 Senior Staff Scientist
When asked about working with so many world-class scientists and physicians at the Institute, Erik Giphart, Ph.D., replied, “It makes this environment unique. The questions asked are at a different level. The presence of colleagues like this raises the level of the entire discussion.”
Dr. Giphart is a Senior Staff Scientist in the Biomechanics Research Laboratory. Does that create extra pressure to perform? "No, it adds to the challenge," he responds. " Pressure has a negative connotation, but I see pressure as a positive thing. It presents opportunities and possibilities. Trust me, there is never a dull moment working here. I prefer that over sitting around and wondering what’s next."
Dr. Giphart is eminently qualified to take his position at the conference table with his esteemed colleagues at the Institute. A citizen of the Netherlands, he earned his M.S. degree in electrical engineering from Delft University of Technology in 1994 with a focus on computer science and information theory. As part of his degree program he was required to complete a three-month internship, which he completed at the NeuroMuscular Research Center (NMRC) in Boston. "That experience," he remembers, "sparked my interest into the human physiology and human motion areas and away from strict computer science."
In 2001 he received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Boston University after performing his dissertation work at the NMRC on postural control. After graduation, he created a virtual reality laboratory at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, to study how deficits in perception modify movement in patients who suffer from various diseases.
"You have to be flexible to take advantage of great opportunities,” says Erik. "I was going to visit the U.S. for three months, plus a vacation." That was 16 years ago. "While I was at Boston University, my colleagues in the Athletic Training Department told me about the Institute and said I ought to check it out. I liked what I saw, was able to get an internship, and later join the Institute as a staff member."
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