Elizabeth T Hsiao-Wecksler is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering. She directs the Human Dynamics and Controls Laboratory (HDCL) and serves as Faculty Affiliate in multiple interdisciplinary programs, including Disability Resources, Neuroscience, and Health Care Engineering Systems Center. With a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley (2000), her career spans faculty roles at UIUC since 2002 and visiting positions at Carnegie Mellon and Georgia Tech. Education : PhD (UC Berkeley), MS (RIT), BS (Cornell) Leadership : Grayce Wicall Gauthier Professor (2023), Interim Director of Health Care Engineering Systems Center (2022-2023) Research Interests center on locomotion biomechanics and assistive device development , particularly for Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury patients. Her work integrates mechatronics , soft robotics , and neuromuscular modeling to create innovative solutions like ballbot wheelchairs, passive hydraulic simulators, and smart orthoses. Recent Publications highlight trends in soft robotics for medical training , machine learning in anxiety detection , and biomechanical analysis of wheelchair propulsion . Notable collaborations include studies on traveling wave patient transfer systems and AI-driven mobility aids . Scientific Honors include Fellowships in the American Society of Biomechanics and ASME, the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award (SWE), and multiple teaching accolades. She holds patents on ball-balancing systems and spasticity simulators , with clinical validation across various assistive technologies. Teaching & Service : She has served on campus committees for disability research and LGBT concerns, co-founded IntelliWheels Inc., and contributed to the ASME Robotics Roadmap. Her courses include Mechanical Design I and Whole-Body Musculoskeletal Biomechanics .



