Robin Queen, the Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow and a professor in biomedical engineering and mechanics, has been elected fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). The College of Fellows – which honors the top 2 percent of medical and biological engineers in the country – consists of 1,500 individuals who are outstanding leaders, engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators in the field.

Since 1991, AIMBE’s College of Fellows has led the way for technological growth and advancement in the fields of medical and biological engineering. Fellows have helped revolutionize medicine and related fields to enhance and extend the lives of people all over the world, according to the institute. Queen was elected for her research on lower extremity biomechanics.

In the Granata Biomechanics Laboratory, Queen conducts and directs research on musculoskeletal biomechanics. Within her focus on musculoskeletal disease and injury, she hopes to better understand lower extremity function as it relates to injury and recovery. This knowledge could help Queen’s team develop patient-centered care models for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and improved long-term physical function. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges the gap between engineering, patient care, and the development of novel tools.

“Throughout my career, the use of an interdisciplinary approach has been essential to my success,” said Queen. “Without clinical collaborators – surgeons, physical therapists, athletic trainers, exercise physiologists, and even experts in anthropology, sociology, and psychology – we would not have been able to effectively address challenging problems at the intersection of engineering and medicine.”

Robin Queen in her lab, the Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Lab.
Robin Queen collects research on lower extremities in her lab, the Granata Biomechanics Laboratory. Photo by Spencer Roberts of Virginia Tech.

Queen’s work is multifaceted and covers a wide range of disciplines. She collaborates often with other groups, to some of which she is an affiliate. Queen is also a professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and an adjunct faculty member at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is an affiliate of the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment as well.

A collaborative team led by Queen was recently awarded a multi-center National Institute of Health grant to develop a prognostic model to determine risk factors for reinjury following Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team aims to develop a model that will allow for the identification of those who are at risk for a second ACL injury when they are released to return to sports. The research team is using traditional, clinic-based methods to assess second injury risk while also including novel measures to address the importance of fear and apprehension of athletes in returning-to-sport.

Previously, Queen’s research contributions and work in ankle osteoarthritis and total ankle replacement earned her the 2017 Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award. Kappa Delta recognizes the best of orthopaedic scientific exploration through this award, first given in 1950, and it remains one of the most sought-after and prestigious achievements in musculoskeletal research throughout the world. Queen was also selected as a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine in 2014, a fellow of International Orthopaedic Research in 2019, and a fellow of the American Society of Biomechanics in 2021. Queen was awarded the Adele L. 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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