Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Office: 345 Kennedy Hall of Engineering
Phone: 616-331-6043
Email: [email protected]

Education: 

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Research Interests:

Check out Dr. Lee's publications and citation record on Google Scholar.

Biography:

Dr. Yunju Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Grand Valley State University. Her research combines biomechanics, sensing, and data analytics to understand human movement and to develop evidence-based approaches for rehabilitation and performance. Her work spans wearable sensing and motion capture in laboratory and real-world field settings, including IMU-based systems such as Xsens, EMG-based neuromuscular assessment, and experimental methods for quantifying movement strategies and injury-related loading.

Before joining GVSU, she completed postdoctoral training at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly RIC) and the University of Illinois Chicago, focusing on sensorimotor rehabilitation and movement control. Dr. Lee collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across engineering and health-related fields and mentors students through master’s thesis research, senior capstone projects, and undergraduate research experiences.

Courses Taught (selected)

• EGR 220 – Engineering Measurement and Data Analysis
• EGR 309/310 – Machine Design I (lecture/lab)
• EGR 346 – Mechatronic Systems Dynamics and Control (lecture/lab)
• EGR 485/486 – Senior Engineering Project (Capstone)
• EGR 290/390/490 – Engineering Co-op

Selected Publications

• Lee, Y., Lama, B., Joo, S.-H., & Kwon, J., “Enhancing Human Key Point Identification: A Comparative Study of the High-Resolution VICON Dataset and COCO Dataset Using BPNET,” Applied Sciences, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 4351, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114351
• Lee, Y., Gaebler-Spira, D., & Zhang, L.-Q., “Robotic Ankle Training Improves Sensorimotor Functions in Children with Cerebral Palsy—A Pilot Study,” Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 12, no. 4, p. 1475, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12041475
• Curuk, E., Lee, Y., & Aruin, A. S., “Individuals with Stroke Improve Anticipatory Postural Adjustments After a Single Session of Targeted Exercises,” Human Movement Science, vol. 69, p. 102559, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2019.102559
• Lee, Y., Goyal, N., & Aruin, A. S., “Effect of a Cognitive Task and Light Finger Touch on Standing Balance in Healthy Adults,” Experimental Brain Research, vol. 236, no. 2, pp. 399–407, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-017-5135-9
• Lee, Y., Chen, K., Ren, Y., Son, J., Cohen, B. A., Sliwa, J. A., & Zhang, L.-Q., “Robot-Guided Ankle Sensorimotor Rehabilitation of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis,” Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, vol. 11, pp. 65–70, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2016.12.006

Undergraduate and Graduate Student Mentoring 

Dr. Lee mentors undergraduate and graduate students through M.S. thesis committees, capstone projects, and undergraduate research (including Student Scholars Day presentations). She also collaborates with partners in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, and Movement Science.