Walter Herzog

Walter Herzog studied physical education as an undergraduate at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (1979). He completed his doctoral studies in biomechanics at the University of Iowa in 1985 and did postdoctoral work in neuroscience and biomechanics in Calgary in 1987.  He is currently a professor of biomechanics, kinesiology, medicine, engineering and veterinary medicine. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics and the Killam Commemorative Chair in Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Calgary. His fields of interest include musculoskeletal biomechanics, centring on the contraction mechanisms of the muscles and the role of the protein titin, and the biomechanics of joints, focusing on the mechanisms of the appearance and evolution of arthritis. Walter Herzog is a laureate of the Borelli award of the American Biomechanics Society, the Career award of the Canadian Biomechanics Society, the Dyson award of the International Biomechanics Society in Sports and the Muybridge award of the International Biomechanics Society. Recently, he received the Killam Prize in Engineering from the Canada Council for the Arts for his contribution to biomedical research. He has served as president of the International, American and Canadian Biomechanics Societies. He was inducted to the Royal Society of Canada in 2013.