Dinesh Pai

Dinesh Pai is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, and directs the Sensorimotor Systems Laboratory. He is affiliated with interdisciplinary institutions including the Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS), the Institute of Applied Mathematics, the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, and the Brain Research Centre.

He earned a B.Tech from IIT Madras (1982), an M.S. (1986) and Ph.D. (1988) from Cornell University. His research spans sensorimotor computation, focusing on computational models of biomechanics and neural control in musculoskeletal systems (e.g., human hand, oculomotor system), physics-based simulation, and medical imaging methods like MRI and computed myography (CMG).

• Key research areas: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Scientific Computing, Virtual/Augmented Reality, Visual Computing, and Haptics.
• Applications: Robotics, computer graphics, neuromusculoskeletal modeling, soft tissue simulation, and spinoff technologies via Vital Mechanics.

His work has been recognized with awards such as the ACM SIGGRAPH Academy, Web3D Best Paper Award, and UBC’s Killam Research Prize. Funded by NSERC, CIHR, NIH, and other major grants, he has supervised numerous graduate theses on topics like frictional contact simulation, musculotendon dynamics, and real-time soft tissue modeling.