Profile Photo: Kotaro Sasaki, Ph.D.

Kotaro
Sasaki, Ph.D.

Phone: 903.233.3945
Email: KoSasaki@letu.edu

  • Professor of Biomedical Engineering


I was born and raised in Japan before coming to the United States as an international graduate student. During my time here, I accepted Christ—a life-changing event that I believe would not have happened had I remained in Japan. I am very grateful that God opened the door and brought me to LeTourneau University, giving me the wonderful opportunity to bring glory to Him through teaching and mentoring students. 

My strong personal interest in sports and exercise naturally guided me toward the academic field of musculoskeletal biomechanics. My current pursuit centers on clinical applications, such as developing rehabilitation methods and assistive devices to help individuals with impaired movement restore mobility and improve quality of life. 

Outside of academics and research, I love staying active through various exercises and sports, including weight and cardio training, cycling, pickleball, softball, volleyball, and golf. I also enjoy saltwater fishing and eating the fresh catch of the day. 



EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
  • M.A. Kinesiology, University of Texas at Austin
  • B.S. Engineering – Biophysical Engineering concentration, Osaka University (Japan)

PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE

  • Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Boise State University
  • Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Texas at Austin
  • Research Engineer, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan

COURSES TAUGHT

  • BEGR4123 – Biological Control Systems 
  • BEGR3614 - Biomechanics I (now Musculoskeletal Biomechanics) 
  • BEGR3624 - Biomechanics II 
  • BEGR3811 - Biomedical Engineering Junior Research Lab I 
  • BEGR3822-1 - Biomedical Engineering Junior Research Lab II 
  • BEGR3822-2 – Wheels Project 
  • ENGR2023 – Introduction to Mechanics 
  • ENGR 4813/4823 – Senior Design I and II 
  • LETU 1101 – Cornerstones 
  • MEGR 3133 – Mechanical Engineering Lab II 

Advising

  • Society of Women Engineers, LeTourneau Student Chapter

Research Interests

  • Musculoskeletal biomechanics and motor coordination
  • Analysis and improvement of biomechanical functions in people with motor impairment.
    • Assistive Devices
    • Prosthetics

  • STUDENT PROEJCTS 

    • Kim, S., Berberian, A., Gonzalez, M., Merop, W., Sasaki, K. (2026). " Validation of Accessible Measurement Devices for Pelvic Tilt Angles during Quiet Standing", presented at the 2026 11th Annual Regional Student Scholars Forum at LSU Shreveport, April 3, Shreveport, LA. 
    • Shannon, T., Monk, K., Boulanger, E., Hall, L., Neilon, A. Karani, K, Madsen, B. and Sasaki, K. (2025) “Development of a Lumbar Range of Motion Tracking System: Preliminary Study”, presented at the 2025 10th Annual Regional Student Scholars Forum at LSU Shreveport. April 4, Shreveport, LA. 
    • Barton, L., Shannon, T., Monk, K., Boulanger, E., Pruitt, M., and Sasaki, K. (2024) “The effects of wearing a prophylactic knee brace on ground reaction forces and loading rates during landing of jump maneuvers in athletes without knee injuries”, presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Biomedical Engineering Society. Oct 23-26, Baltimore, MD.  
    • Harmon, A., Weber, C., Bercier, N. Nix. M., Holmes, S.  L., and Sasaki, K. (2024) “Accuracy of Inertial Measurement Units to Measure Lumbar Range of Motion for an Extended Period”, presented at the Heart of Texas Undergraduate Research Conference. April 20, Waco, TX. 
    • Shannon, Y., Monk, K., Barton, L., Boulanger, E., Pruitt, M., and Sasaki, K. (2024) “The Protective Effects of Wearing a Knee Brace on Ground Reaction Forces for Uninjured Athletes”, presented at the Heart of Texas Undergraduate Research Conference. April 20, Waco, TX. 
    • Erin, T., Mathews, B., McDonald, J., Smith, B., Heikkila, M., Eberhardt, A., Chrisman, C., Balid, S., Mucogllava, B., and Sasaki, K. (2022) “LeTourneau University Rehabilitation Engineering Project: Rehabilitation Device to Reduce Soleus Spasticity using Operant Conditioning of Spinal Reflex”, presented at the 2022 IEEE R5 Annual Student Poster Competition (the third-place winner). 
    • Tham, B., Spencer, A., Coe, B., Hawkins, A., Quach, T., and Sasaki, K. (2020) “Prosthetic Energy Return Knee”, presented at the 2020 RESNA Student Desing Challenge (the third-place winner). 
    • Hayley, B., LaVier, H., Iverson, M., Moon, A., Patterson, K., and Sasaki, K. (2018). “Intact Leg Loading in Simulated Unilateral Transfemoral Amputee Gait”, presented at the Annual Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society, October 17-20, Atlanta, GA.  
    • Henson, D., Lichtenberg, J., Saldana, R., SosaSaenz, S., and Sasaki, K. (2017). “Preliminary validation of transfemoral prosthetic gait simulator”, presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, August 8-11, Boulder, CO. 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • American Society of Biomechanics
  • International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics

Publications
  • Sasaki, K. and Rispin, K. (2017). Assessment of physiological performance and perception of pushing different wheelchairs on indoor modular units simulating a surface roughness often encountered in under-resources settings. Assistive Technology 29(4): p173-180. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2010). Individual muscle contributions to the axial knee joint contact force during normal walking. Journal of Biomechanics 43(14): p2780-2784. 
  • Sasaki, K. (2010). Muscle contributions to the tibiofemoral joint contact force during running. Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation 46: p305-310. 
  • Sasaki, K., Neptune, R.R. and Kautz, S.A (2009). The relationships between muscle, external, internal and joint mechanical work during normal walking. Journal of Experimental Biology 212(5): p738-744. 
  • Neptune, R.R., Sasaki, K. and Kautz, S.A (2008). The effect of walking speed on muscle function and mechanical energetics. Gait and Posture 28(1): p135-143. 
  • Sasaki, K., Neptune, R.R., Burnfield, J.M. and Mulroy, S.J. (2008). Muscle compensatory mechanisms during able-bodied toe walking. Gait and Posture 27(3): p 440-446. 
  • Zmitrewicz, R.J, Neptune, R.R. and Sasaki, K. (2007). Mechanical energetic contributions from individual muscles and elastic prosthetic feet during symmetric unilateral transtibial amputee walking: A theoretical study. Journal of Biomechanics 40(8): p1824-1831. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2006). Muscle mechanical work and elastic energy utilization during walking and running near the preferred gait transition speed. Gait and Posture 23(3): p383-390. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2006). Differences in muscle function during walking and running at the same speed. Journal of Biomechanics 39(11): p2005-2013. 
  • R.R. and Sasaki, K. (2005). Ankle plantar flexor force production is an important determinant of the preferred walk-to-run transition speed. Journal of Experimental Biology 208(5): p799-808. 
  • Pandy, M.G., Sasaki, K., and Kim, S. (1998). A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the human knee joint. Part 1: Theoretical construction. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 1(2): p87-108. 

Conference Presentations
  • Sasaki, K. and Rispin, K. (2016). Evaluation of wheelchair pushing performance on simulated rough pathways in under-resourced settings created with indoor modular units. Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) / National Coalition for Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology (NCART) Conference, July 10-14, Washington, DC. 
  • Sasaki, K. (2014). Endpoint force directions during arm-crank exercise at different crank loads. Proceedings of the 7th World Congress of Biomechanics, July 6-11, Boston, MA. 
  • Sasaki, K. (2013). Individual muscle contributions to handcycling propulsion. Proceedings of the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, September 4-7, Omaha, NE. 
  • Griswold, J. and Sasaki, K. (2012). Handgrip force and upper-limb kinetics during handcycling. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, August 15-18, Gainesville, FL. 
  • Rooks, T., Leib, D. Dugan, E., and Sasaki, K. (2012). Variability of strain and strain rate in human tibial diaphysis during walking. Proceedings of 36th Annual Meeting for American Society of Biomechanics, August 15-18, Gainesville, FL. 
  • Sasaki, K. (2011). Glenohumeral joint force estimations during shoulder abduction and flexion with a weight using forward dynamics simulation. Proceedings of the 35th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, August 10-13, Long beach, CA. 
  • Chyung, S.Y., Hughes, W.L., Sasaki, K., Cole, T., Chiasson, J.N. and Schrader, C.B. (2011). How can we help faculty balance between teaching and scholarly activities? Proceedings of the 118th Annual Conference & Exposition of the American Society for Engineering Education, June 26-29, Vancouver, B.C. (Canada). 
  • Sasaki, K. (2010). Muscle contributions to the tibiofemoral joint contact force during running. Proceedings of the 47th Annual Meeting of the Instrument Society of America, Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium, April 9-11, Laramie, WY. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2009). Contributions of leg muscles to the axial knee joint contact force during normal walking. Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, August 26-29, State College, PA. 
  • Sasaki, K., Neptune, R.R. and Kautz, S.A. (2008). Differences between joint work and muscle fiber work during steady-state walking. Proceedings of 2008 North American Congress of Biomechanics, August 5-9, Ann Arbor, MI. 
  • Sasaki, K., Neptune, R.R., Burnfield, J.M. and Mulroy, S.J. (2007). Muscle segment power distributions in able-bodied toe walking. Proceedings of the 31st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, August 22-25, Stanford, CA. 
  • Sasaki, K., Neptune, R.R., Burnfield, J.M. and Mulroy, S.J. (2007). Elastic energy storage and return in toe versus heel-toe walking. Proceedings of 18th International Conference of the International Society for Posture and Gait Research, July 14-18, Burlington, VT. 
  • Neptune, R.R., Sasaki, K. and Kautz, S.A. (2007). Muscle mechanical work adaptations with increasing walking speed. Proceedings of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering 2007 Bioengineering Conference, June 20-24, Keystone, CO. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2007). Elastic energy storage and return in toe versus heel-toe walking. Proceedings of 24th Annual Meeting of Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology, February 11-12, Houston, TX. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2005). Muscle contributions to the flight phase in running. XXth Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics and 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics Proceedings CD, July 31-August 5, Cleveland, OH. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2005). Differences in muscle function between walking and running at the preferred walk-run transition speed. XXth Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics and 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics Proceedings CD, July 31-August 5, Cleveland, OH. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2005). Muscle mechanical work and elastic energy utilization during walking and running near the preferred gait transition speed. Proceedings of 2005 Summer Bioengineering Conference of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering Bioengineering Division, June 22-26, Vail, CO. 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2005). The application of sliding mode control to generate dynamical simulations of human gait. Proceedings of 22nd Annual Meeting of Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology, February 10-11, Houston, TX: p110. 
  • Zmitrewicz, R.J., Neptune, R.R. and Sasaki, K. (2005). Mechanical power analysis of unilateral transtibial gait: contributions from individual muscles and energy storage and return prostheses. Proceedings of the 2005 International Symposium on Computer Simulation in Biomechanics, July 28-30, Cleveland, OH: p 47. 
  • Neptune, R.R. and Sasaki, K. and (2004). Insight from ground reaction forces into the preferred gait transition speed. Proceedings of 9th Annual Meeting of the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society, April 21-24, Lexington, KY: p104-105 
  • Sasaki, K. and Neptune, R.R. (2003). Differences in muscle power between walking and running at the same speed. Proceedings of 20th Annual Meeting of Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology, April 3-4, Houston, TX: p157. 
  • Terry, K., Neptune, R.R. and Sasaki, K. (2003). The effect of walking speed on muscle EMG patterns during normal walking. 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics Proceedings CD, September 25-27, Toledo, OH.