Victor completed his MSc under the supervision of Dr. Tyson Beach at the University of Toronto in 2018, where he applied biomechanical analyses and principles of motor learning to identify effective approaches to (re)train workers. This included exploring how individuals utilize various forms of sensory information - including education, visual cues, tactile cues, and knowledge of performance feedback - to subsequently alter their lifting movements in a spine-sparring manner in the short-and long-term. Projects included: "Using visual aids to influence manual lifting techniques -Acute effects of viewing static images on spine motion"; "Systems-based approach to the study of spinal control: A review of literature and a proposed intervention to improve the speed of information relay"; "Mechanical work done by lower extremity vs. lumbosacral joint moments in single-leg squats"; and his thesis titled: "A comparison of augmented feedback and didactic approaches to reduce spine motion during box and paramedic lifting tasks".

Studying under the supervision of supervisor Dr. Ryan Graham for his PhD research, Victor is focusing on modelling fatigue and internal joint loading during occupational and athletic tasks using machine learning and minimal instrumentation. The use of non-invasive devices, such as inertial measurement units, paired with the use of machine learning models increases the accessibility of these analyses for use outside of the laboratory due to their ease of setup and lack of reliance on musculoskeletal modelling. Stay tuned for more updates on his developing thesis. 

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Themes

• Spine biomechanics

• Movement (re)training

• Motor learning

• Machine learning

• Fatigue modelling

• Internal joint loading estimation

Funding Sources

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) PGS-D (2019-2022)

• University of Ottawa Excellence Scholarship (2019-2022)

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) CGS-M (2017-2018)

• University of Toronto Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (2015)

• University of Toronto Jean Forster Scholarship (2012)