Our Team

Dr. Emily Rogers-Bradley, PhD

Dr. Emily Rogers-Bradley is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary in the departments of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Rogers-Bradley is the director of the Adaptive Bionics Lab, researching the design of quasi-passive prostheses and exoskeletons that adapt to speed, terrain, and ground surface for walking and running optimization. Prior to joining the University of Calgary she obtained her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in February 2023. She received an SM in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 2019 and a SB in Biomedical Engineering from Harvard University in 2015. Her work has been featured in the PBS NOVA documentary 'Augmented', a permanent exhibit in the Boston Museum of Science, and she is a named inventor on 3 patents.

Mahan Jaberi Miandoab

Mahan Jaberi Miandoab is a graduate research assistant in the Adaptive Bionics Lab since September 2023. He is a PhD candidate in the department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Calgary. He received his MSc in Biomedical Engineering and BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology in 2022 and 2019, respectively. In his master’s thesis, Mahan studied bioinspired legged robots with a focus on modeling and simulating human-like passive dynamic walkers. His research interests include lower-limb assistive devices and rehabilitative systems.

Michael Francis

Michael is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering, and brings an interdisciplinary background that fuels his innovative approach to research and development. His academic journey began at the University of Calgary, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Software Engineering.

As a severe traumatic brain injury survivor, he is driven to advance healthcare technologies that improve patient’s wellbeing. He has contributed to a diverse range of projects spanning stroke and brain injury, autism, as well as COVID-19. Currently, he is focussed on prosthetics and orthotics, developing a machine learning model aimed at improving biomechanics analysis in the field. He looks to empower engineers and healthcare professionals and enable them to make informed decisions to enhance patient outcomes.

Samuel Finnegan

Samuel Finnegan is a graduate research assistant in the Adaptive Bionics Lab since September 2023. He is a students in the MSc program in Biomedical Engineering. He recently completed his BSc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Calgary in 2023. With the desire to directly impact and improve people’s lives, Samuel has found his passion in biomedical design and implementation. Samuel’s research includes developing modular knee-based orthoses to assist, engage, and strengthen patients with mild-moderate motor disabilities (primarily with cerebral palsy). 

Breanna Neubauer

Breanna Neubauer is a Master of Science student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Calgary, having begun her graduate studies in September 2024. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Aerospace Engineering, from UofC in May 2024. Her research centers on enhancing gait efficiency in wearable below-knee prosthetics and lower-limb exoskeletons by investigating how mass addition and position affect typical walking patterns through motion capture analysis. Breanna’s passion for biomechanics is fueled by a deep interest in human health, mobility, and improving quality of life through innovative engineering design. She hopes to continue contributing to biomechanics with a focus on advancing movement capabilities in sports and rehabilitation applications throughout her future career. In her spare time, Breanna enjoys spending time in the mountains, woodworking, tackling automotive projects, and caring for her plants.

Jaylon Pascual

Jaylon Pascual has been a graduate research assistant in the Adaptive Bionics Lab since January 2025, and is co-supervised by Dr. Koren Roach. Jaylon is an MSc student in the department of Biomedical Engineering, having previously completed her BEng at the University of Guelph in 2024 for Biomedical Engineering. Her current research includes studying the effects of powered knee-ankle-foot orthoses on those who have limited knee extension function, using marker motion capture and ground reaction forces. Wanting to combine her passion of science and art, Jaylon saw an opportunity to help others using engineering design. She hopes to improve the accessibility and function of biomedical technologies with her research, with an overall goal of increasing other people’s quality of life.   

Benjamin St. Louis

Ben St. Louis is a Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering, who officially began his program in May 2025. However, he started working on his research project earlier, following the completion of his BSc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Calgary in December 2024. His research focuses on developing a novel quasi-passive prosthetic for below-knee amputees. The prosthetic features modular gearing, enabling users to choose from multiple ankle torque profiles to better adapt to different terrains. Outside the lab, Ben can be found either riding one of his bikes or talking about them.

Mikaela Juko

Mikaela Juco (Mika) has been an undergraduate research assistant in the Adaptive Bionics Lab since May 2024. Mika is currently completing her BSc in Mechanical Engineering with a Biomedical Engineering minor at the University of Calgary. Mika's project includes creating a fixture for universal testing machines to analyze ankle joint stiffness in ankle-foot orthoses and create uniform testing standards for Samuel's research. Mika's interest in biomechanics, biomedical design, and manufacturing stems from her background in rehab medicine. She hopes to merge these fields and utilize her research experience to develop medical equipment maintenance standards and create accessible assistive devices in the future. 

 

Daniel Alayev

Daniel Alayev has been an undergraduate research assistant in the Adaptive Bionics Lab since September 2023, and is currently investigating the psychosocial effects of orthoses and robot-assisted gait therapy on users with neurological gait disorders through a scoping literature review. Daniel is entering the first year of medical school at the University of Calgary and hopes to continue research that engages clinical populations and directly improves clinical outcomes as he pursues a career in medicine.

Mishal Chaudhry

Mishal Chaudhry is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Calgary. Since May 2025, Mishal has been an undergraduate research assistant in the Adaptive Bionics Lab, where she contributes to projects focused on biomechanics. Her current work involves developing testing devices for cam-roller applications, assisting with data collection for mechanical performance evaluation, and utilizing numerical methods and 3D modelling to aid in a cam-roller design. 

Her interest in mechanical systems, product design, and human-centered engineering is rooted in her passion for applying engineering principles to solve real-world challenges. She is particularly drawn to projects that improve quality of life through innovation in assistive technologies. Mishal aims to continue exploring the intersection of mechanical design and healthcare by pursuing opportunities in medical device development and inclusive engineering solutions.

Eunice Leung

Eunice Leung is an undergraduate research assistant in the Adaptive Bionics Lab during the summer of 2025. She is pursuing a BSc in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a minor in Marketing and Communications at Johns Hopkins University. Eunice’s research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, human health, and neurobiology. In the Adaptive Bionics Lab, she contributes to projects related to biomechanics and assistive technologies. During the academic year, she conducts research on RNA metabolism dysfunction and RNA-targeting therapeutics in neurodegeneration, with a focus on ALS. Eunice has also worked on projects on muscle fatigue identification using unsupervised learning methods. She is passionate about applying AI to better understand and improve human health.

Team Spring Stride Assist

September 2023 - April 2024

Team Members: Morgan Bresee, Alex Brownlee, Youssef Eldeeb, Eden Guterman, Jesse Palamar, and Anjali Patadia

Team Assistive Driving Prosthesis

September 2024 - April 2025

Team Members: Chetan Gupta, Huzaifa Shafiq, Matthew De Bruyn, Ethan Gonsalves, Sammy Patwary, and Ethan Le

Chinaza Enyinnaya-Okidi

Chinaza Enyinnaya-Okidi was an undergraduate research assistant in the Adaptive Bionics lab in summer 2024. She is completing a BSc in Biomedical Engineering, with a minor in Digital Engineering, at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary. Her research in the lab focused on the psychosocial impacts of using orthotics and robot-assisted gait therapy for neurological gait disorders. Chinaza is interested in biomedical technologies and biosignals, and hopes to combine her interests and research experience to provide real-life solutions to medical challenges, even as she moves on to medical school.