معرفی
Dr. James Ashton-Miller is a prominent faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he directs the Biomechanics Research Laboratory. He serves as a Center Member of the University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center and maintains affiliations with the Institute of Gerontology. His interdisciplinary work bridges engineering principles with medical applications, focusing on injury prevention across sports medicine, obstetrics, and geriatrics.
Dr. Ashton-Miller's educational background includes:
- PhD from the University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (1978-1983)
- MSME from M.I.T., Cambridge, MA, U.S.A (1972-1974)
- B.SC. (Hons) from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England (1967-1972)
His research focuses on the biomechanics of injury prevention across multiple critical domains. In sports medicine, he has demonstrated that some ACL injuries are overuse injuries resulting from too many sub-maximal loading cycles that prevent healing of collagen damage. In women's health, his work on childbirth injuries addresses conditions that affect more women than breast cancer. His research on fall-related injuries in older adults reveals the dual threat of physical and cognitive factors. He also investigates sciatica, disc degeneration, and develops new medical devices for screening, diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Ashton-Miller's recent publications show a strong trend toward developing practical clinical applications from fundamental biomechanical research, with emphasis on advanced imaging methods, wearable sensors, and computational modeling for pelvic floor function assessment. His work consistently aims to translate engineering insights into clinical solutions for injury prevention.
His research insights have earned him numerous national and international research awards, though specific awards aren't detailed in the available information. His work involves close collaboration with clinicians and surgeons who meet weekly to discuss progress and next steps.
Dr. Ashton-Miller is deeply committed to mentoring, working with NIH K-series fellows along with 1-2 post-doctoral fellows, 3-5 PhD students, 2-4 M.S. students, 4-5 undergraduate students, and 2-4 young clinicians. His research is generously supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Basketball Association, Fortune 500 companies, and startup companies including Procter & Gamble and Hologic, Inc.
He directs the Biomechanics Research Laboratory and co-leads the Pelvic Floor Research Group, where his teams develop new medical devices to improve screening, diagnosis, and treatment of various biomechanical conditions. These laboratories maintain strong clinical connections, ensuring research remains grounded in real-world medical challenges.
