Considering the duration and complexity of the rehabilitation process, head and spine injuries are among the leading causes of physical and psychosocial handicaps, not to mention the financial burden they impose on the healthcare system. In light of this, it is important to increase research into these types of complex injuries in order to improve understanding of them and develop new preventive and therapeutic tools.
The objective of the Canada Research Chair in Biomechanics of Head and Spine Injuries is to develop a better understanding of the interactions between head trauma and vertebral and spinal cord injuries, and to propose innovative solutions to prevent and treat these types of injuries. This research will result in the design of effective methods and tools that will change how devices for protecting and stabilizing the spine and the head are designed. It will also lead to the development and evaluation of new protection and stabilization tools aimed at reducing the risks and severity of bone and spinal cord injuries.
The theoretical and methodological framework for the proposed research program includes numeric and experimental modelling of head and spine injuries, along with the application of advanced techniques in the development and validation of innovative solutions related to the prevention and treatment of these complex injuries.
Yvan Petit is a mechanical engineer with a PhD in biomedical engineering. Since 2003, he has been a professor at ÉTS, where he teaches computer-assisted product development, additive manufacturing technologies, and medical device design.
Professor Petit plans to focus primarily on the following areas:
He has supervised more than 50 graduate students and published over 150 articles, books and book chapters. He regularly acts as an external reviewer for research theses, scientific articles, and grant proposals for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQNT and FRQS).
ÉTS provides an ideal environment for conceiving and creating the ideas that will shape the world of the future.
