Dear ESB member,
As summer comes to an end, we still warmly remember the ESB 2024 meeting in Edinburgh.
Don’t forget to visit our website and stay updated with the latest news!
In the October 2024 newsletter from the European Society of Biomechanics (ESB), you will find:
- Presidential Message;
- John O’Connor Obituary;
- General Assembly and Survey;
- ESB Meetings;
- News from our Members;
- News from the ESB National Chapters;
- Updates from our Affiliated Societies;
Bernardo Innocenti, Chair of the Publication Committee
From the President!
Dear ESB members,
I hope you had a great summer break and could recharge the batteries!
I am afraid I will have to start with some sad news… unfortunately a few weeks ago Prof John J. O’Connor has passed away. John has been a long-term member of the ESB and has contributed to our society, pioneering and leading on a number of transformative research in the field of orthopaedic biomechanics, that led to the design of new implants and improving the health of several patients. Our thanks to Richie, Tung-Wu and Alberto who have prepared the Obituary and the deepest condolences to John’s family, his former students and colleagues and all collaborators who knew him well across the globe and within our society. This is once more a reminder for us all that we stand on the shoulders of the giants who allowed this field to develop and brought us where we are! Now it is our chance to make the difference!
On a more positive note, the ESB congress 2024 in Edinburgh was a great success! It has been an opportunity to showcase what we do in the field and I was impressed about the quality of the science and the breadth of research areas our society is quickly expanding to. We would like to thank the local chairs Pankaj and Chloe Scott, Codan Consulting, the local organising committee and the scientific committee, the sponsors, the exhibitors, the track chairs, for giving us a fantastic scientific and social time… on top of the great presentations from the plenary speakers, awardees, perspective talks and standard abstracts presenters, I will also remember the Ceilidh dances at the congress dinner for a long time! We have also reached for the first time more than 1000 participants, making this congress the largest we have had so far! Well done to all! No pressure for the next organisers!!! 😉
The next ESB congress 2025 will be in Zurich, the local organisers are already working hard to make it a great 30th congress of our society. Don’t forget to prepare your abstract for Perspective Talks (deadline 30th November 2024) and standard Abstracts (deadline 31st January 2025). More information can be found below.
In Edinburgh we also had the elections of the new ESB Council that will serve for the next 2 years. I would like to thank the Council members who left the Council after two (past President David Mitton and past Vice President Jérôme Noailly) or one (Ilse Jonkers) mandates. Their efforts to manage the society have been instrumental in pushing the society out of the Covid/Lockdown period with a positive note and a lot of stored energy! I would also like to welcome the new members of the team to the Council: Philipp Thurner, Sandra Loerakker and Esther Reina Romo, who have already been actively engaging in leading the different ESB committees. You can see the details of the Council’s roles here. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for any questions you may have!
Finally, during the last GA we have started a real time survey to get some feedback on a number of questions that will help us plan the next activities of the society. See below a brief overview of the results and a link to a slightly longer and better formalised Survey. This approach will be a way of improving our two ways communication between the ESB Council and the Members. However, it will work only if you (both junior and senior members) complete the Survey! Please do it by following the link in the dedicated section below… Thank you for your contributions!
I wish you all a great and successful start of the new academic year!
Enrico Dall’Ara, ESB President
Obituary: John J. O’Connor – Biomechanics Pioneer
John J O’Connor (1934-2024)
John Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin in 1934. He was educated by the Augustinian Friars at New Ross, County Wexford, where the teaching was conducted in Gaeilge. He went onto to read Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at University College, Dublin, graduating with a First Class Honours degree in 1956. After graduating he worked for British Nylon Spinners, who sponsored him to undertake a PhD on the mechanics of fretting at the University of Cambridge. His first academic post was at the University of Minnesota in 1962. In 1964 he became a University Lecturer in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. In 1991, he was appointed as the Research Director of the Oxford Orthopaedic Engineering Centre. John became Professor of Engineering Science in 1996 and was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Science degree by University College Dublin in 2018.
John’s interest in Biomechanics began when approached by an orthopaedic surgeon, John Goodfellow, who wanted to study the mechanics of the hip and knee joints. Together they developed an understanding of the natural joints and went on to design the Oxford Meniscal Knee, which was first implanted in 1976. The two Johns, as they became known, evolved the design and the instrumentation, and realized that it worked particularly well when implanted as a unicompartmental or partial knee replacement. It is now the most widely implanted partial knee replacement in the world, with over 50,000 implanted every year providing patients with relief from pain and a return to function. The Oxford knee celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016, and will have its 50th anniversary in 2026, a remarkable feat for an orthopaedic implant.
John O’Connor’s Biomechanics legacy is vast and transformative. His interests included the mechanics of the knee and ankle joints, the pathomechanics of osteoarthritis, prosthesis design, gait analysis, mechanics of wear, and the application of finite element analysis in orthopaedic engineering. John intuitively understood the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinary working, showing that novel solutions that truly benefit patients require the combined insight of an engineer and a clinician. His innovative collaboration with John Goodfellow is an exemplar of this relationship. His collaboration with colleagues in Bologna (Leardini – Catani – Giannini) led to the development of the mobile-bearing BOX total ankle replacement, first implanted in 2003, further cementing his legacy in joint mechanics and replacement innovation.
As well as being a pioneer in Biomechanics, John O’Connor was a remarkable and generous teacher and mentor. John was a brilliant man who had tremendous humility and truly gentle manner. He always made time for his students and treated them with great respect, patience and kindness. Together with his beloved wife, Gemma, he built a large tightly knit community of students and scholars. He invited his students to effectively be part of his family, dinner at John and Gemma’s home was a regular feature for his students and collaborators. Those of us who were fortunate to be his graduate students all strive to emulate John’s style of mentorship and gentle guidance and provide the same opportunities for others that John provided for us.
In addition to the contribution to the fields of Biomechanics and Orthopaedic Surgery, John O’Connor was a devoted and loving husband and father. He was a beloved grandfather, who generously supported all of his grandchildren without any form of judgement. John had more than his share of ill health, suffering from heart disease and cancer. However, he never let that get in the way of the joy he took in life and his research work. John’s passing marks the loss of an extraordinary figure in biomechanics and a beloved mentor to many. His legacy lives on through the enduring impact of his research, the relief from suffering brought to thousands of patients, the scholars he mentored, and the transformative ideas he brought to the fields of orthopaedics and biomechanics. John, we miss you and continue to hold you dear in our hearts while we strive to walk in your footsteps.
Alberto Leardini, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli – Bologna
Tung-Wu Lu, National Taiwan University – Taipei
Richie Gill, University of Bath – Bath
General Assembly and Survey
During the last GA we have asked you a few questions and you can find here the most common answers. As with every survey from a diverse society, you will find something you agree with and something that is not what you expected. As in most surveys, you will also find completely opposite answers for some of the topics. This is fine and expected. Every one of us has different ideas on how events should be organised and managed. However, there are also some common themes and ideas, which we will take on board in the future activities of the society.
Question 1. New Newsletters: is there anything you would like to hear from us?
118 answers
Question 2. ESB congress: increase of number of participants, share your thoughts about what change you would like to see to improve it!
152 answers
Question 3. ESB 50th celebrations: tell us your ideas for events/activities you would like to see at WCB26!
112 answers
Of course, we are well aware that this is only a small sample of our society. So, in order to hear your voice please complete the Survey following the link below. The survey has been based on the most common answers received during the GA and we would like to know more about your thoughts about these questions. Our committees will analyse the answers and feedback in due course.
However, it will work only if you (both junior and senior members) complete the Survey following this link!
Thank you for your help!
Enrico Dall’Ara, ESB President
Meeting News 
Past congresses
29th Congress of the ESB (ESBiomech2024) in Edinburgh
The 29th Congress of ESB (ESBiomech2024) in Edinburgh has been a great success, attracting a record number of 1108 delegates from 50 countries. The Council would like to thank the Congress Chairs Prof. Pankaj Pankaj and Dr. Chloe E. H. Scott, and the entire Local Organising Committee for the great work. The archive of abstract can be found here.
Next ESB congress
30th Congress of the ESB (ESBiomech2025) in Zürich
We are looking very much forward to the next ESB congress in Zürich. Before sharing the message of the Local Organizing Committee, we’d like to highlight that the deadline for Perspective Talk submission is already coming up soon (November 30, 2024) and remind you about the related rules. Abstracts for Perspective Talks should be different from regular abstract submissions in the sense that they provide a broader overview of a certain research topic, and provide an overview of future directions and/or challenges. Specifically, we use the following definition for Perspective Talks:
“A Perspective Talk (PT) is a ‘mini-keynote’, i.e., an extended presentation that introduces a session. A PT is given by an established researcher or tandem of experts from different fields/backgrounds with focus on a cutting edge, coherent body of research. It should give a brief overview of results and unanswered questions, which may be based mainly, but not exclusively on their own and their group’s contribution to this field, and must include future vision and challenges to be targeted. PTs are intended to encourage intergenerational and multidisciplinary networking and to give scientists the opportunity to learn from those with more experience.”
More information, including the abstract template, can be found here .
A message of the Local Organizing Committee of Zürich 2025:
The 30th ESB Congress will take place between 6 – 9 July in Zürich, Switzerland!
We are delighted to invite you for the 30th Congress of the European Society of Biomechanics taking place at ETH Zürich, Switzerland. This year’s theme, AI in Biomechanics: Opportunities and Challenges, reflects the growing importance of artificial intelligence in advancing the field.
Key dates:
- Submission for perspective talks opens at the end of October, with a deadline of November 30, 2024.
- The call for podium talks will open in December 2024.
Stay up-to-date with the latest congress tracks, topics, and announcements by visiting the official congress website: www.esbiomech2025.org.
The following keynote speakers have been confirmed:
- Mackenzie Mathis (EPFL Lausanne): Towards the Neural Basis of Adaptive Motor Control
- Scott Delp (Stanford University): Frontiers in Human Performance Research: Insights from Biomechanical Simulation and Machine Learning
- Molly Stevens (University of Oxford): Designing Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine and Soft Robotics
We look forward to seeing you in Zürich next year!
The ESBiomech2025 Organizers
Future Congresses – Save the dates!
- The 10th World Congress of Biomechanics (WCB 2026) will be hosted by the Canadian Society of Biomechanics and take place in the Vancouver Convention Centre West, Vancouver, Canada, on July 11-15, 2026.
- In 2027, the 31th Congress of the ESB will be held in Berlin, Germany. More details will follow in future communications.
Other meetings
You are cordially invited to the AO Orthopaedic Research Summit that will take place between 16-19 June 2025 in Davos, Switzerland. With the theme “Three Societies Combining Minds to Advance Science and Clinical Impact”, the Summit provides access to three conferences with a single registration:
- 33rd Annual Meeting of the European Orthopaedic Research Society (EORS 2025)
- 25th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery (CAOS 2025)
- ARI Orthopaedics 2025 Biofabrication
Please consider submitting a Symposium for EORS 2025, the Call is open until November 15th.
Peter Varga, Chair of the Meetings and External Affairs Committee
Call of bids for hosting ESB 2028
The ESB invites proposals for the organization of its annual congress in 2028. If you would like to host and organize the 2028 ESB congress and wish to prepare and submit a bid, please read the conference rules.
Interested members can contact or send a proposal/bid to Dr Peter Varga, Chair of the Meetings and External Affairs Committee (meeting.chair@esbiomech.org).
The deadline for bid submission (first step) to organize the ESB 2028 is 15 December 2024.
Peter Varga, Chair of the Meetings and External Affairs Committee
Sandra Loerakker, Chair of the WebPortal and Working Groups Committee
News from our Members
Inclusion in biomechanics-enabled technologies – research survey (led by Michael Crichton, Heriot Watt; Ankush Agrawal, Glasgow and Marlène Mengoni, Leeds – UK).
The progression of personal and remote medical technologies that are based upon biomechanics knowledge and research hold the potential to understand what is happening in our bodies in ways that previously required attendance in clinics. However, devices like continuous glucose monitors, health apps and smart watches have been limited since our population is not “one-size-fits-all” (for example, smart watches failing to measure heartrate on pigmented skin (Shcherbina et al., 2017)). To address this issue, we have conducted two workshops to start a conversation between those working in biomechanics in order to develop best practice for inclusive technology development. These workshops brought together clinicians, engineers, scientists, and social scientists to identify areas where biomechanics and related engineering approaches can be employed to make future technologies more inclusive.
We are seeking to build a conversation on this topic and look to the ESB community to engage on this topic. The recent presentation we gave at BioMedEng24 on this is accessible via the following link (https://tissuedevices.hw.ac.uk/inclusion-in-biomechanics/) and we invite you to contribute your thoughts and perspectives on this topic here: https://forms.office.com/e/XBuC7dD6ip. We will then look to build this conversation with your input.
Marlène Mengoni, Sponsorship Committee and Deputy Treasurer
Esther Reina Romo: Chair of the Diversity-inclusion and Membership Committee
News from ESB National Chapters
Updates from the Italian National Chapter – ESB-ITA
The Italian Chapter participated in large numbers at the ESB 2024 congress in Edinburgh, with approximately 90 attendees and several affiliates awarded.
The XIII Annual Meeting of the ESB-ITA was held in Pescara (Italy) on October 3-4, 2024. The Meeting comprised both a thematic symposium focused on dental biomechanics (“Challenges in dental biomechanics: innovative and advanced approaches”) and the general meeting. Keynote speakers: Prof. Anna Pandolfi (Politecnico di Milano, Italy), Prof. Christian Gasser (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden), and Prof. Benedikt Helgason (ETH Zurich, Switzerland).
The ESB-ITA Networking Working Group is working to create an active network with national and international universities and companies. Additionally, it is promoting dialogue with other organizations (including the other national chapters of the ESB).
The ESB-ITA Communication Working Group is revising the society’s overall communications plan, changing the website layout, and adding a page with updated news while strengthening and standardizing social media activities via LinkedIn and X.
Marlène Mengoni, Sponsorship Committee and Deputy Treasurer
Updates from our Affiliated Societies
Virtual Physiological Human institute (VPHi)
The biannual VPH2024 conference has just taken place in Stuttgart from 3 to 6 September 2024. With over 400 participants gathered to share cutting-edge research, foster new collaborations, and push the frontiers of in silico medicine, the event has truly confirmed its status as the premier conference in this field. Save the date for VPH2026 in Milan on 1-4 September 2026.
The Virtual Physiological Human Institutes is producing a series of divulgation videos to spread the knowledge of in silico medicine towards a larger public. The series, called Code & Cure Understanding In Silico Medicine, will include a total of 10 videos, 5 of which have already been released. The Institute has also started to release a podcast dedicated to in silico medicine called The Digital Twin Theory that aims to inform and involve a lay audience of science enthusiasts and patients interested on the topic.
Société de Biomécanique
The next annual conference of the Société de Biomécanique will be held in Compiègne (France). Focused on “well ageing”, from October 29 to 31, the enticing conference program is available on the conference website. The annual PhD award, the young researcher award, the sports biomechanics award (Jean Vives) and the senior researcher award (C. Oddou) will present their extensive work during the conference. The organizers are also pleased to announce the three plenary speakers: Danièle Noël from the Institut de Médecine Régénératrice et Biothérapies (IRMB – Montpellier – France), John McPhee from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and Julien Husson from the Ecole Polytechnique (Palaiseau, France). Join us in Compiègne !
Portuguese Society of Biomechanics
The next Portuguese Congress of Biomechanics will take place in Sesimbra, on 21-22 February 2025. The details can be found here.
During this congress, the Portuguese Society of Biomechanics awards three persons with: Best Phd on Biomechanics, Best Master on Biomechanics, and Prof. João Martins award for young researchers (less than 35 years) with significant work on Biomechanics.
Australian and New Zealand Society of Biomechanics (ANZORS)
Save the date: The International Society of Biomechanics Conference (ISB 2027) will be hosted in Sydney on 18-22 July 2027, co-organized by The University of Newcastle, The University of Sydney, and the Macquarie University.
Peter Varga, Chair of the Meetings and External Affairs Committee
