Walter Herzog
PhD, CRC, Associate Dean (Research), Professor, Director of the Human Performance Lab
Postdoc
PhD - Biomechanics
Diploma II - Physical Education, Biomechanics
Diploma I - Physical Education
Contact information
Web presence
Location
Courses
Research and teaching
Movement Science & Musculoskeletal Health
- Osteoarthritis
- Neuro-Biomechanics
- Biomechanics
Activities
Herzog's research is focused on the neuro-biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system with emphasis on mechanisms of muscle contraction focusing on the role of the structural protein titin, and the biomechanics of joints focusing on mechanisms of onset and progression of osteoarthritis. Expertise is in the area of growth, healing, and adaptation of soft (ligament, tendon, muscle, and articular cartilage) and hard (bone) tissues. Within this area he works experimentally and theoretically on the molecular/cellular, in vitro, in situ, and in vivo level. It also includes cell manipulation and mechanical testing and finite element modeling, continuum mechanics, simulations and theories of growth and adaptation.
Positions
Director, Human Performance Laboratory
Professor, Faculties of Kinesiology and Engineering
Adjunct Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Surgery
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) for Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics
Biography
Citizenship: Swiss, Canadian
University article in UToday Prestigious Killam Prize awarded to Walter Herzog, pioneer in biomechanics.
Neuromech TV Interview: It is not about papers, it is about people. (Interview begins at one minute)
Publications
More than 600 publications in scientific refereed journals, as well as author/editor of six books, more than 50 book chapters, and more than 900 refereed conference proceedings.
To view more please see Dr. Walter Herzog's Curriculum Vitae.
Awards
2021 Named Award “Dr. Walter Herzog Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research”,
Brazilian Society for Biomechanics
2020 1st Prize and Award for “Excellence in Basic, Clinical, and Translational Science”
form the Orthopaedic Research Society for manuscript “Multiparametric MR imaging
reveals early cartilage degeneration at 2 and 8 weeks after ACL transection in a rabbit model”
2020 Outstanding Reviewer, CIHR College of Reviewers, 2019 Fall Grant Competition
2018 Killam Prize in Engineering from Canada Council for the Arts for body of work in
musculoskeletal biomechanics
2017 Muybridge Career Award from the International Society of Biomechanics
2017 Geoffrey Dyson Career Award from the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports
2016 Elected Honorary Member, Chilean Association for Human Movement Science
2015 Kinesiology Outstanding Supervisor Award
2015 BME GP Outstanding Supervisor Award
2015 Hero of Biomechanics, awarded by student body of International Society of Biomechanics
for supervisory excellence and support of students and scientists from economically
developing countries
2015 Best Paper in Biomechanics, Korean Society for Precision Engineering 2016 Fall Conference
2009‑2014 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council CREATE Training Programme for
Biomedical Engineers for the 21st Century ($300,000/year)
2013 Induction into the Royal Society of Canada Fellowship
2013 GSA Supervisory Excellence Award Nomination (Student Nominated Finalist)
2012 Izaak Walton Killam Graduate Supervision & Mentoring Award
2011/2016 Canada Research Chair in Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics, Tier I
2011/2016 Killam Memorial Chair (2011 – 2021)
2011 American Society of Biomechanics, Elected Fellow
2009‑2011 Killam Fellowship ‑ Canada Council for the Arts
2010 Plenary Lecturer – World Congress on Biomechanics. Singapore
2010 Presidents Lecture - American College of Sports Medicine
2010 First prize, “Paper of highest public interest 2009” award, Sportorthopadie Sporttraumatologie
2009 Winner of the Faculty of Kinesiology Excellence in Teaching and Research Award
2009‑2011 Past President‑International Society of Biomechanics
2007‑2009 President‑International Society of Biomechanics
2006 Canadian Society for Biomechanics, Elected Fellow
2006 Canadian Society for Biomechanics, Career Award Presentation title: Muscle Mechanics:
From Society to Cell and Back
2006 Winner, ASB Borelli Award, Premier Research Award of the American Society of Biomechanics
Presentation, Title: Of myosins, muscles and mechanisms of contraction
2005 Visiting Scholar, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
2004 Invited Workshop on Skeletal Muscle Mechanics, American Society of Biomechanics,
Portland, Oregon
2004 Steven's Visiting Scholar, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
2003 Winner of the Inaugural Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision,
University of Calgary
2003‑2004 President, American Society of Biomechanics
2002 Winner of the President's Circle Award for Excellence and Creativity in
Scientific Research, University of Calgary
2001 Inaugural Research Excellence Award, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary
1999 Winner of the Scott Haldeman Award and 1st prize in the international free paper
competition for original research at the World Conference of Chiropractic fifth Congress,
Auckland, New Zealand (with E. Suter, G. McMorland, R. Bray)
1999 The Killam Resident Fellowship (for excellence in scientific research)
1998 CCA Researcher of the Year Award for Basic Research on the Mechanics of the Spine
1998 Best scientific paper in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics for 1998
(with E. Suter, R. Bray, K. DeSouza)
1996 The Killam Resident Fellowship
1996 “JCCA Award of Excellence” for manuscript which made the most significant contribution
between 1993‑1995 (Category: Literature Reviews)
1995‑1997 President, Canadian Society for Biomechanics
1997‑1999 Past President, Canadian Society for Biomechanics
1995 First prize for spinal research done by a private practitioner, Chiropractic
Centennial Conference, Washington, D.C. (with G. Kawchuk)
1995 CCA Centennial Research Award Lecture, Toronto, ON
1994 Winner of the International Conference of Spinal Manipulation Basic Science Research
Award (with J. Gál)
1994 Winner of the Canadian Association for Sports Medicine Research Award (with M. Maitland)
1993 Winner of the CCA Centennial Convention Research Competition
Current Grant Support
2015-2022 CIHR - $345,834/year
2020-2025 NSERC - $138,000/year
2013-2021 Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation - $47,076/year
2011-2021 Killam Memorial Chair - $150,000/year
2011-2022 CIHR Canada Research Chair - $200,000/year
2020-2022 The Arthritis Society - $120,000/year
2018-2021 Alberta Spine Foundation - $75,000