Units

Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis

The Laboratoires d'Anatomie, Biomécanique et Organogenèse (LABO, Faculty of Medicine) and d'Anatomie Fonctionnelle (LAF, Faculty of Human Motor Sciences) form a research group dedicated to human and animal anatomy, biomechanics and embryology.  

LABO/LAF's research is organized around complementary themes: 

 biomechanics, modeling and functional assessment 

 macroscopic and microscopic anatomy 

 embryology and teratology 

 forensic medicine and forensic anthropology 

 HOX genes and ovarian function 

 Neurobiomechanics 

 Applied physical anthropology in paleoanthropology

Projetcs

Paleoanthropology

The project focuses on the musculoskeletal system, and involves improving our knowledge of morpho-functional relationships using dissection and cutting-edge technologies and methods developed at LABO, such as musculoskeletal modeling. In collaboration with the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (IRSNB), we are attempting to solve problems linked to human evolution and paleoanthropology using musculoskeletal modeling (e.g. costal, femoral geometry of Neanderthals compared with modern humans, suitability of using digitized casts of fossil hominids instead of originals, complete 3D musculoskeletal modeling and simulation of Spy II Neanderthal walking).  

LABO members are also working on international projects to analyze the potential kinematics of walking and the musculoskeletal structures of breathing in fossil hominids such as Homo naledi.