Jongsang Son
Assistant Professor, Bio Medical Engineering
- jongsang.son@njit.edu
- 973-596-5381
- 645 Fenster Hall (FENS)
About Me
Jongsang Son, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and the Director of the Clinical Neuromuscular Adaptation Laboratory (CNAlab). His research priorities are (1) to understand neuromuscular mechanisms underlying muscle weakness in older adults and in individuals with central nervous system injuries, (2) to quantify neuromuscular properties in a non-invasive, practical manner, and (3) to investigate neuromuscular adaptations in response to various sensorimotor stimulations. Ultimately, he hopes to translate his discoveries into practical interventions that can prevent the development of motor impairments and help people with chronic disabilities improve motor function. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea. Before joining NJIT, he was an Associate Research Scientist at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Northwestern University, Chicago, United States.
Education
Ph.D.; Yonsei University Graduate School ; Biomedical Engineering; 2014
M.S.; Yonsei University Graduate School; Biomedical Engineering; 2009
B.S.; Yonsei University; Biomedical Engineering; 2007
Awards & Honors
2018 Yamaguchi Medal for Young Investigators in Soft Tissue Mechanics, Asian-Pacific Association for Biomechanics
2017 Switzer Fellow, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
2013 Best Instructor Award, Yonsei University Wonju Campus
2012 Best Instructor Award, Yonsei University Wonju Campus
2009 Best Paper Award (3rd place), Yonsei University Graduate School
2009 Happy Idea!! Award, Assistive Technology Research & Assistance Center
2008 Best Presentation Award (as a co-author), Information and Control Symposium
2007 Best Paper Award (1st place), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University Wonju Campus
Office Hours
Tuesday 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, or by appointment
2026 Fall Courses
BME 493 - HONORS RESEARCH THESIS I
BME 491 - RESEARCH & INDEPENDENT STUDY I
BME 492 - RESEARCH & INDPNDNT STUDY II
BME 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
BME 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
BME 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY II
BME 700B - MASTER'S PROJECT
BME 701B - MASTER'S THESIS
BME 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BME 451 - BIOMECH OF HUMAN MOVEMENT
BME 790A - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
Past Courses
BME 321: ADV MECHANICS FOR BIOMED ENGR
BME 451: BIOMECHANICS I
BME 498: ST: COMPUTER METHODS IN BME
BME 675: COMPUTER METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
BME 698: ST: NEUROMUSCULAR MECHANICS
Research Interests
The long-term goal of the Clinical Neuromuscular Adaptation Laboratory (CNAlab) is to address the following question.
"How can we improve reduced motor function in older adults and in individuals with central nervous system injuries?"
To address this long-term question, the CNAlab focuses on the following areas:
1) Clinical Neuromuscular Dynamics: To understand potential associations of changes in neuromuscular properties with motor function in older adults and in individuals with neuromuscular disorders;
2) Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Engineering: To develop non-invasive, more practical techniques for objective assessment of neuromuscular properties and of functional movements;
3) Clinical Neuromuscular Adaptation: To establish changes in neuromuscular systems in response to various sensorimotor stimulations.
Ultimately, our discoveries will provide fundamental knowledge that will be helpful for researchers/clinicians to quantify neuromuscular properties and motor impairment in a more practical manner and to design more effective rehabilitation interventions in clinical practice that can prevent the development of motor impairments and help them improve motor function and thus quality of life.
"How can we improve reduced motor function in older adults and in individuals with central nervous system injuries?"
To address this long-term question, the CNAlab focuses on the following areas:
1) Clinical Neuromuscular Dynamics: To understand potential associations of changes in neuromuscular properties with motor function in older adults and in individuals with neuromuscular disorders;
2) Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Engineering: To develop non-invasive, more practical techniques for objective assessment of neuromuscular properties and of functional movements;
3) Clinical Neuromuscular Adaptation: To establish changes in neuromuscular systems in response to various sensorimotor stimulations.
Ultimately, our discoveries will provide fundamental knowledge that will be helpful for researchers/clinicians to quantify neuromuscular properties and motor impairment in a more practical manner and to design more effective rehabilitation interventions in clinical practice that can prevent the development of motor impairments and help them improve motor function and thus quality of life.
Journal Article
Reese Michaels, Justin Ehrlich, Yajun Mei, Jongsang Son, Stephen N. Robinovitch, Jacob J. Sosnoff, Yaejin Moon. 2026. "Validity of multiple human pose estimation tools for measuring knee impact angles in video-captured falls of older adults." PLOS One, vol. 21, no. 7, pp. e0335108.
Ragnhild Maarleveld, H.E.J. Veeger, F.C.T. van der Helm, Jongsang Son, Richard L. Lieber, Eline van der Kruk. 2025. "What the PCSA? Addressing diversity in lower-limb musculoskeletal models: age- and sex-related differences in PCSA and muscle mass." Journal of Biomechanics, vol. 193, pp. 112976.
Seokbeom Roh, Da Yeon Cheong, Sangwoo Lee, Jongsang Son, Insu Park, Gyudo Lee. 2025. "Controlled ligation and elongation of uniformly truncated amyloid nanofibrils." Nanoscale.
Jongsang Son, Samuel R. Ward, Richard L. Lieber. 2025. "Correction: Scaling relationships between human leg muscle architectural properties and body size." Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 228, no. 15.
Wonbum Sohn, M. Hongchul Sohn, Jongsang Son. 2025. "Insights into motor impairment assessment using myographic signals with artificial intelligence: a scoping review." Biomedical Engineering Letters, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 693-716.
Nayoung Jeong, Doyeol Kim, Seonhong Hwang, Jongsang Son. 2025. "Effect of Tibialis Anterior Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation-Induced Eccentric Contraction Training on Single-Leg Standing: A Pilot Study." Sensors, vol. 25, no. 8, pp. 2455.
Jongsang Son, Fandi Shi, William Zev Rymer. 2024. "BiLSTM-Based Joint Torque Prediction From Mechanomyogram During Isometric Contractions: A Proof of Concept Study." IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 32, pp. 1926-1933.
Jongsang Son, Samuel R. Ward, Richard L. Lieber. 2024. "Scaling relationships between human leg muscle architectural properties and body size." Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 227, no. 6.
Ruchi Shah, Marina W. Samuel, Jongsang Son. 2023. "Acute and Chronic Effects of Static Stretching on Neuromuscular Properties: A Meta-Analytical Review." Applied Sciences, vol. 13, no. 21, pp. 11979.
Fandi Shi, William Zev Rymer, Jongsang Son. 2023. "Ankle Joint Angle Influences Relative Torque Fluctuation during Isometric Plantar Flexion." Bioengineering, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 373.
Jongsang Son, William Z. Rymer. 2022. "Contribution of stroke-related changes in neuromuscular factors to gear ratio during isometric contraction of medial gastrocnemius muscle: A simulation study." Clinical Biomechanics, vol. 99, pp. 105744.
Jongsang Son, William Zev Rymer. 2022. "Relative contribution of altered neuromuscular factors to muscle activation-force relationships following chronic stroke: A simulation study." Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, vol. 66, pp. 102680.
Jongsang Son, Jan Fridén, Richard L. Lieber. 2022. "Biomechanical Modeling of Brachialis-to-Wrist Extensor Muscle Transfer Function for Daily Activities in Tetraplegia." JBJS Open Access, vol. 7, no. 3.
Fandi Shi, William Zev Rymer, Jongsang Son. 2021. "Mechanomyogram amplitude vs. isometric ankle plantarflexion torque of human medial gastrocnemius muscle at different ankle joint angles." Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, vol. 61, pp. 102609.
Jan Fridén, Jongsang Son, Sabrina Koch-Borner, Richard L. Lieber. 2021. "Outcome from a brachialis donor for wrist extension in tetraplegia—time to reconsider the International Classification for Surgery of the Hand in Tetraplegia (ICSHT)." Spinal Cord Series and Cases, vol. 7, no. 1.
Jongsang Son, William Zev Rymer. 2021. "Longer electromechanical delay in paretic triceps surae muscles during voluntary isometric plantarflexion torque generation in chronic hemispheric stroke survivors." Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, vol. 56, pp. 102475.
Jongsang Son, William Zev Rymer. 2020. "Loss of variable fascicle gearing during voluntary isometric contractions of paretic medial gastrocnemius muscles in male chronic stroke survivors." The Journal of Physiology, vol. 598, no. 22, pp. 5183-5194.
Woong Kim, Wonseok Lee, Hyunsung Choi, Gyudo Lee, Jongsang Son, Sang Won Lee, Joohyung Park, Woochang Kim, Minwoo Kim, Dae Sung Yoon, Doyeon Bang, Sungsoo Na, Jinsung Park. 2020. "Bioinspired Micro Glue Threads Fabricated by Liquid Bridge-to-Solidification as an Effective Sensing Platform." ACS Sensors, vol. 5, no. 7, pp. 1977-1986.
Jongsang Son, William Z. Rymer, Sabrina S.M. Lee. 2020. "Limited fascicle shortening and fascicle rotation may be associated with impaired voluntary force-generating capacity in pennate muscles of chronic stroke survivors." Clinical Biomechanics, vol. 75, pp. 105007.
Jongsang Son, William Zev Rymer. 2020. "Effects of Changes in Ankle Joint Angle on the Relation Between Plantarflexion Torque and EMG Magnitude in Major Plantar Flexors of Male Chronic Stroke Survivors." Frontiers in Neurology, vol. 11.
Jongsang Son, Xiaogang Hu, Nina L. Suresh, William Z. Rymer. 2019. "Prolonged time course of population excitatory postsynaptic potentials in motoneurons of chronic stroke survivors." Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 122, no. 1, pp. 176-183.
HoeJeong Chung, DooSup Kim, Scott A. Banks, Jongsang Son, YoungHo Kim, MyoungGi On, JunSeop Yeom. 2019. "Evaluation of three-dimensional in vivo scapular kinematics and scapulohumeral rhythm between shoulders with a clavicle hook plate and contralateral healthy shoulders." International Orthopaedics, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 379-386.
Myung Jun Lee, Tae-Hyung Kim, Chi-Woong Mun, Hae Kyung Shin, Jongsang Son, Jae-Hyeok Lee. 2018. "Spatial correlation and segregation of multimodal MRI abnormalities in multiple system atrophy." Journal of Neurology, vol. 265, no. 7, pp. 1540-1547.
Kyoungjune Pak, Hae Kyung Shin, Eun-Joo Kim, Jae-Hyeok Lee, Chul Hyoung Lyoo, Jongsang Son, Myung Jun Lee. 2018. "Weight loss is associated with rapid striatal dopaminergic degeneration in Parkinson's disease." Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, vol. 51, pp. 67-72.
Jeseong Ryu, Jongsang Son, Sungjoong Kim, Jongman Kim, Soonjae Ahn, Youngho Kim. 2018. "Determination of Optimal Riding Positions using Muscle Co-Contraction on Upper Extremity during Manual Standing Wheelchair Propulsion." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 577-586.
Jongsang Son, Andy Indresano, Kristin Sheppard, Samuel R. Ward, Richard L. Lieber. 2018. "Intraoperative and biomechanical studies of human vastus lateralis and vastus medialis sarcomere length operating range." Journal of Biomechanics, vol. 67, pp. 91-97.
Wonseok Lee, Jongsang Son, Seonghyun Kim, Dongmin Yang, Seungyeop Choi, Rodrigo Akira Watanabe, Kyo Seon Hwang, Sang Woo Lee, Gyudo Lee, Dae Sung Yoon. 2018. "Adhesive Leaf Created by a Corona Discharge." Scientific Reports, vol. 8, no. 1.
Han-Jeong Hwang, Do-Won Kim, Janne M. Hahne, Jongsang Son. 2017. "Neural Engineering for Rehabilitation." BioMed Research International, vol. 2017, pp. 1-2.
Li-Qun Zhang, Jongsang Son, Hyung-Soon Park, Sang Hoon Kang, Yunju Lee, Yupeng Ren. 2017. "Changes of Shoulder, Elbow, and Wrist Stiffness Matrix Post Stroke." IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 844-851.
Jeseong Ryu, Jongsang Son, Min Jo, Eunkyoung Choi, Soonjae Ahn, Sinki Kim, Young ho Kim. 2017. "Optimal seat and footrest positions of manual standing wheelchair." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 879-885.
Yunju Lee, Kai Chen, Yupeng Ren, Jongsang Son, Bruce A. Cohen, James A. Sliwa, Li-Qun Zhang. 2017. "Robot-guided ankle sensorimotor rehabilitation of patients with multiple sclerosis." Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, vol. 11, pp. 65-70.
M. J. Lee, Jongsang Son, J. H. Lee, S. J. Kim, C. H. Lyoo, M. S. Lee. 2016. "Impact of prolonged temporal discrimination threshold on finger movements of Parkinson's disease." PLoS ONE, vol. 11, no. 11.
Isu Shin, Soonjae Ahn, Eunkyoung Choi, Jeseong Ryu, Sunwoo Park, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2016. "Fatigue analysis of the quadriceps femoris muscle based on mechanomyography." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 473-478.
DooSup Kim, HoeJeong Chung, Chang-Ho Yi, Yeo-Seung Yoon, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim, Myoung-Gi On, JaeHyung Yang. 2016. "Effect of glenohumeral position on contact pressure between the capsulolabral complex and the glenoid in free ALPSA and Bankart lesions." Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 350-356.
Jongsang Son, Jeseong Ryu, Soonjae Ahn, Eun Joo Kim, Jung Ah Lee, Youngho Kim. 2016. "Effects of 4-Week Intensive Active-Resistive Training with an EMG-Based Exoskeleton Robot on Muscle Strength in Older People: A Pilot Study." BioMed Research International, vol. 2016, pp. 1-5.
Jeseong Ryu, Jongsang Son, Soonjae Ahn, Isu Shin, Youngho Kim. 2015. "Biomechanical analysis of the circular friction hand massage." Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S529-S534.
Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2015. "A comparison of four different muscle pennation models and their effects on predictions in peak fiber force and operating range of fiber length." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 16, no. 6, pp. 1179-1185.
Isu Shin, Jongsang Son, Soonjae Ahn, Jeseong Ryu, Sunwoo Park, Jongman Kim, Baekdong Cha, Eunkyoung Choi, Youngho Kim. 2015. "A Novel Short-Time Fourier Transform-Based Fall Detection Algorithm Using 3-Axis Accelerations." Mathematical Problems in Engineering, vol. 2015, pp. 1-7.
Myeonggu Son, Gyudo Lee, Jongsang Son, Seungyeop Choi, Youngho Kim, Sei-Young Lee, Young-Ro Yoon, Dae Sung Yoon, Sang Woo Lee. 2015. "Characterization of anomalous movements of spherical living cells on a silicon dioxide glassy substrate." Biomicrofluidics, vol. 9, no. 1.
Jungyoon Kim, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2014. "Bandwidth optimization for filter-based fatigue index in different inter-electrode distances." Bio-Medical Materials and Engineering, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 3701-3708.
Jongsang Son, Jeseong Ryu, Jungyoon Kim, Youngho Kim. 2014. "Determination of inertial parameters using a dynamometer." Bio-Medical Materials and Engineering, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 2447-2455.
Jungyoon Kim, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2014. "Consistency of the optimized bandwidth in filter-based fatigue index." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 15, no. 11, pp. 2473-2477.
Jongsang Son, Dongyeop Lee, Youngho Kim. 2014. "Effects of involuntary eccentric contraction training by neuromuscular electrical stimulation on the enhancement of muscle strength." Clinical Biomechanics, vol. 29, no. 7, pp. 767-772.
Jongsang Son, Hoyoon Lee, Jongman Kim, Youngho Kim. 2014. "Alternative objective function to predict reasonable muscle forces using a Hill‐type muscle model." Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, vol. 7, no. S1.
Bora Jeong, Seunghyeon Kim, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2014. "Kinetic analysis of the metatarsophalangeal joint in normal subjects and hallux valgus patients during walking using a four‐segment foot model." Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, vol. 7, no. S1.
Minhyeon Lee, Jungyoon Kim, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2013. "Kinematic and kinetic analysis during forward and backward walking." Gait and Posture, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 674-678.
Seunghyeon Kim, Jongsang Son, Changho Yi, Doosup Kim, Youngho Kim. 2013. "Pennation angles of ankle dorsiflexor and plantarflexors depending on muscle contraction intensity." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 855-858.
Seonhong Hwang, Seunghyeon Kim, Jongsang Son, Jinbok Lee, Youngho Kim. 2013. "Upper limb joint motion of two different user groups during manual wheelchair propulsion." Journal of the Korean Physical Society, vol. 62, no. 4, pp. 648-656.
Seonhong Hwang, Seunghyeon Kim, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2012. "Manual wheelchair propulsion torque and power outputs in different skill groups." Journal of Biomechanical Science and Engineering, vol. 7, no. 4 SUPPL, pp. 349-357.
Jongsang Son, A. Ra Ko, Young Hee Lee, Youngho Kim. 2012. "A computer-based finger-tapping system for evaluating movement of the affected hand following stroke: A pilot study." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 13, no. 11, pp. 2083-2086.
Sunwoo Park, Kihong Ryu, Jungyoon Kim, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2012. "Verification of accuracy and validity of gait phase detection system using motion sensors for applying walking assistive FES." Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, vol. 15, no. 11, pp. 1129-1135.
In Soo Park, Kilho Eom, Jongsang Son, Woo-Jin Chang, Kidong Park, Taeyun Kwon, Dae Sung Yoon, Rashid Bashir, Sang Woo Lee. 2012. "Microfluidic Multifunctional Probe Array Dielectrophoretic Force Spectroscopy with Wide Loading Rates." ACS Nano, vol. 6, no. 10, pp. 8665-8673.
Youngho Kim, Seunghyeon Kim, Jongsang Son, Bora Jeong. 2012. "Kinetic role of the metatarsophalangeal joint in normal walking: Joint moment and power." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 1481-1485.
Jongsang Son, Sungjae Hwang, Youngho Kim. 2012. "A hybrid static optimisation method to estimate muscle forces during muscle co-activation." Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 249-254.
Seonhong Hwang, Seunghyeon Kim, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2012. "Torque and power outputs on different subjects during manual wheelchair propulsion under different conditions." Journal of the Korean Physical Society, vol. 60, no. 3, pp. 540-543.
Jongsang Son, Seunghyeon Kim, Soonjae Ahn, Jeseong Ryu, Seonhong Hwang, Youngho Kim. 2012. "Determination of the dynamic knee joint range of motion during leg extension exercise using an EMG-driven model." International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 117-123.
Jongsang Son, Sungjae Hwang, Youngho Kim. 2010. "An EMG-based muscle force monitoring system." Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 24, no. 10, pp. 2099-2105.
Gyudo Lee, Huihun Jung, Jongsang Son, Kihwan Nam, Taeyun Kwon, Geunbae Lim, Young Ho Kim, Jongbum Seo, Sang Woo Lee, Dae Sung Yoon. 2010. "Experimental and numerical study of electrochemical nanomachining using an AFM cantilever tip." Nanotechnology, vol. 21, no. 18, pp. 185301.
Sungjae Hwang, Kisik Tae, Ryanghee Sohn, Jungyoon Kim, Jongsang Son, Youngho Kim. 2009. "The Balance Recovery Mechanisms Against Unexpected Forward Perturbation." Annals of Biomedical Engineering, vol. 37, no. 8, pp. 1629-1637.
Other
"Estimation of soleus muscle activation patterns from lower limb kinematics during normal level walking using a deep neural network model"
medRxiv, 2025.
medRxiv, 2025.
"Insights into motor impairment assessment using myographic signals with artificial intelligence: A scoping review"
medRxiv, 2025.
medRxiv, 2025.
"Validity of Multiple Human Pose Estimation Tools for Measuring Knee Kinematics in Video-Captured Falls of Older Adults"
SSRN, 2025.
SSRN, 2025.
"Force variability is a potential biomarker of motor impairment in hemispheric stroke survivors"
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2024.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2024.
"Editorial: Neuromuscular Adaptations to Sensorimotor Stimulation Protocols: Potential Rehabilitative Interventions for Individuals with Central or Peripheral Neuromuscular Injuries"
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Science, March, 2024.
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Science, March, 2024.
"Editorial: From depth (needle) to surface: electromyography as a diagnostic tool in identifying neuromuscular changes associated with neurological disorders"
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, June, 2023.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, June, 2023.
Professional
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences: Rehabilitation for Musculoskeletal Condition
Associate Editor, 2024
PLOS ONE
Academic Editor, 2022
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living: Biomechanics and Control of Human Movement
Review Editor, 2021
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences: Rehabilitation for Musculoskeletal Condition
Review Editor, 2021
Biosensors
Reviewer Board, 2020
Biosensors
Topical Advisory Panel, 2020
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences
Associate Guest Editor, 2021
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Associate Guest Editor, 2022
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
Associate Guest Editor, 2022
BioMed Research International
Guest Editor, 2015