Jason Franz
@franzbiomech.bsky.social
Professor of Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering. Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering @ UNC Chapel Hill and NC State.
Brand new POSTDOC opportunity in my lab (!!) will help lead a multi-institutional collaboration designed to enhance understanding of anatomic variability in Achilles tendinopathy toward more effective, personalized clinical interventions.
Learn more and apply: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
Learn more and apply: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
October 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Brand new POSTDOC opportunity in my lab (!!) will help lead a multi-institutional collaboration designed to enhance understanding of anatomic variability in Achilles tendinopathy toward more effective, personalized clinical interventions.
Learn more and apply: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
Learn more and apply: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
Check out our latest - an experimental + modeling project: "The Effects of Hip Abductor Fatigue on Gait Instability in Older Adults": pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40939027/
We draw a mechanistic link between hip abductor fatigue and its compromising effect when called upon to preserve gait stability.
We draw a mechanistic link between hip abductor fatigue and its compromising effect when called upon to preserve gait stability.
September 23, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Check out our latest - an experimental + modeling project: "The Effects of Hip Abductor Fatigue on Gait Instability in Older Adults": pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40939027/
We draw a mechanistic link between hip abductor fatigue and its compromising effect when called upon to preserve gait stability.
We draw a mechanistic link between hip abductor fatigue and its compromising effect when called upon to preserve gait stability.
Industry collaboration led by @kkatugam.bsky.social reveals that shoe features intended for stability vs. agility minimally bias performance towards either respective benefit = improved consumer confidence in footwear selection, often called upon to meet a variety of activities of daily living.
September 11, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Industry collaboration led by @kkatugam.bsky.social reveals that shoe features intended for stability vs. agility minimally bias performance towards either respective benefit = improved consumer confidence in footwear selection, often called upon to meet a variety of activities of daily living.
In our latest, @jointbme.bsky.social PhD Student Ethan Simaitis finds a reduced capacity to adjust foot placement in older adults during prolonged walking, which may contribute to an increased risk of instability and falls.
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lkeN4-6-l...
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lkeN4-6-l...
September 8, 2025 at 3:21 PM
In our latest, @jointbme.bsky.social PhD Student Ethan Simaitis finds a reduced capacity to adjust foot placement in older adults during prolonged walking, which may contribute to an increased risk of instability and falls.
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lkeN4-6-l...
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lkeN4-6-l...
We've grown more and more interested in the role of fatigue in shaping locomotor behavior. Our latest paper points to a functional consequence of the increased physiological demand placed on calf muscles when operating at shorter lengths—namely accelerated fatigue.
peerj.com/articles/198...
peerj.com/articles/198...
August 22, 2025 at 10:11 AM
We've grown more and more interested in the role of fatigue in shaping locomotor behavior. Our latest paper points to a functional consequence of the increased physiological demand placed on calf muscles when operating at shorter lengths—namely accelerated fatigue.
peerj.com/articles/198...
peerj.com/articles/198...
Our team @jointbme.bsky.social is ready for @amsocbiomech.bsky.social #ASB2025 in Pittsburg next week. We're really proud of the science we and our collaborators are presenting this coming week, from posters and podiums to award finalists and a ton of professional development. See you there!
August 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Our team @jointbme.bsky.social is ready for @amsocbiomech.bsky.social #ASB2025 in Pittsburg next week. We're really proud of the science we and our collaborators are presenting this coming week, from posters and podiums to award finalists and a ton of professional development. See you there!
Will you be at ISB or ASB in the coming weeks? Definitely come talk to me or someone from our group about a new Postdoc Position we are looking to fill asap in foot neuromechanics, aging, and gait. I'll post the official call for applications soon. Join us at UNC Chapel Hill! Reposts encouraged.
July 24, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Will you be at ISB or ASB in the coming weeks? Definitely come talk to me or someone from our group about a new Postdoc Position we are looking to fill asap in foot neuromechanics, aging, and gait. I'll post the official call for applications soon. Join us at UNC Chapel Hill! Reposts encouraged.
Latest from Ross Smith - "The effects of series elastic stiffness and cutaneous sensitivity on leg muscle reflex responses to unanticipated slips during walking" now available in @expbrainres.bsky.social. Open Access Link available:
tinyurl.com/y9mz3vbk
tinyurl.com/y9mz3vbk
May 20, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Latest from Ross Smith - "The effects of series elastic stiffness and cutaneous sensitivity on leg muscle reflex responses to unanticipated slips during walking" now available in @expbrainres.bsky.social. Open Access Link available:
tinyurl.com/y9mz3vbk
tinyurl.com/y9mz3vbk
New Article Alert: "The effects of anticipation of standing surface translations on distal leg muscle excitations" authored by undergraduate @jointbme.bsky.social student Virginie Ruest with mentorship from PhD Student Emily Eichenlaub. Great team to work with!
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
April 17, 2025 at 9:05 PM
New Article Alert: "The effects of anticipation of standing surface translations on distal leg muscle excitations" authored by undergraduate @jointbme.bsky.social student Virginie Ruest with mentorship from PhD Student Emily Eichenlaub. Great team to work with!
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Come check us out at #aptacsm. VETTA Solutions is here and ready to talk with you about how you can enhance joint rehabilitation. Booth #3232 with Brian Pietrosimone!
vettasolutions.com
vettasolutions.com
February 12, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Come check us out at #aptacsm. VETTA Solutions is here and ready to talk with you about how you can enhance joint rehabilitation. Booth #3232 with Brian Pietrosimone!
vettasolutions.com
vettasolutions.com
Fun with ultrasound! Latest from Emily Eichenlaub "Anticipation augments distal leg muscle neuromechanics before, during, and after treadmill-induced perturbations applied during walking". @jbiomech.bsky.social @allenjl12.bsky.social @jrcrenshaw.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
January 22, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Fun with ultrasound! Latest from Emily Eichenlaub "Anticipation augments distal leg muscle neuromechanics before, during, and after treadmill-induced perturbations applied during walking". @jbiomech.bsky.social @allenjl12.bsky.social @jrcrenshaw.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We have a collection of new papers on aging and balance coming out soon!
Here's the first: "Older adults exhibit lesser smoothness despite increased caution than younger adults when navigating turns during walking"
Image courtesy of ChatGPT.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Here's the first: "Older adults exhibit lesser smoothness despite increased caution than younger adults when navigating turns during walking"
Image courtesy of ChatGPT.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
January 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
We have a collection of new papers on aging and balance coming out soon!
Here's the first: "Older adults exhibit lesser smoothness despite increased caution than younger adults when navigating turns during walking"
Image courtesy of ChatGPT.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Here's the first: "Older adults exhibit lesser smoothness despite increased caution than younger adults when navigating turns during walking"
Image courtesy of ChatGPT.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Mid-career realization - so much excellent scientific discourse occurs in the side-comments between authors when revising and editing each manuscript. From writing best practices to clarifications on basic principles... quickly "resolved" and deleted.
December 23, 2024 at 11:00 AM
Mid-career realization - so much excellent scientific discourse occurs in the side-comments between authors when revising and editing each manuscript. From writing best practices to clarifications on basic principles... quickly "resolved" and deleted.
We just reposted our 2-year Research Scientist position at UNC Chapel HIll. Experience in Biplane Videoradiography for Orthopaedic Biomechanics? We want to talk to you!
Spread the word!
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/292...
Spread the word!
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/292...
December 18, 2024 at 2:28 PM
We just reposted our 2-year Research Scientist position at UNC Chapel HIll. Experience in Biplane Videoradiography for Orthopaedic Biomechanics? We want to talk to you!
Spread the word!
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/292...
Spread the word!
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/292...
Online this week (Gait & Posture): "As an aggregate measure previously proposed as a control parameter for assistive devices to augment foot and ankle push-off, dynamic mean ankle moment arm (DMAMA) may apply equally well for older and younger adults."
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
December 14, 2024 at 9:57 PM
Online this week (Gait & Posture): "As an aggregate measure previously proposed as a control parameter for assistive devices to augment foot and ankle push-off, dynamic mean ankle moment arm (DMAMA) may apply equally well for older and younger adults."
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
UNC Applied Biomechanics Laboratory '24. Celebrating another successful semester. Even had some local PhD alumni join us!
December 11, 2024 at 7:40 PM
UNC Applied Biomechanics Laboratory '24. Celebrating another successful semester. Even had some local PhD alumni join us!
Impact in the field of #biomechanics is severely limited by overly restrictive definitions of the scope of what we do and thereby what we contribute to society. Biomechanists do more than you think, journal submission portal.
December 10, 2024 at 8:21 PM
Impact in the field of #biomechanics is severely limited by overly restrictive definitions of the scope of what we do and thereby what we contribute to society. Biomechanists do more than you think, journal submission portal.
Walking. More than biomechanics.
December 7, 2024 at 8:38 PM
Walking. More than biomechanics.
Continuing with science promos (double posting for now) - just accepted yesterday and now available online today in J. of Biomechanics: "The aging Achilles tendon: model-predicted changes in calf muscle neuromechanics" - can we get some tendon talk over here?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 23, 2024 at 9:55 PM
Continuing with science promos (double posting for now) - just accepted yesterday and now available online today in J. of Biomechanics: "The aging Achilles tendon: model-predicted changes in calf muscle neuromechanics" - can we get some tendon talk over here?
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
What's up, Bluesky - I might live here now. I am a biomechanist, and my lab uses a mechanisms-based approach to engineer solutions to help people age gracefully (abl.bme.unc.edu). Can you help me / our group enhance our following over here?
November 22, 2024 at 8:08 PM
What's up, Bluesky - I might live here now. I am a biomechanist, and my lab uses a mechanisms-based approach to engineer solutions to help people age gracefully (abl.bme.unc.edu). Can you help me / our group enhance our following over here?
We recently proposed a novel phenotype relevant to knee OA (Bjornsen et al. '24). Now - we use MSK simulation to dig deeper: "Limb Underloading in Walking Transmits Less Dynamic Knee Joint Contact Forces after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction"
journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/ab...
journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/ab...
November 22, 2024 at 7:38 PM
We recently proposed a novel phenotype relevant to knee OA (Bjornsen et al. '24). Now - we use MSK simulation to dig deeper: "Limb Underloading in Walking Transmits Less Dynamic Knee Joint Contact Forces after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction"
journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/ab...
journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/ab...