Team
Babak Hejrati, PhD – babak.hejrati@maine.edu ,Tel: (207) 581-6689 or -4642
Babak Hejrati is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and an Associate Member of the Center on Aging and the Institute of Medicine at the University of Maine. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on wearable robotics from the University of Utah in 2016. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at Biodesign Lab and Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University before joining the University of Maine in 2017. His research is focused on dynamic systems and control, wearable robotics, biomechanics, and human-robot interactions. His research aims to bridge robotics and biomechanics by utilizing concepts in human-robot interactions, motor learning, and neuroscience to improve users’ gait and mobility. He is also interested in applying his expertise in dynamic systems and control to the areas of renewable energy. Babak’s research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIA), and the Department of Energy (DOE). He is a recipient of NSF CAREER Award from the Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering Program, and the Early Career Teaching Award from the College of Engineering at the University of Maine.
Graduate Students
Meghan Boos, PhD Student – meghan.boos@maine.edu
Meghan is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maine and works in Dr. Babak Hejrati’s Biorobotics and Biomechanics Laboratory. They graduated from the University of Maine with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and a MS in Mechanical Engineering in 2023. Their main research interest is to investigate couplings between gait and cognitive ability. In their free time they like to rock climb, paddle board and paint.
Inès Khiyara, PhD Student- ines.khiyara@maine.edu
Inès is a PhD student currently working in biomechanics. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Maine in 2020 and 2022. Her current research focus involves improving the gait speed and stability of older adults through arm swing training as well as studying the correlation between upper and lower limb muscles during gait. Outside of research, she enjoys weightlifting, swimming, and cooking with her fiancé.
Ehsan Sharafian Moghaddam, PhD Student- ehsan.sharafian@maine.edu
As a PhD student in mechanical engineering, Ehsan is interested in Robotics, Machine Learning, and Virtual Reality. Ehsan’s current research focuses on gait rehabilitation of older adults and people with disabilities by improving their ability to walk independently. Ehsan completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Tehran and my master’s degree at Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnique), both in mechanical engineering. In his free time, Ehsan enjoys podcasts, fitness activities, and playing the piano.
Ian Ammerman- Master’s Student ian.ammerman@maine.edu
Having completed his B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering at UMaine in spring 2023, Ian is currently pursuing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. His research is on controls design for floating offshore wind turbines, with emphasis on experimental validation via scale model tests in a wind/wave basin. Outside of work Ian is an avid musician, playing with UMaine ensembles as well as the Bangor town band.
Colby Ellis- Master’s Student colby.ellis@maine.edu
Colby is a first-year Mechanical Engineering Master’s student. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine in 2023, where he minored in Robotics and Math. His research is focused on haptic feedback for gait rehabilitation, and he is currently working on an NIH-funded study to develop and test a smartphone-controlled haptic feedback device to improve gait in older adults. In his spare time, Colby enjoys playing Trombone in the Screamin’ Black Bears Pep Band and spending time with friends.
Liam Hawthorne- Master’s Student liam.hawthorne@maine.edu
Hawthorne received his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maine and is currently pursuing a Masters in mechanical engineering with a concentration in robotics. His research focus is on the development of robotic exoskeletons for human rehabilitation, but his interests in robotics extends to their many applications as tools for the exploration of outer space. Hawthorne is also an avid car and motorcycle enthusiast and can often be found working on one of his vehicles during his free time.
Undergraduate Students
Mary Orio- Junior mary.orio@maine.edu
Mary is a Junior at the University of Maine studying psychology. She is a research assistant in the biomechanics lab helping with subject recruitment and study coordination. She was trained to conduct the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and hopes to use the MoCA test data and to find and analyze correlations with the participants’ learning and gait performance using the lab’s haptic feedback system. Mary hopes her experience in this lab will help her in her future endeavors of applying to and hopefully attending medical school after her graduation. Outside of the lab, Mary enjoys baking, sewing, and spending time with her friends and family.
Lab Alumni
• Md Tanzid Hossain, M.Sc., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine
• Mohsen Alizadeh Noghani, M.Sc., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine
• Jacob Bloom, M.Sc., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine
• Md Shafiqur Rahman, M.Sc., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine
• Daniel Chizhik, M.Sc., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine
• Drew Browning (Co-advisor), M.Sc., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine