Hamid Norasi received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from K.N.Toosi University of Technology in Iran. He then continued his academic journey as a master’s student in the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department of Amirkabir University of Technology, which is known to be the center of excellence in BME in Iran.
During his master’s thesis, he worked on different propulsion mechanisms for manual wheelchairs, which developed his interest in the interaction of machines with humans, a field, known as human factors engineering. “It is a balance between physics and biology. It also involves psychology and industrial engineering, which are really interesting,” he said. He participated in the nationwide university graduate entrance exam and he got accepted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2015. Instead of studying another master’s degree in Iran, he decided to apply for a Ph.D. position at a scientifically pioneering university abroad.
Currently, Hamid is a Ph.D. student in the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department of Iowa State University under the supervision of Dr. Gary A. Mirka in the field of physical ergonomics and biomechanics. Their current research focuses on investigating the effects of lifting parameters on the variability of lifting kinematics. This research can help ergonomists and human factor engineers have a better understanding of lifting kinematics and its association with low back injuries.