Saikat Pal

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/

Ph.D.; University of Denver; Mechanical Engineering; 2008

M.S.; University of Denver; Mechanical Engineering; 2004

B.S.; University of Denver; Computer Engineering; 2002

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

https://coreresearchlab.com/

ENGR 491 - RESEARCH AND INDP STUDY I

BME 302 - INTRO BIOMED ENGR II - HONORS

BME 790A - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

BME 302 - INTRO BIOMED ENGR II

BME 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH

BME 302 Mechanical Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering
BME 671 Biomechanics of Human Structure and Motion

Human movement
Rehabilitation robotics
Computational methods

Novel Cupping peptide therapy for vascular disease
Develop a non-invasive therapy for patients peripheral artery disease.

Ippersiel, Patrick, & Dussault-Picard, Cloe, & Mohammadyari, Sahar, & De Carvalho, Gabriela, & Chandran, Vishnu Deep, & Pal, Saikat, & Dixon, Philippe (2024). Muscle coactivation during gait in children with and without Cerebral Palsy. Gait & Posture, 108, 110-116.

Sahin, Mesut, & Pal, Saikat, & Cakmak, Ozan (2023). Improving the stimulation selectivity in human cochlea by strategically choosing the current return electrode. Frontiers in Audiology and Otology, 1,

Yáñez León, Cristo Ernesto, & Lipuma, James M., & Pal, Saikat (2023). Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning [JMER]. Journal of Modern Education Review (JMER), 13(4), 153--159.

Pal, Saikat, & Choi, Jang-Hwan, & Delp, Scott, & Fredericson, Michael (2023). Botulinum neurotoxin type A improves vasti muscle balance, patellar tracking, and pain in patients with chronic patellofemoral pain. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 41(5), 962-72.

Chandran, Vishnu Deep, & Nam, Sanghyun, & Hexner, David, & Bauman, William, & Pal, Saikat (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, 18(2),

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

Researching Communities of Practice when Transitioning In-service Educator Training to Blended Learning (IFE) [Video conferencia]
June 2023

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