Dr. Stacey Acker

Biography

Stacey Acker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. Her research primarily focuses on knee joint biomechanics, including the unique loading conditions of the knee and their relationship to health and disease. Acker's team aims to develop a comprehensive knowledge base on movement loading of the knee joint during demanding activities in daily living, which informs knee joint contact force modeling. She places special emphasis on the challenges associated with modeling knee joint deep flexion, aiming to establish potential links between high-demand knee joint mechanics and the progression of osteoarthritis. Acker's research includes occupational task analysis to define healthy knee function and improvements in artificial knee replacements. She supervises graduate students and provides them with opportunities to gain expertise in data collection and analysis using tools such as force plates and motion capture, fostering critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and foundational knowledge in biomechanics. Her lab is integral to training skilled personnel in the field and advancing research in knee joint mechanics.

Research Interests