Spinal Movement Biomechanics Group

Members

• Christian Bangerter, PT, MSc (PhD student)

• Martina Stadelmann, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)

• Raphael Strähl, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)

• Anja Schmid, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)

• Corina Venzin, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)

• Giovanna Cecere, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)

• Panka Nagy, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)

• Denise Weidinger, PT, BSc (MSc student, BFH)

• Ian Saey, BSc (MSc student, KU Leuven)

• Giulia Ghielmi, BSc (MSc student, Politecnico di Milano)

• Sara Morelli, BSc (MSc student, Politecnico di Milano)

Alumni

• Mena Suter, PT, MSc
• Jana Frangi, PT, MSc
• Edwige Simonet, PT, MSc
• Luzia Niggli, MSc Health Sciences and Technology
• Valentin Deiss, PT, MSc
• Laura Böhringer, PT, MSc
• Melanie Liechti, PT, MSc
• Michael von Arx, PT, MSc
• Lucile Poux, PT, MSc
• Sabrina Köchli, PhD

• Cedric Rauber, MSc

• Dominique Luescher, MSc

• Ninja Versteeg, MSc

• Corinne Kehl, PT, MSc

PhD theses

2 PhD positions in spine biomechanics, please contact the group head directly.

Master's thesis

For current master thesis opportunities, please contact the group head directly.

National

• Integrative Spinal Research Group, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland (Michael L. Meier, PhD)
• Computational Bioengineering Group, ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (Philippe Büchler, PhD)
• Orthopedic Department, University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland (Carol-Claudius Hasler, MD)
• Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Bern University Hospital (Inselspital), Bern, Switzerland (Moritz Deml, MD)
• BFH Computer Perception and Virtual Reality Lab (cpvrLab), Biel, Switzerland (Marcus Hudritsch)
• Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Bern University Hospital (Inselspital), Bern, Switzerland (Jasmin Busch, MD)
• Physiotherapie Schori, Bern, Switzerland (Maria Schori, PT)
• Department of Physiotherapy, HESAV School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland (Guillaume Christe, PT, PhD)

International

• Bouxsein Lab, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA (Dennis E. Anderson, PhD and Mary Bouxsein, PhD)
• Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Canada (Carl-Eric Aubin, PhD)
• Institute for Orthopaedic Research and Training, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (Lennart Scheys, PhD)

Current projects

• Personalized simulations of a novel exercise-based vertebral growth modulation approach for minimizing curve progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
  PI’s: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD and Philippe Büchler, PhD
  Sponsor: Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant-no.: 214986)
• Effects of a short educational video on back beliefs and object lifting behavior in the general population. 
  PI’s: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD and Guillaume Christe, PhD    
  Sponsor: Unfunded
• Computational modeling of the spine in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. PI’s: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD and Philippe Büchler, PhD    
  Sponsor: Unfunded
• Custom rail system-guided ultrasound imaging of the paravertebral muscle: an intra- and interrater reliability study.
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: Unfunded
• Quantifying full-body lifting strategies using a newly developed lifting index derived from regular video recordings: A comparative evaluation and reliability analysis.
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: Unfunded
• Predicting low back pain incidence from lumbar spine motion and pain-related fear using supervised machine learning: a prospective observational cohort study (LBPredict).
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: BFH, physioswiss
• Assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of regular training in the ExerCube - A pilot feasibility study.
  PI: Claudio Nigg, PhD (University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland)
  Involved member(s) of Spinal Movement Biomechanics Group: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD (Co-Investigator)
  Sponsor: Unfunded

Completed projects

• Measuring 3D lumbar spine motion during functional activities using textile sensors: A comparative evaluation and reliability analysis.
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: Unfunded
• Neuromechanical Analysis of selected Corrective Exercise Therapy Approaches in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (ExercAIS).
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: Unfunded
• Patient-specific Musculoskeletal Spine Modeling: Implementing Medical Imaging-based Muscle Morphology using an Automated Deep Learning Approach.
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: BFH CfP (Grant-no.: 2157PT_G)
• Lumbar vertebral loading and paraspinal muscle activity during object lifting in healthy pain-free adults: an exploratory cross-sectional pilot study.
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: Unfunded
• Low back pain: Unveiling the contribution of motor control adaption using biomechanical modeling and neuroimaging. Link
  PI: Michael L. Meier, PhD (Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland)
  Involved member(s) of Spinal Movement Biomechanics Group: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD (Project partner)
  Sponsor: Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant-no.: 185123) 
• Spine Biomechanics during Functional Activities in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Feasibility Study.
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: Swiss Physiotherapy Association (physioswiss)
• Novel musculoskeletal models to assess spine segmental loads in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.
  PI: Dennis E. Anderson, PhD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA)
  Involved member(s) of Spinal Movement Biomechanics Group: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD (Co-investigator)
  Sponsor: National Center of Simulation and Rehabilitation Research (Sub-award of NIH grant no.: 5P2CHD065690
• Using subject-specific musculoskeletal spine models to predict segmental loading and individual muscle forces during functional activities in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant-no.: 178427)
• The Measurement of Spine Dynamics during Gait for the Quantification of Intervention Outcomes in Patients with different Pathologies.
  PI: Stefan Schmid, PT, PhD
  Sponsor: Swiss Physiotherapy Association (physioswiss)

Television/newspaper

• 3sat, German Public Service Television, February 08, 2023: Nano «Richtig heben»
• SRF, Swiss Public Television, May 16, 2022: Puls «Rückenschmerzen – Oft sind es die Muskeln»
• SRF, Swiss Public Television, July 28, 2022: 10vor10 «Studie: CTs, MRIs und Medikamente verursachen unnötig hohe Kosten»
• PhysioBib YouTube channel, August 18, 2022: «Kritik an Strg_F Krafttrainings-Doku»
• Hauptstadt – Neuer Berner Journalismus, May 05, 2022: «Mythos gerader Rücken?»