Kurt E. Beschorner, PhD

Associate Professor, Human Movement and Balance Lab

402 Benedum Hall | 3700 O’Hara Street | Pittsburgh, PA 15261 P: 412-624-7577

beschorn@pitt.edu

Research Mission: Dr. Beschorner’s research focuses on the development of ergonomic solutions for preventing falling accidents through the utilization of core competencies in biomechanics and tribology. Dr. Beschorner’s current research topics include 1) developing and applying innovative methods to model and assess the tribological interaction between shoe and floor surfaces in order to prevent slips and falls; 2) identify the personal and environmental factors that contribute to falls from ladders and develop strategies to reduce these falls; and 3) assessing the negative effects of multifocal lens glasses (bifocals/progressive lens glasses) on walking balance and identifying solutions that improve balance in this population. Dr. Beschorner’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Labor and the National Institutes of Health. Background: Dr. Beschorner received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his PhD in Bioengineering from University of Pittsburgh. He also spent four years as an Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he founded and directed the Gait Analysis & Biodynamics Lab and the Human Tribology Lab.

Tribology of Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents are among the leading causes of injuries in the workplace and for older adults. The slipperiness of the shoe-floor interface is a major modifiable contributor to slip events. Dr. Beschorner’s research focuses on the development of new experimental (right, top figure) and modeling techniques that guide interventions and improve our understanding about the tribological causes of slipping accidents. This research has led to the development of an under-shoe fluid pressure paradigm for mapping the fluid-drainage capability across shoe tread (right, bottom figure) and finite element modeling approaches that predict friction based on material properties and surface properties. Dr. Beschorner currently works with industry partners to enhance workplace safety through training, footwear programs, and workplace design.

Biomechanics of Fall Accidents

The biomechanical response to balance perturbations is dependent on a complex interaction between personal and environmental factors. Dr. Beschorner’s research aims to characterize this complex interaction by measuring the biomechanical response to high fall risk scenarios in a safe, controlled laboratory environment. This approach is being applied to examine the impacts of ladder design and climbing style on fall risk (left figure) and to understand the personal and environmental factors that influence the fall risk and functional balance of wearers of bifocals and progressive lens glasses.