OUR TEAM

Name: Epic Sports Biomechanics, LLC.
Address: 98 Walker Lane, Newtown, PA, 18940, USA
Telephone: (215) 724-3933
The Epic Sports Biomechanics team consists of human movement professionals with Ph.D.’s, Master’s Degrees, and/or Bachelor’s Degrees in biomedical engineering, biomechanical engineering, mechanical engineering, biomechanics, kinesiology, biology, and human factors. These professionals also have accomplished athletic and coaching backgrounds with past and present NCAA athletes in basketball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and rowing amongst others.
                                                            Dave Gushue, Ph.D.
                                    Owner & Founder                                
As Founder and Director of Epic Sports Biomechanics, his passion is to combine biomedical engineering and science with elite technology to optimize human movement and sports performance. His vision was to create a world-class biomechanical research laboratory and sports performance environment that combines science with the unique attributes of the athlete. Dr. Gushue leverages his extensive training and experience in biomechanics and 3-D motion analyses for assessments of athletic performance and injury risk factors associated with sport-specific movements. Dr. Gushue has served as a biomechanical consultant for various professional sports organizations, including the National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Dr. Gushue earned a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester and a B.S. in Bioengineering with a minor in Neuroscience at Syracuse University.

                                                            Ron Fijalkowski, Ph.D.
                                    Director of Sports Biomechanics                                
Ron graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering. He then attended a joint program between the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University graduating with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Ron utilizes his training and education to reduce the risk of injury to athletes while optimizing performance. He has lead various full-scale research projects specifically focused on human injury causation and recognizes the value in efficient movement patterns. He has served as a consultant for numerous organizations including the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the United States Department of Defense. Ron has been an athletics enthusiast his entire life competing in various sports from baseball and soccer to basketball and swimming. Ron also competed collegiately in baseball as a 4-year varsity member at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).

                                                            Adam Cyr, Ph.D.
                                    Principal Investigator                                
Adam graduated from the University of Portland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. From there, he attended the University of Kansas and received his Ph.D. in Biomechanics and Neural Engineering, studying the motion and forces of the knee. Adam then held a postdoctoral position at the University of Denver, where he worked in the Human Dynamics Laboratory studying human motion using state-of-the-art technology and computational modeling. Adam has continued his passion for biomechanics and athlete development, working in a clinical environment alongside physical therapists, sports physicians, and surgeons to evaluate athletes for injury risk and return-to-play readiness. Adam is driven to enhance performance and prevent injury for all athletes, from novices to professionals. He is an avid skier, runner, and all-around sports enthusiast.

                                                            Erik Backstrom, B.S.
                                    Performance Specialist                                 
Erik graduated from the University of Rochester with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Biomechanics. He has studied specialized subjects like biological viscoelasticity that detail the human body and the intricate ways it performs. He has conducted in-depth research on topics including limb and joint modeling, Tommy John surgery, ACL and knee reconstruction, and bone fractures. He has a profound interest in 3-D motion capture and has performed significant analyses with a key focus on injury prevention. Erik is a former baseball pitcher and collegiate soccer player, and is currently an NCAA soccer referee. As a lifelong athlete, Erik cherishes the opportunity to combine his love of sports and his passion for engineering into helping other athletes achieve their goals.

                                                            Chris Calabrese, M.S. 
                                    Performance Specialist                                
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Science in Exercise Science with a concentration in Biomechanics from the University of Delaware. During his undergraduate studies, he contributed to a project focused on developing 3D-printed hand prosthetics. In his graduate studies, Chris conducted research in the motor neuron lab, quantifying rapid force development in both static and dynamic movements, and exploring nervous system adaptations to task-specific demands at the ankle joint. With a strong background in competitive sports, Chris played baseball and soccer throughout his youth and continued to play collegiate club soccer at the University of New Hampshire. He is deeply committed to optimizing athletic performance while minimizing the risk of injury, blending his academic expertise with a strong commitment to enhancing athletic outcomes.

                                                            Jenna Mesisca, M.S. 
                                    Consulting Technician                                
Ms. Mesisca earned her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Jenna’s academic research focused on ACL reconstruction, healthy athlete movement, loading differences using motion capture, loadsol® in-shoe pressure sensors, and force plate systems. Her research progress lead to a better understanding of return to sport variability thresholds, particularly for females overcoming an ACL injury. During her collegiate career, she competed nationally as part of the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Lacrosse team and received All-American accolades. Along with lacrosse, Ms. Mesisca has been involved in athletics her entire life, with particularly extensive experience in soccer and swimming. She is passionate about applying her knowledge and skills in biomechanics to help athletes reach their full potential while reducing injury risk.

                                                            Calli Sipin, M.S. 
                                    Consulting Technician                                
Calli earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. At Rutgers Calli helped to create an assistive device to alert patients prior to shoulder overextension during their recovery after shoulder surgery. After her undergraduate, Calli pursued her master’s in human Movement and Rehabilitation Science at Northeastern University where she created a running assist device designed to reduce the metabolic cost associated with forefoot running. She also performed chronic ankle instability research focused on variability of movement in response to perturbation. Calli has also been involved in athletics throughout her life, with experience mainly in softball. 

                                                            Esther Seeland, M.S. 
                                    Consulting Technician                                
Esther earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical engineering from Messiah University and a Master of Education in Exercise Physiology from the University of Virginia. As an undergraduate, she worked on prosthetic device research evaluating bacterial growth on prosthetic device liners. During her master’s, she studied the human performance metrics of maximal oxygen consumption, lactate threshold, and running economy, which were particularly relevant as a competitive track and field athlete herself. She also worked with the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team, implementing tools such as motion capture, force plate analysis, and velocity-based training to track player load and improve performance across the duration of the season. Esther is particularly passionate about the intersection of endurance sports and resistance training as a means to improve performance and reduce injury.

                                                            Amanda Stone, Ph.D. 
                                    Senior Biomechanist                                
Amanda received her B.S. in Bioengineering and Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Oregon State University and the University of Florida, respectively. She has been involved in athletics, performance evaluation, and injury prevention for over a decade. She has conducted numerous studies evaluating injury risk in young athletes, including ACL injuries, and prescribed safe biomechanics for injury prevention. Furthermore, she has studied elements that affect athletic performance, such as visual and proprioceptive feedback processing. Amanda’s personal experience in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse provide a practical foundation for conducting biomechanical evaluations and offering performance improvement recommendations.

                                                            Carl Jewel, Ph.D. 
                                    Senior Kinesiologist                                
Carl completed all of his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he obtained a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Kinesiology. As a senior member of the Biomechanics Laboratory, he utilized 3-D motion capture, force platforms, accelerometers, and electromyography to study the movements of athletes and the muscle responses and activation strategies required to generate the forces for those movements. Carl has worked with recreational, collegiate, and elite-level athletes across several disciplines including soccer, field hockey, golf, and running. He has served as a researcher and consultant for the National Hockey League (NHL), US Department of Defense, Footjoy/Titleist (Acushnet), Brooks Running, and New Balance. Carl competed as a Division 1 middle distance runner during his undergraduate at UMass, and is an avid golfer.

                                                            Charlend Howard, Ph.D.
                                    Senior Biomechanist                                
Char earned his B.S. in Kinesiology with a focus on Strength and Conditioning from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and his M.S. in Human Performance from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, where he researched how changes in the central nervous system impact athletic performance in sprinting. He also became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA and worked with athletes across various sports, including soccer, hockey, running, lacrosse, tennis, golf, and swimming. He later earned a PhD in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University, specializing in biomechanics and motor behavior, with a minor in applied statistics. Following his Ph.D., Char worked as an Augmented Reality Researcher for Google and as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at Old Dominion University. His research focused on human movement patterns in athletes and aging populations, using motion capture, android studio, and virtual reality to study injury rehabilitation, neurological recovery, motor skill development, sub-concussive head impacts, and gait kinematics for injury prevention. Char has been an avid runner from high school through his collegiate years at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, earning multiple honors at the state, conference, regional, and national levels. He continues to participate in various 5Ks, 10Ks, Spartan Races, and Half Marathons.

                                                            Jacqueline Lewis Devine, Ph.D. 
                                    Senior Biomechanist                                
Jackie graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a concentration in biomechanical engineering. She worked in a laboratory investigating knee ligament injuries while at Kansas, after having sustained multiple ACL tears herself and had a personal interest in the topic. She then went on to The Ohio State University and graduated with a Master’s and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. She participated and lead multiple projects investigating human movement patterns in both athletic and various pathology populations utilizing motion capture technology, with goals of injury prevention and injury rehabilitation. Jackie has also played soccer for the University of Kansas, was a multi-year All-State cross-country runner in high school, and has continued to participate in various triathlon, cycling, and running competitions.

                                                            Kylee Schaffer, Ph.D.
                                    Senior Biomechanist                                
Kylee earned B.S. degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from Robert Morris University and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in biomechanics from the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Her research involved the study of human motion using 3-D motion capture, electromyography, and pressure sensor methodologies. Kylee has many years of experience in multiple sports, with more extensive experience in softball and basketball, and has a continued interest in using exercise to improve mobility, correct imbalances, and enhance performance.