Ph.D. Candidate
Computer Science Department
Brown University, Box 1910
Providence, RI 02912, USA
401-863-7663 (voice)
401-863-7657 (fax)
gem AT cs.brown.edu
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Research
One out of five computer users damage their wrists due to excessive typing. Doctors X-ray-image the wrist, only to find no broken bones; this is where most investigations end. After a decade of significant innovation in imaging and measurement devices, why are X-rays still the default, and often only tool used for investigating anatomical joints?
I believe it is because we lack the computational tools to integrate a specific individual's measurements into the physically-based simulation of joints.
My thesis so far ("Data-driven predictive modeling of anatomical joints") presents computational modeling, visualization and analysis tools for integrating measured data (such as medical images, tracked motion, and anatomy-book knowledge) into the predictive modeling of a specific individual's joints. Specific contributions include: 1) a sub-voxel accurate method for tracking bone-motion from sequences of medical scans; 2) computational tools for estimating soft-tissue geometry and contact within the joint; 3) a tool for the cross-subject visual exploration of joint biomechanics; and 4) a motion-driven model of the human wrist.
I am currently working on using tracked bone-motion to estimate joint-model parameters. I am implementing a model that could predict the behavior of the human wrist. Such a model can be used to plan surgical interventions and to generate realistic computer animations.
Most of my Ph.D. work is available through my group's (the Visualization Research Lab) site. Projects are listed below.
Projects
Joint-motion tracking
Estimating cartilage geometry and behavior from bone surfaces and joint kinematics
Computational modeling of ligament fibers from bone surfaces and joint kinematics
Cross-parametrization of anatomical joints
Kinematics-driven modeling of anatomical joints
Predictive modeling of anatomical joints