Robin Queen, professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics in the College of Engineering, has been selected as a fellow of the American Society of Biomechanics. Fellows are selected in recognition of their exceptional scientific and professional achievement in biomechanics and their service to the society.

Queen, director of the Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Lab, has distinguished herself as a researcher in biomechanics, while applying her research to clinical settings to provide actionable insights to those recovering from injuries.

“The research I have done throughout my career has had one goal, and that is to improve the quality of life for those who have a musculoskeletal injury,” Queen said. “I hope that we can continue to translate this work from the lab into the clinical and sports setting to allow patients to return to the activities they love without fear of being injured again.”

Queen conducts research on lower extremity biomechanics. The goal of her research is to systemically assess movement to understand the interaction between joints, how dysfunction relates to injury risk, and how to restore function to assist recovery. The long-term goal of her work is to develop patient-centered care models for injury prevention and rehabilitation and to improve long-term physical function. Through the development of interdisciplinary teams across engineering, anthropology, kinesiology, and medicine, Queen and her colleagues have been able to utilize methods that span these disciplines to better understand movement pathology and ultimately develop effective patient-centered rehabilitation programs. 

Queen joined Virginia Tech’s biomedical engineering and mechanics department in 2015 as an associate professor and the director of the Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Lab. She is also a professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; an adjunct faculty member at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine; an affiliate of the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment; and a faculty fellow for health data privacy in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

“Her passion for research is driven by her desire to improve people’s lives and to improve the well-being of patients with musculoskeletal pathologies,” said Alex Peebles, a Virginia Tech alumnus mentored by Queen throughout his doctoral degree. Peebles said she has tremendous vision and is always thinking about next steps, and that Queen strives to move beyond the current state of knowledge. Together, they explored recovery and rehabilitation in athletes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

In addition to research, Queen is active in professional societies in which she serves as a member of at least one committee or a member of the executive board, namely the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Orthopaedic Research Society, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the American Society of Biomechanics.

Queen was selected as a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine in 2014 and a fellow of International Orthopaedic Research in 2019. She was awarded the Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award in 2017 for her work in ankle osteoarthritis and total ankle replacement. She was also awarded the Adele Boskey Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society in 2020 for her pioneering research contributions and excellence in mentorship.

Queen received her bachelor’s degree in applied science with a focus on biomaterials from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also received her master’s degree and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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