Jennifer Yong
Mechanical Engineering
Bio-X SIGF Fellow 2012/2013
Profs. Scott Delp (Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering) and Michael Fredericson (Orthopaedic Surgery)

Running is a popular recreational activity with notoriously high injury rates. Though running injuries are often attributed to overtraining, the specific causes of injury remain unknown. Barefoot or minimalist running has recently experienced a resurgence, being touted as a more natural running pattern that can reduce injuries. Barefoot runners often run with a different foot strike pattern, landing on their forefoot rather than heel striking and have reported fewer injury rates associated with skeletal loading such as lower limb stress fractures.  The goal of this project is to investigate potential injury mechanisms in rear foot striking runners compared to forefoot striking runners to reduce running injuries.