Sara E. Wilson

Dr. Wilson joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2001. In addition to her position as an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, she was the academic director of the Bioengineering Graduate Program at KU from 2010 to 2018 and has a courtesy appointment in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Prior to joining KU, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Wilson conducts research in the neuromuscular control of human motion using engineering principles from control theory and dynamics. She has studied the effects of occupational exposures such as vibration on the lumbar spine and low back disorders. She is also involved in the development of medical devices used in physical therapy, obstetrics and internal medicine. She has served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Biomechanics and in a number of leadership roles in the ASME Bioengineering Division. She is also active in teaching and development of educational tools in the area of responsible conduct of research for graduate students in engineering. She was a 2006 W.T. Kemper Fellow for Teaching Excellence at the University of Kansas. Dr. Wilson is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society of Biomechanics, and the American Society for Engineering Education.