Advisory Board

Jim Potvin

Technical Advisor for Biomechanics and Human Factors

Jim Potvin received a B.H.K. in Kinesiology from the University of Windsor (1986) and an M.Sc. (1988) and Ph.D. (1992) in Biomechanics from the University of Waterloo. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. He researches and teaches primarily in the areas of biomechanics and the ergonomics of musculoskeletal injuries. His basic research focuses on the study of spine mechanics during load handling and the quantification of the effects of muscle fatigue during repetitive or prolonged tasks. He also conducts applied research with a focus on developing valid ergonomic methods to quantify injury risk in the workplace; including the assessment of manual materials handling tasks and the evaluation of upper limb disorders.

He is currently working with automotive manufacturers to improve methods to use virtual reality for the proactive assessment of manufacturing systems designs. His research is funded by the Natural Science and Engineering Council (NSERC), Ford Motor Company and the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD).