Filip Staes

Filip Staes is a full professor at the Faculty of Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences at KU Leuven, Belgium. He serves as dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences and leads faculty centers outside traditional departments. His work bridges musculoskeletal rehabilitation research with clinical practice, focusing on biomechanical and physiological aspects of sports injuries and lower limb disorders.

• Active member of KU Leuven Institutes: Institute for Child and Youth (LC&Y) and Institute for Sports Sciences (LISS)
• Involved in university governance as member of University Council, Academic Council, and specialized committees
• Co-promotor in multiple ongoing projects (2018-2025) related to hip and foot biomechanics

His research primarily investigates:

• Hip Biomechanics: CAM morphology development and femoroacetabular impingement
• Foot Mechanics: intrinsic muscle strength assessment and multi-segment foot modeling
• Kinematic Analysis: lumbopelvic-hip complex dynamics in symptomatic and asymptomatic populations
• Clinical Reasoning: integration of subjective data in musculoskeletal rehabilitation

The articles demonstrate a consistent focus on lower limb biomechanics, with particular attention to athletic hip pathologies, foot muscle assessment, and movement pattern analysis. His team frequently employs advanced motion capture techniques and longitudinal study designs to understand musculoskeletal adaptations in athletes.

As a co-promotor, he has guided PhD research on:

• Al Otti D.'s work on CAM deformity etiology
• Haelewijn N.'s studies on foot muscle assessment
• Houtmeyers K.'s research on subjective data importance
• Hoekstra H.'s post-surgical foot mechanics analysis

Current affiliations include leadership roles in multiple university councils and committees, with a strong emphasis on education quality and interdisciplinary collaboration.