Simon Heinrich at QUT in Brisbane

From October to November 2024, I spent a 7-week research stay at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia. Under the supervision of Prof. Peter Pivonka and Associate Prof. Saulo Martelli, and in close collaboration with Dr. Maxence Lavaill, I worked on investigating and advancing an approach to model muscles for musculoskeletal simulations.

My research focused on enhancing the realism and robustness of muscle path modeling by improving a geodesic-based muscle model with wrapping surfaces. This model, originally developed at the Institute of Applied Dynamics at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, is particularly suited for musculoskeletal optimal control simulations and effectively prevents unphysiological penetration of wrapping surfaces. The expertise within the group at QUT in clinical biomechanics using various methods for musculoskeletal simulations helped to quickly improve the previous version of the model to increase robustness and usability for real-world applications. This will be substantial for our future research on musculoskeletal optimal control simulations.

Following my research stay, I had the opportunity to present my research on optimal control simulation of hand movements in the context of rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis at the Combined Scientific Meetings of ANZSB & ANZORS in Melbourne.

I am grateful for this experience, both for personal and professional growth. It provided insights into the daily work of a different research group, biomechanics in a more clinical setting, and Australian culture. I am looking forward to collaborations that may originate from this endeavor and to return to Australia.