Brian Umberger, PhD

Dr. Brian Umberger is a professor of Movement Science and director of the Locomotion Research Laboratory (LRL). at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. He also holds affiliate appointments in the U-M Robotics Institute and the Michigan Institute for Computational Discovery and Engineering. Prior to his time at U-M, Dr. Umberger was a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He completed his PhD in Biomechanics and Exercise Science at Arizona State University.

Dr. Umberger has published extensively in top peer-reviewed journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, and Journal of Biomechanics. He is currently an associate editor for Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise and he serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Applied Biomechanics. Dr. Umberger's professional affiliations include the American Society of Biomechanics (president 2018-19), American Association for the Advancement of Science, International Society of Biomechanics, and the American College of Sports Medicine.

Dr. Umberger conducts research focused on basic and clinical aspects of locomotion in humans and other bipeds, using a combination of experimental and computer modeling techniques. The scope of his locomotion research spans the restoration of mobility in gait disorders to the evolutionary basis for human bipedalism. Dr. Umberger's research has been supported by grants from agencies including the National Science Foundation, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.