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The Advancing Wearable Systems for Out-of-the-lab Measurement and Evaluation Research Lab (AWeSOME Research Lab; https://stephencain.faculty.wvu.edu/) at West Virginia University, directed by Dr. Stephen Cain, anticipates at least 1 fully-funded Ph.D. assistantship available starting Fall 2026. The AWeSOME Research Lab applies principles from inertial navigation, engineering dynamics, biomechanics, and kinesiology to develop algorithms and data collection protocols that utilize data from body-worn inertial sensors and other wearable technologies to quantify human movement and physiology in non-laboratory environments. Our research team is on the forefront of developing new approaches that use wearable sensor data from long (3+ days) unobserved data collections to quantify biomechanics and gain insight into the context of the measured biomechanics. Our current research areas include real-world gait, manual wheelchair biomechanics and mobility, medication adherence, and baseball pitching; the funded position will be primarily in manual wheelchair biomechanics.
We accept Ph.D. students from both Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at WVU and will begin the review of applicants starting January 16 (https://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply). If you would like to apply but cannot meet the January 15 application deadline, please let Dr. Cain know via email (see below); applications are accepted after January 15.
West Virginia University is within easy traveling distance of Washington, DC, (~3hrs), Pittsburgh, PA, (~1.5hrs), and Cleveland and Columbus, OH. Morgantown offers affordable housing, excellent schools, a picturesque countryside, and many outdoor activities. The area provides incredible access to a wide range of outdoor activities (https://diyoutdoors.wvu.edu/), with WVU being named a top adventure college, with convenient access to mountain biking trails (https://www.trailforks.com/region/morgantown/), hiking and backpacking (https://diyoutdoors.wvu.edu/hiking), whitewater (https://diyoutdoors.wvu.edu/whitewater), and rock climbing. Multiple downhill and cross-country ski areas are located within a 3-hour drive, making Morgantown an ideal location for outdoor enthusiasts.
Interested students with specific questions about the lab, WVU, Morgantown, or the application process can contact Dr. Stephen Cain via email (stephen.cain@mail.wvu.edu); please include ‘AWeSOME prospective student F2026’ as the subject of the email to help ensure that your email does not get lost in Dr. Cain’s inbox.
We accept Ph.D. students from both Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at WVU and will begin the review of applicants starting January 16 (https://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply). If you would like to apply but cannot meet the January 15 application deadline, please let Dr. Cain know via email (see below); applications are accepted after January 15.
West Virginia University is within easy traveling distance of Washington, DC, (~3hrs), Pittsburgh, PA, (~1.5hrs), and Cleveland and Columbus, OH. Morgantown offers affordable housing, excellent schools, a picturesque countryside, and many outdoor activities. The area provides incredible access to a wide range of outdoor activities (https://diyoutdoors.wvu.edu/), with WVU being named a top adventure college, with convenient access to mountain biking trails (https://www.trailforks.com/region/morgantown/), hiking and backpacking (https://diyoutdoors.wvu.edu/hiking), whitewater (https://diyoutdoors.wvu.edu/whitewater), and rock climbing. Multiple downhill and cross-country ski areas are located within a 3-hour drive, making Morgantown an ideal location for outdoor enthusiasts.
Interested students with specific questions about the lab, WVU, Morgantown, or the application process can contact Dr. Stephen Cain via email (stephen.cain@mail.wvu.edu); please include ‘AWeSOME prospective student F2026’ as the subject of the email to help ensure that your email does not get lost in Dr. Cain’s inbox.