability of us humans to push the limits of our performance. My research and service commitments are aligned to improve the lives of these patients, design lasting biomedical devices, and train the next generation of researchers and scientists to engage in important societal challenges.
CORE Lab: https://coreresearchlab.com/
LSMC Lab: https://mocap.njit.edu/
I am the Director of the Computational Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Engineering (CORE) Lab at NJIT. My students and I conduct human movement experiments with specialized sensors and instruments to analyze the mechanics of movement. In addition, we realize that experimental methods alone cannot decode all the complexities of human movement, so we develop and validate multiscale computational models to gain additional insights in to the underlying mechanisms responsible for the production and control of human movement. We apply our controlled experiments and computational models to quantify the limits of human performance, study onset, progression, and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, and understand human interaction with assistive devices and robotic technology.
I am an advocate for interdisciplinary research and collaborative teams. I designed, built, and now serve as the Director of the Life Sciences Motion Capture (LSMC) Lab at NJIT. This lab is a hub for collaborative research, with teams of engineers, scientists, designers, and clinicians conducting a broad range of experiments using motion capture techniques to address compelling societal needs. The LSMC Lab provides state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for hands-on research and learning.
I am driven by impact. I am continuously humbled by my interactions with children with cerebral palsy and their superhuman parents, persons with spinal cord injuries, and the ability of us humans to push the limits of our performance. My research and service commitments are aligned to improve the lives of these patients, design lasting biomedical devices, and train the next generation of researchers and scientists to engage in important societal challenges.
CORE Lab: https://coreresearchlab.com/
LSMC Lab: https://mocap.njit.edu/
Education
Ph.D.
; University of Denver
; Mechanical Engineering
; 2008
M.S. ; University of Denver ; Mechanical Engineering ; 2004
B.S. ; University of Denver ; Computer Engineering ; 2002
M.S. ; University of Denver ; Mechanical Engineering ; 2004
B.S. ; University of Denver ; Computer Engineering ; 2002
Experience
James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Biomedical Engineer,
November 2023 -
Awards & Honors
2023 Education Hero Award, NJBIZ
2023 Saul K Fenster Innovation in Design Award, New Jersey Institute of Technology
2022 Kevin P. Granata Young Investigator Award, Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society
2020 Finalist, BS Level Student Paper Award, ASME Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference
2019 Outstanding Researcher Award, NIH National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research
2013 Finalist, Young Investigator Award, International Society of Biomechanics
Website
2025 Fall Courses
BME 701B - MASTER'S THESIS
ENGR 491 - RESEARCH AND INDP STUDY I
BME 493 - HONORS RESEARCH THESIS I
BME 302 - INTRO BIOMED ENGR II - HONORS
BME 790A - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
BME 491 - RESEARCH & INDEPENDENT STUDY I
BME 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
BME 492 - RESEARCH & INDPNDNT STUDY II
BME 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
BME 302 - INTRO BIOMED ENGR II
BME 700B - MASTER'S PROJECT
BME 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
ENGR 491 - RESEARCH AND INDP STUDY I
BME 493 - HONORS RESEARCH THESIS I
BME 302 - INTRO BIOMED ENGR II - HONORS
BME 790A - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
BME 491 - RESEARCH & INDEPENDENT STUDY I
BME 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
BME 492 - RESEARCH & INDPNDNT STUDY II
BME 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
BME 302 - INTRO BIOMED ENGR II
BME 700B - MASTER'S PROJECT
BME 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
Teaching Interests
BME 302 Mechanical Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering
BME 671 Biomechanics of Human Structure and Motion
BME 671 Biomechanics of Human Structure and Motion
Past Courses
BME 302: INTRO BIOMED ENGR II
BME 302: INTRO BIOMED ENGR II - HONORS
BME 302: MECHANICAL FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
BME 601: SEMINAR BIOMEDICAL ENGR
BME 671: BIOMECH OF HUM STR MOTN
BME 671: BIOMECHANICS OF HUMAN STRUCTURE AND MOTION
BME 791: GRADUATE SEMINAR
BME 302: INTRO BIOMED ENGR II - HONORS
BME 302: MECHANICAL FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
BME 601: SEMINAR BIOMEDICAL ENGR
BME 671: BIOMECH OF HUM STR MOTN
BME 671: BIOMECHANICS OF HUMAN STRUCTURE AND MOTION
BME 791: GRADUATE SEMINAR
Research Interests
Human movement
Rehabilitation robotics
Computational methods
Rehabilitation robotics
Computational methods
In Progress
Novel Cupping peptide therapy for vascular disease
Develop a non-invasive therapy for patients peripheral artery disease.
Develop a non-invasive therapy for patients peripheral artery disease.
Journal Article
Patrick Ippersiel, Cloe Dussault-Picard, Sahar Mohammadyari, Gabriela De Carvalho, Vishnu Deep Chandran, Saikat Pal, Philippe Dixon.
2024. "Muscle coactivation during gait in children with and without Cerebral Palsy."
Gait & Posture , vol. 108 , pp. 110-116.
Mesut Sahin, Saikat Pal, Ozan Cakmak. 2023. "Improving the stimulation selectivity in human cochlea by strategically choosing the current return electrode." Frontiers in Audiology and Otology , vol. 1 .
Cristo Ernesto Yáñez León, James M. Lipuma, Saikat Pal. 2023. "Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning [JMER]." Journal of Modern Education Review (JMER) , vol. 13 , no. 4 , pp. 153--159.
Saikat Pal, Jang-Hwan Choi, Scott Delp, Michael Fredericson. 2023. "Botulinum neurotoxin type A improves vasti muscle balance, patellar tracking, and pain in patients with chronic patellofemoral pain." Journal of Orthopaedic Research , vol. 41 , no. 5 , pp. 962-72.
Vishnu Deep Chandran, Sanghyun Nam, David Hexner, William Bauman, Saikat Pal. 2023. "Comparison of the dynamics of exoskeletal-assisted and unassisted locomotion in an FDA-approved lower extremity device: Controlled experiments and development of a subject-specific virtual simulator." Plos One , vol. 18 , no. 2 .
Mesut Sahin, Saikat Pal, Ozan Cakmak. 2023. "Improving the stimulation selectivity in human cochlea by strategically choosing the current return electrode." Frontiers in Audiology and Otology , vol. 1 .
Cristo Ernesto Yáñez León, James M. Lipuma, Saikat Pal. 2023. "Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning [JMER]." Journal of Modern Education Review (JMER) , vol. 13 , no. 4 , pp. 153--159.
Saikat Pal, Jang-Hwan Choi, Scott Delp, Michael Fredericson. 2023. "Botulinum neurotoxin type A improves vasti muscle balance, patellar tracking, and pain in patients with chronic patellofemoral pain." Journal of Orthopaedic Research , vol. 41 , no. 5 , pp. 962-72.
Vishnu Deep Chandran, Sanghyun Nam, David Hexner, William Bauman, Saikat Pal. 2023. "Comparison of the dynamics of exoskeletal-assisted and unassisted locomotion in an FDA-approved lower extremity device: Controlled experiments and development of a subject-specific virtual simulator." Plos One , vol. 18 , no. 2 .
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Conference Abstract
"Botulinum neurotoxin injections improve hip rotation in children with Cerebral Palsy"
American Society of Biomechanics, August, 2023.
"Hip, knee, and ankle joint forces during exoskeletal-assisted walking using a subject-specific virtual simulator"
American Society of Biomechanics, August, 2023.
"Joint kinematics and ground reaction forces from spinal cord injured and able-bodied participants walking in a self-balancing exoskeleton"
American Society of Biomechanics, August, 2023.
"Muscle coactivation during gait in children with Cerebral Palsy"
American Society of Biomechanics, August, 2023.
"Hip, knee, and ankle joint forces during exoskeletal-assisted walking using a subject-specific virtual simulator"
NSF-DARE Conference on Computational Modeling for Neurorehabilitation, March, 2023.
American Society of Biomechanics, August, 2023.
"Hip, knee, and ankle joint forces during exoskeletal-assisted walking using a subject-specific virtual simulator"
American Society of Biomechanics, August, 2023.
"Joint kinematics and ground reaction forces from spinal cord injured and able-bodied participants walking in a self-balancing exoskeleton"
American Society of Biomechanics, August, 2023.
"Muscle coactivation during gait in children with Cerebral Palsy"
American Society of Biomechanics, August, 2023.
"Hip, knee, and ankle joint forces during exoskeletal-assisted walking using a subject-specific virtual simulator"
NSF-DARE Conference on Computational Modeling for Neurorehabilitation, March, 2023.
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Other
"Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning (IFE) [Video conferencia]"
June, 2023.
June, 2023.
Conference Proceeding
"Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning (CIIE) [Artículo en conferencia]"
Tecnológico de Monterrey, Institute for the Future of Education, January (1st Quarter/Winter), 2023.
Tecnológico de Monterrey, Institute for the Future of Education, January (1st Quarter/Winter), 2023.