Professor Peter R. Cavanagh, PhD

Title of Keynote Address:
Alex Stacoff Memorial Lecture

Peter Cavanagh was born, raised, and educated in England, attending Loughborough College and completing his graduate studies in human biomechanics at the Royal Free Medical School at the University of London. He emigrated to the United States in 1972 and was awarded a D.Sc. degree by the University of London in 2004. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, a member of the Olympic Academy, and a corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics. His other professional memberships include the American Diabetes Association and the Orthopaedic Research Society. He moved to Seattle in 2008 and is currently a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at the University of Washington.

Cavanagh is past President of both the American Society of Biomechanics and the International Society of Biomechanics and a past Chair of the American Diabetes Association's Council on Foot Care. He is the recipient of the Muybridge Medal of the International Society of Biomechanics, the Borelli Award and the Jim Hay Award from the American Society of Biomechanics, the Dyson Award from The International Society for the Biomechanics of Sport and the Laurence R. Young Space Biomedical Research Award from NASA/NSBRI. He has received the International Diabetic Foot Award and the Edward J. Olmos Amputation Prevention Award. He has served as the Wolff and the Dill Lecturer for the American College of Sports Medicine and has given the Roger Pecoraro Lecture to the American Diabetes Association. He is a member of the Standing Review Board for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs.

Dr. Cavanagh's research interests include the foot complications of diabetes, lower extremity biomechanics, athletic footwear, bone loss during long duration spaceflight, and musculoskeletal health in women on earth. He is the principal investigator of an experiment that was completed on-board the International Space Station and his books include the 4th edition of The Foot in Diabetes published by John Wiley and Sons and Bone Loss During Spaceflight published by the Cleveland Clinic Press. He has authored, coauthored, or edited over 400 papers, abstracts, chapters, and books and has mentored more than 70 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. His research is supported by NIH, NASA, and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.

When not working, Dr. Cavanagh is usually found photographing birds in Washington's San Juan Islands and also enjoys reading, biking, running, cross-country skiing, and listening to music. His introduction to the Pacific North West has included a summit of Mt. Rainier. He is an instrument-rated private pilot and is married to artist Ann Vandervelde whose work is shown in the I|M|A| Gallery in Seattle's Pioneer Square and in other galleries in the US and Canada. They have four children and five