ESB Diversity-Inclusion and Membership Committee

The aim of the Diversity-Inclusion and Membership (DIM) committee is to proactively support the ESB DIM strategy, working in partnership with the ESB council and making recommendations on Diversity and Inclusion issues. The committee was initially established in Autumn 2021, when the former Membership Committee expanded its scope and was renamed the Diversity, Inclusion and Membership Committee. It became a fully active committee with multiple members in 2023. Activities related to diversity within the society began earlier through the Women in Biomechanics initiative. The first Women in Biomechanics session was organised at the ESB Congress in Porto in 2022, launching the committee’s activities.

DIM’s Mission 1. To contribute to the development and implementation of a diversity, inclusion and membership action plan, providing a safe space, undertaking projects and work relating to diversity and inclusion. 2. To manage the mentoring program, or other relevant initiatives. 3. To review, communicate and embed Diversity and Inclusion action plans in all activities within the Society and to review and adapt activities as appropriate. 4. To contribute to the analysis of statistical and qualitative data

Committee Membership: The committee comprises of a maximum of 10 members. Members are appointed for up to four-year terms.

What has the Diversity Committee achieved?

The main areas of action of the DIM Committee are summarized below:

1. Mentoring tool: available on the ESB website since April 2025, this tool has been designed as a commitment to facilitate mentoring relationships and promote academic and personal development of our early research community. To register in the mentoring program, please go to Member login to access “My ESB” and “Mentor page”.
2. Diversity award: first presented in 2025, this award recognizes diversity within research. For detailed information on this award, please refer to Diversity Award.
3. DIM Survey: launched in 2024 and open to all ESB members, the survey provided valuable insights and recommendations for ongoing and future initiatives. Results are available here.

Contact: Dr. Esther Reina-Romo, Chair of the Diversity-Inclusion and Membership Committee

Email:  membership.chair@esbiomech.org

More information about Esther Reina-Romo

DIM Committee members:

The ESB Diversity-Inclusion and Membership Committee is composed of several members actively involved in the multiple activities and initiatives within the committee. Please feel free to ask them for advice!

More information about the DIM committee, including biographies of the members

Stefaan Verbruggen
Responsibility: Mentoring tool
Email: s.verbruggen@qmul.ac.uk

Rahmatullah Safdar
Responsibility: conference events
Email: rusafdar@shockers.wichita.edu

Marta Peña Fernández
Responsibility: Mentoring tool
Email: m.pena_fernandez@hw.ac.uk

Zimi Sawacha
Responsibility: diversity award and congress participation inclusion fund
Email: sawacha@dei.unipd.it

Raphael Surbeck
Responsibility: Social media
Email: raphael.surbeck@hest.ethz.ch

Diana Massai
Responsibility: Mentoring tool
Email: diana.massai@polito.it