Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Graduate Research Seminar Series
Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Graduate Research Seminar
"Biomechanics, Brains, and Baseball: Harnessing Science for a Competitive Edge" by
Kyle Blum, Ph.D. Senior R&D Scientist
Chicago Cubs Baseball Club
Abstract:
The question “How do we move?” is one that has interested me my whole career. By studying and modeling movement and its underlying neural bases, we can describe injury, predict neurophysiological deficits, bypass neural trauma to restore function, and even help win baseball games. During my talk, I will briefly touch on my previous efforts in each of these areas and spend a majority of the time on more recent projects attempting to uncover principles of human performance at the highest levels of competition in baseball. In particular, I will discuss projects aimed at uncovering features of decision making in professional baseball hitters, estimating complex biomechanical data from video with machine learning, and using generative approaches for pitching development.
Bio:
Kyle Blum is currently a Senior R&D Scientist for the Chicago Cubs baseball club. He focuses on building and using machine learning methods to understand player performance, leading to better decision making in the front office and results on the field. He was previously a BRAIN NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University, where he studied the neural basis of proprioception in the somatosensory cortex of monkeys with Dr. Lee Miller. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech and Emory University in 2018, where he was an NRSA Predoctoral Fellow studying the neuromechanics of balance with Drs. Lena Ting and Tim Cope. He graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Bioengineering from Washington State University in 2012, where he became interested in human movement and biomechanics.
Event Snapshot
When and Where
Who
Open to the Public
Interpreter Requested?
No