Emily A. Bywater
Hi! I’m Emily. I am a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, working in the Neurobionics Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Elliott Rouse.
My research lives at the intersection of robotics and human biomechanics. I work with wearable robotic systems—specifically lower-body orthoses, exoskeletons, and prostheses—to augment human mobility. My current work focuses on the evaluation of a Variable Stiffness Orthosis (VSO) in assisting individuals with foot drop. This is project is funded under an NIH F31 National Research Service Award that I received in 2024.
I hold an M.S. in Robotics from Michigan and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. When I’m not in the lab, you can find me running, cycling, and exploring Michigan’s outdoors.
Latest Updates
- May-Jun. 2026 I participated in the Rackham Graduate School and U-M Center for Research, Learning, and Teaching’s Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Seminar. Through this five-week course, I developed a syllabus for Engineering 100 and learned the principles of backwards course design.
- May 2026 Anushka Rathi and I welcomed two M.S. student mentees to the Variable Stiffness Orthosis team. They will be assisting us with data collection this summer. If you are going to Dynamic Walking in June, we will be presenting our preliminary results.
- Mar. 2026 I gave a research talk to the NeuMove and Shepherd Labs at Northeastern University while visiting Boston and Cambridge, MA.
- Feb. 2026 I launched this website!
- Dec. 2025 I passed my dissertation proposal exam. Committee members: Dr. Elliott Rouse, Dr. Robert Gregg, Dr. Levi Hargrove, and Dr. Leia Stirling.
- Nov. 2025 I got to share my graduate student experiences with Michigan undergraduates at Women and Gender Minorities in Mechanical Engineering (WaGMiME) mentorship night.
- Nov. 2025 I welcomed two new students, one undergraduate and one master’s student, to the VSO embedded electronics team. I will be mentoring these students through the spring semester.
- Oct. 2025 I attended the research expo and poster presentations at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine in Chicago, IL.
- Aug. 2025 I virtually attended NIH’s Rehabilitation for All conference.