Brian Umberger
@brianumberger.bsky.social
Biomechanics professor at the University of Michigan interested in the mechanics, energetics, and control of human locomotion
Reposted by Brian Umberger
This new #JRSocInterface Perspective, using #neuroscience as an example, argues for a new paradigm of holistic #mathematical modelling that attempts to incorporate the necessary complexity into models of biological systems: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... @rnartallo.bsky.social
November 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
This new #JRSocInterface Perspective, using #neuroscience as an example, argues for a new paradigm of holistic #mathematical modelling that attempts to incorporate the necessary complexity into models of biological systems: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... @rnartallo.bsky.social
Reposted by Brian Umberger
#HappyThanksgiving from WitmerLab! You have your holiday traditions, and we have ours! Yes, we CT scanned our turkey on our best turkey platter. Science has never been so delicious! And like any good dinosaur biologist, I prepared and accessioned the skeleton—OUVC 10789. 🦃🦖
November 27, 2025 at 5:31 PM
#HappyThanksgiving from WitmerLab! You have your holiday traditions, and we have ours! Yes, we CT scanned our turkey on our best turkey platter. Science has never been so delicious! And like any good dinosaur biologist, I prepared and accessioned the skeleton—OUVC 10789. 🦃🦖
Reposted by Brian Umberger
The NSF Bio Anthro Program DDRIG, Cultural Anthrpology DDRIG, and Archaeology DDRIG have all been archived (as of yesterday afternoon). Please speak with your grad students and plan accordingly. To say I am angry and depressed about this is an understatement.
November 26, 2025 at 3:25 PM
The NSF Bio Anthro Program DDRIG, Cultural Anthrpology DDRIG, and Archaeology DDRIG have all been archived (as of yesterday afternoon). Please speak with your grad students and plan accordingly. To say I am angry and depressed about this is an understatement.
Reposted by Brian Umberger
The 3.4 million-year-old Burtele foot from Ethiopia had a grasping big toe & more flexible midfoot than seen in contemporaneous Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy's species). This suggested a mystery lineage parallel to A. afarensis. Now we might know who that foot belonged to. #paleoanthropology 🧪🏺
New finds shed light on diet and locomotion in Australopithecus deyiremeda - Nature
3.4-million-year-old hominin fossils discovered in Ethiopia provide insight into the diet and locomotion of Australopithecus deyiremeda.
www.nature.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:17 PM
The 3.4 million-year-old Burtele foot from Ethiopia had a grasping big toe & more flexible midfoot than seen in contemporaneous Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy's species). This suggested a mystery lineage parallel to A. afarensis. Now we might know who that foot belonged to. #paleoanthropology 🧪🏺
Reposted by Brian Umberger
#3Dprinting was supposed to dramatically reduce the price of prosthetic limbs, but reality didn’t live up to the #hype. Why not? spectrum.ieee.org/how-3d-print...
November 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM
#3Dprinting was supposed to dramatically reduce the price of prosthetic limbs, but reality didn’t live up to the #hype. Why not? spectrum.ieee.org/how-3d-print...
Reposted by Brian Umberger
NEW from me - NSF cancels grant scheme for social science research.
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Today's biggest science news: Doomed comet explodes | Comet 3I/ATLAS course alteration | Dark matter detected?
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025: Your daily feed of the biggest discoveries and breakthroughs making headlines.
www.livescience.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:01 PM
NEW from me - NSF cancels grant scheme for social science research.
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Having looked through the Genesis Mission launch materials (a US gov program to apply AI in the sciences), this has the feel of Google adding AI to the search. It's being done without understanding whether the people who would purportedly be its users want or would benefit from it.
November 25, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Having looked through the Genesis Mission launch materials (a US gov program to apply AI in the sciences), this has the feel of Google adding AI to the search. It's being done without understanding whether the people who would purportedly be its users want or would benefit from it.
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Postdoc (and PhD) opportunity in my lab. www.linkedin.com/posts/matthi...
November 23, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Postdoc (and PhD) opportunity in my lab. www.linkedin.com/posts/matthi...
Reposted by Brian Umberger
The Nishikawa lab at Northern Arizona University and the NSF-funded Integrative Movement Sciences Institute are hiring a postdoc to help develop multiscale muscle models - please apply and share widely! careers.nau.edu/cw/en-us/job...
Postdoctoral Scholar - Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
Special Information
This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities...
careers.nau.edu
November 20, 2025 at 11:11 PM
The Nishikawa lab at Northern Arizona University and the NSF-funded Integrative Movement Sciences Institute are hiring a postdoc to help develop multiscale muscle models - please apply and share widely! careers.nau.edu/cw/en-us/job...
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Since the Journal of Applied Physiology isn’t on Bluesky: Research Article by SJ Skaper et al. The #energycost of #cyclic #musclecontractions at different initial #muscle-#tendon unit lengths derived from near-#infraredspectroscopy
ow.ly/Irns50XmL
ow.ly/Irns50XmL
November 17, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Since the Journal of Applied Physiology isn’t on Bluesky: Research Article by SJ Skaper et al. The #energycost of #cyclic #musclecontractions at different initial #muscle-#tendon unit lengths derived from near-#infraredspectroscopy
ow.ly/Irns50XmL
ow.ly/Irns50XmL
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Research on brain disorders may slow as young neuroscientists struggle to find jobs and research grants. n.pr/4pgmAna
As funding falters, young brain scientists rethink careers in research
Research on brain disorders may slow as young neuroscientists struggle to find jobs and research grants.
n.pr
November 15, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Research on brain disorders may slow as young neuroscientists struggle to find jobs and research grants. n.pr/4pgmAna
This thread and its various offshoots are shades of the old science twitter. I miss those days.
This raises what I like to call the "AI test for tasks".
If many people use AI to do task X, then that tells you that task X is actually just a brainless administrative exercise.
Any such task should probably be eliminated, and if that's not an option, modified to make automation even easier.
If many people use AI to do task X, then that tells you that task X is actually just a brainless administrative exercise.
Any such task should probably be eliminated, and if that's not an option, modified to make automation even easier.
There was never any point to having reference letters. That's why we've all started using AI to do this nonesense task.
References should only be used for short-listed candidates for important positions/awards, and ideally, be done via a call to get the most honest opinion possible.
References should only be used for short-listed candidates for important positions/awards, and ideally, be done via a call to get the most honest opinion possible.
November 16, 2025 at 1:11 AM
This thread and its various offshoots are shades of the old science twitter. I miss those days.
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Garrett Stanley and I are leading the recruitment of a senior faculty position in BME at Georgia Tech and Emory, focused on Neural Engineering. Come talk to us, we're looking for a leader in research and training, in areas with neurotranslation potential.
More details here:
lnkd.in/eusCqCSR
More details here:
lnkd.in/eusCqCSR
November 15, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Garrett Stanley and I are leading the recruitment of a senior faculty position in BME at Georgia Tech and Emory, focused on Neural Engineering. Come talk to us, we're looking for a leader in research and training, in areas with neurotranslation potential.
More details here:
lnkd.in/eusCqCSR
More details here:
lnkd.in/eusCqCSR
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Synergistic yet different: Rethinking the gastrocnemii as two functionally distinct muscles.
In this preprint perspective article, @francoishug.bsky.social and I delve into the biomechanics, anatomy, neural control, and function of the gastrocnemius muscles, two important calf muscles.
In this preprint perspective article, @francoishug.bsky.social and I delve into the biomechanics, anatomy, neural control, and function of the gastrocnemius muscles, two important calf muscles.
Synergistic yet different: Rethinking the gastrocnemii as two functionally distinct muscles
Abstract The human medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles play important roles in gait, standing balance, and numerous sports activities. Because they share
papers.ssrn.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Synergistic yet different: Rethinking the gastrocnemii as two functionally distinct muscles.
In this preprint perspective article, @francoishug.bsky.social and I delve into the biomechanics, anatomy, neural control, and function of the gastrocnemius muscles, two important calf muscles.
In this preprint perspective article, @francoishug.bsky.social and I delve into the biomechanics, anatomy, neural control, and function of the gastrocnemius muscles, two important calf muscles.
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Watch the @mobilizecenter.bsky.social/Restore Center webinar with @aclouthier.bsky.social and Erin Lee entitled “Integrating Bone and Joint Geometry into Musculoskeletal Models”
Research presentation: youtu.be/QtqDx3_uK9I
Tutorial: youtu.be/wqxQl3Dm9lc
Research presentation: youtu.be/QtqDx3_uK9I
Tutorial: youtu.be/wqxQl3Dm9lc
Webinar: Integrating Bone and Joint Geometry into Musculoskeletal Models, Part 1 of 2
YouTube video by Mobilize Center
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Watch the @mobilizecenter.bsky.social/Restore Center webinar with @aclouthier.bsky.social and Erin Lee entitled “Integrating Bone and Joint Geometry into Musculoskeletal Models”
Research presentation: youtu.be/QtqDx3_uK9I
Tutorial: youtu.be/wqxQl3Dm9lc
Research presentation: youtu.be/QtqDx3_uK9I
Tutorial: youtu.be/wqxQl3Dm9lc
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Our lab (Sayu Lab for Biomechanics and Locomotion) at the University of Utah is hiring a PhD Student to start Fall 2026! I can’t speak highly enough of Kota as a mentor, and on top of that we’re doing super neat science! Apply before Dec 1st. Job info below:
biomch-l.isbweb.org/forum/biomch...
biomch-l.isbweb.org/forum/biomch...
PhD position in locomotion, energetics, foot-ankle, prosthetics, footwear - Univ of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) -
Biomch-L
Job Summary:
Sayu Lab for Biomechanics & Locomotion (https://health.utah.edu/health-kinesiology/research/takahashi-lab), directed by Dr. Kota Takahashi at the University of Utah is seeking highly...
biomch-l.isbweb.org
November 11, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Our lab (Sayu Lab for Biomechanics and Locomotion) at the University of Utah is hiring a PhD Student to start Fall 2026! I can’t speak highly enough of Kota as a mentor, and on top of that we’re doing super neat science! Apply before Dec 1st. Job info below:
biomch-l.isbweb.org/forum/biomch...
biomch-l.isbweb.org/forum/biomch...
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Very excited about our new pre-print on an open-source package that I developed with some of my GT labmates!
Epically Powerful (EP) is a modular mechatronics infrastructure and open-source software package for building and operating wearable and general robotic systems.
arxiv.org/abs/2511.05033
Epically Powerful (EP) is a modular mechatronics infrastructure and open-source software package for building and operating wearable and general robotic systems.
arxiv.org/abs/2511.05033
November 11, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Very excited about our new pre-print on an open-source package that I developed with some of my GT labmates!
Epically Powerful (EP) is a modular mechatronics infrastructure and open-source software package for building and operating wearable and general robotic systems.
arxiv.org/abs/2511.05033
Epically Powerful (EP) is a modular mechatronics infrastructure and open-source software package for building and operating wearable and general robotic systems.
arxiv.org/abs/2511.05033
Reposted by Brian Umberger
🧠Want to start a #PhD in sensorimotor #neuroscience in Fall 2026? Our NIH- and NSF-funded lab at
@iubloomington.bsky.social uses human behavior and noninvasive brain stimulation to study motor learning and perception. More info: blocklab.net/openings.html or [email protected]. Deadline is Dec. 15.
@iubloomington.bsky.social uses human behavior and noninvasive brain stimulation to study motor learning and perception. More info: blocklab.net/openings.html or [email protected]. Deadline is Dec. 15.
November 10, 2025 at 11:23 PM
🧠Want to start a #PhD in sensorimotor #neuroscience in Fall 2026? Our NIH- and NSF-funded lab at
@iubloomington.bsky.social uses human behavior and noninvasive brain stimulation to study motor learning and perception. More info: blocklab.net/openings.html or [email protected]. Deadline is Dec. 15.
@iubloomington.bsky.social uses human behavior and noninvasive brain stimulation to study motor learning and perception. More info: blocklab.net/openings.html or [email protected]. Deadline is Dec. 15.
Reposted by Brian Umberger
A new #ScienceRobotics Focus article describes the design of the Omnia bionic leg with semi-powered knee and ankle, which helped the Rehab Tech team clinch first place at the 2024 Cybathlon leg prosthesis race. https://scim.ag/3J71Xuj
The Omnia bionic leg with a semipowered knee and ankle wins the Cybathlon 2024 leg prosthesis race
Rehab Tech’s Omnia prosthesis excelled at Cybathlon, showcasing advanced lower-limb prostheses and user-centered innovation.
scim.ag
November 9, 2025 at 6:39 PM
A new #ScienceRobotics Focus article describes the design of the Omnia bionic leg with semi-powered knee and ankle, which helped the Rehab Tech team clinch first place at the 2024 Cybathlon leg prosthesis race. https://scim.ag/3J71Xuj
Often lost in the hullabaloo over SNAP funding is the fact that the wealthiest country in the world has 42 million people who need the support of an anti-hunger program. Shameful.
JUST IN: The Trump administration late Saturday directed states that they must "immediately undo" any actions they have made to provide benefits to low-income families via SNAP.
Trump tells states to 'immediately undo' steps to fund November SNAP benefits
The Trump administration late Saturday directed states that they must "immediately undo" any actions they have made to provide benefits to low-income families via SNAP.
n.pr
November 9, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Often lost in the hullabaloo over SNAP funding is the fact that the wealthiest country in the world has 42 million people who need the support of an anti-hunger program. Shameful.
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Neural manifolds that orchestrate walking and stopping https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.08.687367v1
November 9, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Neural manifolds that orchestrate walking and stopping https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.08.687367v1
Reposted by Brian Umberger
We must remove the language banning same-sex marriage that still exists in Michigan‘s Constitution. I’m taking the first step in the State Senate to put it on the ballot.
michiganadvance.com/2025/11/06/m...
michiganadvance.com/2025/11/06/m...
Moss introduces resolution to put same-sex marriage on Michigan’s ballot amid SCOTUS concerns • Michigan Advance
State Sen. Jeremy Moss, the first openly gay state senator in Michigan, has introduced a resolution in the Senate to put a proposal on the ballot that would remove Michigan’s constitutional ban on sam...
michiganadvance.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:23 PM
We must remove the language banning same-sex marriage that still exists in Michigan‘s Constitution. I’m taking the first step in the State Senate to put it on the ballot.
michiganadvance.com/2025/11/06/m...
michiganadvance.com/2025/11/06/m...
Reposted by Brian Umberger
When asked to draw a scientist, school-age kids in the United States are increasingly sketching women, according to a study from 2018.
Read more on #STEMSTEAMDay: https://scim.ag/4qFrPON
Read more on #STEMSTEAMDay: https://scim.ag/4qFrPON
November 8, 2025 at 4:11 PM
When asked to draw a scientist, school-age kids in the United States are increasingly sketching women, according to a study from 2018.
Read more on #STEMSTEAMDay: https://scim.ag/4qFrPON
Read more on #STEMSTEAMDay: https://scim.ag/4qFrPON
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Apparently the postings are up for several NIH director positions. Deadlines between 11/14 and 11/21. hr.nih.gov/careers/care...
hr.nih.gov
November 7, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Apparently the postings are up for several NIH director positions. Deadlines between 11/14 and 11/21. hr.nih.gov/careers/care...
Reposted by Brian Umberger
Sigh. NIH normally sends several hundred scientists to the SFN annual meeting to learn, exchange info, come up with new ideas, and advance science. (The exchange of ideas is the very core of the scientific enterprise.)
This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.
This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.
Enjoy a broad range of lectures and network with experts in the field at #SfN25! 🧠
Gain valuable insights and tools to enhance your research and career.
Browse through to lectures and build your itinerary in the 2025 Neuroscience Meeting Planner
🔗 vist.ly/4de72
#neurosky #neuroskyence
Gain valuable insights and tools to enhance your research and career.
Browse through to lectures and build your itinerary in the 2025 Neuroscience Meeting Planner
🔗 vist.ly/4de72
#neurosky #neuroskyence
November 7, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Sigh. NIH normally sends several hundred scientists to the SFN annual meeting to learn, exchange info, come up with new ideas, and advance science. (The exchange of ideas is the very core of the scientific enterprise.)
This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.
This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.