Gregory J. Gerling

Gregory J. Gerling is the Interim Department Chair and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on haptics, computational neuroscience, and biomechanics, with a particular interest in touch perception, human-machine interaction, and medical applications. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Iowa (2005) and has extensive industry experience at Motorola, NASA Ames, and Rockwell Collins.

Gerling leads the Gerling Touch Lab, which collaborates with neuroscientists and engineers to develop computational models, experimental devices, and psychophysical studies. His work includes federally funded grants from NIH, NSF, and DARPA, and he has authored over 50 publications. Key projects involve tactile sensors, medical training simulators, and UX/UI design for healthcare.

• Principal Investigator on grants from NIH, NSF, DARPA, and industry
• Senior Member of IEEE; Co-chair of IEEE Haptics Symposium (2018, 2020)
• Developed prostate and breast palpation simulators for clinical training
• Designed a mobile device to quantify knee arthrofibrosis forces

His teaching spans human factors, UX design, and perceptual information processing. Gerling emphasizes real-world industry collaboration in his courses, bridging academic research with practical applications.