Elizabeth (Liz) Hsiao-Wecksler

Elizabeth (Liz) Hsiao-Wecksler, PhD, is a Professor and Willett Faculty Scholar in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE), and Interim Director of the Health Care Engineering Systems Center in the Grainger College of Engineering. She also holds affiliate faculty positions in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Neuroscience Program, Center on Health Aging and Disability, Center for Autonomy, the Beckman Institute, Coordinated Science Laboratory, and departments of Bioengineering and Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering. Liz directs the Human Dynamics and Controls Laboratory (HDCL) in the MechSE department where they apply principles from soft and hard robotics, wearables, musculoskeletal biomechanics, and movement analysis.

The goal of the HDCL is to investigate and improve the quality of life of people with visible and non-visible disabilities through the development of user-centered assistive technologies. The group’s work has been supported by the NSF, NIH, Dept of Homeland Security, and the Jump ARCHES program at UIUC. Liz is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and an Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Medical Devices. She is also a Fellow and Past President of the American Society of Biomechanics. Her group has been awarded 3 US patents, 3 pending US patents, and submitted 10 additional patent applications and invention disclosures. She is a co-founder of IntelliWheels, Inc., a Champaign, IL start-up that developed novel multi-geared wheels for manual wheelchairs.