Sébastien Laporte, director ofthe Georges Charpak Institute of Human Biomechanics(IBHGC), received the Christian Oddou Award from theBiomechanics Society in 2021.
What does the Christian Oddou Award mean to you?
Beyond the recognition of my research in injury biomechanics and traumatology, this award highlights my commitment to advancing the field of biomechanics both nationally and internationally, through both scientific research and education focused on research (DEA in Biomechanics, followed by Master of Science at Paris, a Ph.D., etc.). Moreover, I believe my teaching activities are inseparable from my research activities, as they are essential for training the next generations of biomechanics researchers.
What was your career path before joining the Georges Charpak Institute of Human Biomechanics?
I joined the Biomechanics Laboratory very early on, because after obtaining my teaching certificate in Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from ENS Paris-Saclay in 1998, I prepared and obtained a DEA (Master's degree) in Biological and Medical Engineering with a specialization in Biomechanics atArts et Métiers 1999.
I then defended my doctorate in mechanics in 2002, again at Arts et Métiers, followed by my Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR) in Engineering Sciences at Sorbonne University in 2011. During my years of training in biomechanics, I had the opportunity to tackle a wide variety of research topics: biomechanical modeling of automotive comfort, three-dimensional reconstruction from medical imaging, geometric and mechanical modeling of anatomical structures, and more.
What are your areas of research at the Institute?
My work focuses on three areas:
- the experimental study of the mechanical behavior of biological tissues and structures;
- parametric geometric and mechanical modeling;
- the study of the dynamic behavior of the human bodyin vivo.
For example, in recent years, my work has focused on the dynamic and fracture behavior of cancellous bone and the musculotendinous complex, as well as on modeling the neck/head/brain complex to understand and prevent concussions in contact sports such as rugby.
Part of this work has been developed in close collaboration with French car manufacturers and, more recently, with the French Rugby Federation.
What direction would you like to take the IBHGC in?
The Institute's scientific activities have diversified in recent years, with, in particular, the development of a research theme in the biomechanics of sports movements, a theme that has been given a boost by the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
This theme builds, of course, on the scientific and technical expertise already developed in our "historic" areas of research: biomechanical modeling and clinical research, the capture and modeling of human movement, applications in the field of disability, and injury biomechanics.
However, this diversification should not make us forget the Institute's DNA, the strong link between clinical practice and engineering sciences, a rich collaboration that leads to breakthrough innovations! My ambition for the coming years is therefore to further strengthen this specificity by, for example, involving more clinicians in the laboratory's research.
