The Journal of Applied Biomechanics (JAB) and its publisher, Human Kinetics, are excited to announce the hiring of Jason Franz (PhD) as its Deputy Editor. Dr. Franz’s one-year term as Deputy Editor will begin immediately, and he will work alongside JAB Editor Dr. Katherine Boyer in 2025. It is anticipated that Dr. Franz will move into the role of Editor once Dr. Boyer’s term concludes in December 2025. Dr. Franz is an Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Engineering in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in the United States.
Dr. Franz joined the JAB Editorial Board in 2017. He was named JAB Associate Editor of Gait & Posture Mechanics in 2019

and has served in that role since, working first with Editor Emeritus Michael Madigan and then with Dr. Boyer. In November 2024, JAB issued an open call for Deputy Editor that was publicly shared, and Dr. Franz was one of several candidates who expressed interest. His experience working as part of the current leadership group was seen as a strength, as was his impressive publishing record and service to the field (American Society of Biomechanics, National Institutes of Health, and Journal of Biomechanical Engineering). He earned a PhD in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado–Boulder in 2012 and completed an NIH postdoc fellowship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison prior to joining UNC–Chapel Hill in 2015. Dr. Franz currently holds faculty appointments in the UNC Human Movement Science Program and the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center and also directs the UNC Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, which aims to engineer solutions to help people age gracefully. He is an active member of the American Society of Biomechanics, the International Society of Biomechanics, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“Drawing on my past experience as a member of the Editorial Board and then as an Associate Editor, I have enthusiastically accepted an invitation to serve as Deputy Editor for the Journal of Applied Biomechanics with a planned transition to the role of Editor in 2026,” said Dr. Franz. “The Journal of Applied Biomechanics has long served as a benchmark for disseminating outstanding scientific research in our field. I am deeply committed to working with our Editor, Editorial Board members, and Associate Editors, as well as the broader scientific community, in helping to achieve the journal’s mission and enhance our positive reputation and impact.”
“Dr. Franz has been a long-standing contributor to the journal as both a member of the Editorial Team and a contributing author,” said JAB Editor Dr. Boyer. “I look forward to working with him over the next year to continue to grow the journal, and as I pass the baton at the end of the year, I know the journal will be in great hands.”
The Deputy Editor will work collaboratively and cohesively with the Editor to shape the direction of JAB and perform editorial duties essential to the peer review and publication process. This includes leading outreach and growth initiatives that will improve the quality of submissions, maintaining a timely peer review process, and appointing members to the Editorial Board and Associate Editor group.