Mission
We believe technology should help people move freely, work safely, and live independently.
At the Zelik Lab, we combine biomechanics, engineering, and human-centered design to advance wearable and assistive technologies that restore mobility and enhance performance.
As part of Vanderbilt University’s Center for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology (CREATE), our mission is to leverage advances in science and technology to improve health, mobility, and independence for people with physical disabilities—and to enhance performance and well-being for all.
From prosthetic limbs and exoskeletons to smart wearables and digital health tools, our work spans fundamental science to real-world application—always with the goal of turning ideas and discoveries into innovations that make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
Approach
We study human movement through a mix of experimental and computational research, integrating insights from engineering, biomechanics, ergonomics, data science, and clinical practice.
Our work is deeply interdisciplinary and human-centered—conducted side by side with clinicians, engineers, scientists, end-users, and collaborators from industry and the military.
Research in the Zelik Lab spans from designing, building, and testing wearable assistive devices to developing new methods for assessing biomechanics and creating computational and machine learning models.
We conduct experiments both in our state-of-the-art motion analysis lab and out in the real world, ensuring that what we discover in the lab translates into both scientific and societal impacts.
Culture
We’re a team of engineers and scientists who love what we do—studying human movement, building cool and impactful technology, and occasionally quoting superheroes.
Our lab is collaborative, inclusive, and curiosity-driven, supportive of both big risks and epic comebacks. We take pride in working hard, learning continuously, and remembering to have fun along the way—both inside and outside the lab—as you may sense in this video…
Want to Learn More?
Explore the videos on this page to get a feel for our lab community, visit the Research page to see our active projects, peruse our Publications to get a sense for the R&D we conduct and the impact it has, or head to Joining the Lab to learn how to apply and what to expect.