Bio

Dr. Handsfield received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 2014, where he worked in the Multiscale Muscle Mechanophysiology (M3) Lab and researched applied MRI techniques and computational modeling to explore muscle size profiles and Achilles tendon mechanics. He went on to serve as the Scientific Advisor for Springbok Analytics, a startup based in Charlottesville, VA, which pioneered the use of Artificial Intelligence in 3D in vivo muscle profiling for athletes and individuals with disabilities. Returning to academic bioengineering, Dr. Handsfield accepted a Whitaker Post-Doctoral Scholarship to conduct research with the Musculoskeletal Modeling Group at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Dr. Handsfield currently holds appointments in the Department of Orthopaedics and the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina and NCSU. His lab aims to improve clinical orthopaedic medicine and gain novel scientific insights into the musculoskeletal system’s form, function and mechanics through a novel integration of advanced medical imaging, computational modeling and mechanical tissue experimentation.

Research Interests

Musculoskeletal MRI
Image-Based Computational Modeling
Muscle and Connective Tissue Interaction
Biomechanics
Cerebral Palsy Rehabilitation

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Awards

Aotearoa Early Career Research Fellow, Robertson Foundation
Early Career Research Award 2015, Australia-New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Society
Whitaker Post-Doctoral Scholar, Whitaker International Program
Updike Departmental Service Award 2013, University of Virginia Dept of Biomedical Engineering
Kevin Granata Student Award 2013, Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society
Academic All-American in Men’s Swimming & Diving 2007, 2008

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