Francisco Javier Valero-Cuevas (born 1964) is an engineer of Mexican origin, and a Professor of

Biomedical Engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...

Aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...

and

Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

, and

Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

. He is known for his work on how the human hand works, and its clinical applications. He is notable for several inventions, including devices for measuring hand function and leg function, and the construction of archways in civil engineering. Among his scholarly contributions is a textbook on the mathematical foundations underlying the study of motor control and biomechanics. He is an Elected Fellow of the

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is a non-profit organization founded in 1991, and headquartered in Washington. It represents 50,000 medical and biomedical engineers, and academic institutions, private industry, ...

(2014), an Elected Senior Member of the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

, and a Thomas J. Watson Fellow.

Education

Francisco Valero-Cuevas graduated from

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...

in 1988 with a BS in Engineering. As a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, he spent one year in the Indian Subcontinent, studying philosophy and learning Hindi. In 1991, he received an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Queen's University, under the guidance of Professor Carolyn Small. He joined

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and obtained a PhD in 1997, under the guidance of Professor Felix Zajac.

Career

Valero-Cuevas' first job was as a research associate and lecturer at Stanford University in Mechanical Engineering. He then joined

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

's Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as an assistant professor, with a joint appointment at the

Hospital for Special Surgery Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a hospital in New York City that specializes in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of rheumatologic conditions. Founded in 1863 by James Knight, HSS is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United States ...

as an assistant scientist. After being promoted to associate professor (with tenure) in 2005, he moved to the University of Southern California as an associate professor (with tenure), and was promoted to full professor in 2011. His primary appointment at the

are in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. He has joint appointments in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Computer Science.

Notable contributions

Strength-dexterity test

This method for the assessment of hand function was invented by Francisco Valero-Cuevas in 2000, and available as a device. He has applied this successfully to study hand function in adults with disabilities, children, and even for assessing leg function. He founded a company in 2015, Neuromuscular Dynamics, LLC, based on these devices.

Awards and honors

* 2018 Honorary degree of Doctor of Sciences, awarded by his Alma mater, Swarthmore College during their 146th Commencement on may 27, 2018 * 2015 Orange County Engineering Council OCEC President’s Prestigious Award, for "Scholarly and Outstanding Contributions to the Engineering Profession'" * 2014 Elected Fellow, College of Fellows of the

for "Outstanding Contributions to the Mathematical and Engineering Understanding of the Neural Control of Limbs to Produce Versatile Function" * 2013 Outstanding Technical Achievement Award from the 25th Conference Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation (HENAAC), Great Minds in STEM * 2013 Elected Senior Member of the

* 2002 American Society of Biomechanics' Post-doctoral Young Scientist Award * 2001 Whitaker Foundation * 1988 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to study Sankhya Yoga Philosophy in India and Nepal

References

External links

Faculty profile in Biomedical Engineering at USC

Faculty profile in Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at USC

Brain-Body Dynamics Lab
* Textbook o
Fundamentals of Neuromechanics

Video lectures
on neuromuscular systems {{DEFAULTSORT:Valero-Cuevas, Francisco J. Living people Engineering academics Swarthmore College alumni Queen's University at Kingston alumni Stanford University alumni Physicians of Hospital for Special Surgery Cornell University faculty University of Southern California faculty Watson Fellows Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering 1964 births