At the University of British Columbia’s School of Biomedical Engineering, a new course is challenging long-standing assumptions in injury biomechanics and reshaping how future engineers think about safety through an inclusive and equitable lense. Led by biomechanics researcher Dr. Peter Cripton, BMEG 400X: Sex Differences in Injury Biomechanics is the first course of its kind offered within the program, placing sex-based biological differences, at the center of injury research and engineering design. In simple terms, these differences refer to natural variations in body structure and function—such as bone shape and strength, muscle mass, and how tissues respond to forces—that can affect how injuries happen and how severe they are.
For decades, much of biomechanics research has relied heavily on male anatomical models, leaving critical knowledge gaps about how injuries occur in women. Dr. Cripton’s new course aims to address this imbalance by examining how sex differences influence injury mechanisms, tolerance levels, and the performance of safety systems.
“Engineering safety systems that truly protect everyone requires us to acknowledge biological differences,” said Dr. Cripton. “Equity in research means asking whether the data we rely on actually represents the people we are trying to protect.”
A New Approach to Injury Biomechanics
The course integrates anatomy, physiology, and engineering mechanics to explore how injuries occur across the human body. Students examine the structure, function, and injury mechanisms of the musculoskeletal system and major body regions—including the skull, brain, thorax, pelvis, abdomen including the pregnant uterus, and other internal organs—with a focus on how these systems differ between men and women.
The curriculum also considers physiological changes associated with the menstrual cycle, Menopause and pregnancy, topics that have historically received little attention in biomechanics education.
Students apply core engineering principles such as statics, dynamics, materials science, and structural analysis, to analyze how tissues respond to forces and why failure thresholds can differ across populations. Through case studies and engineering analyses, they investigate problems related to human injury and the design of safety devices
In a car crash, for example, the same seatbelt forces that protect one occupant may allow rib fractures, internal organ damage, pelvic injury or ankle and foot injuries in another—differences that research suggests are partly due to sex-based differences in anatomy and bone structure.
For Cripton, introducing these topics into the classroom is about preparing a new generation of engineers to build safer systems.
“Historically, safety research has often treated the male body as the default,” he said. “If we want safer vehicles, safer workplaces, and safer products, we need researchers and engineers who are trained to consider the full diversity of human biology.”
Research Inspired by Real-World Tragedy
Cripton’s focus on sex differences in injury biomechanics has deep roots in his research career. Prior to starting at UBC, while consulting on a motor vehicle crash case involving the loss of a fetus, he confronted firsthand the limited scientific understanding surrounding vehicle safety for pregnant occupants.
The case prompted him to look deeper into how seatbelts interact with the pregnant body during collisions.
His work has since contributed to international research on seatbelt safety during pregnancy in collaboration with the Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center, part of Toyota Motor Corporation’s global safety research initiative. The project aims to better understand how restraint systems affect pregnant drivers and passengers and how vehicle safety designs can be improved to reduce risk to both mother and fetus.
Central to this work is experimentation at the SIMON Robot Facility, where advanced robotic testing systems simulate vehicle crashes and human body responses under controlled conditions. The facility allows researchers to examine injury mechanisms and evaluate how safety systems perform across a range of body types and conditions including differences due to sex.
By connecting his research to classroom teaching, Dr. Cripton gives students insight into how engineering questions translate into real-world safety improvements.
Students Embrace Inclusive Biomechanics
For students, the course provides a more comprehensive perspective on injury biomechanics.
Sophia Katramadakis, a student in the course, said the experience has broadened her understanding of biomechanics and its societal implications.
“I chose to take BMEG 400X because I hope to pursue a career in biomechanics, and I felt it was important to build a more complete understanding of how injury risk and outcomes can differ across populations. The course has helped me better understand how sex-based differences and historical biases in biomechanics research have shaped the field, particularly the underrepresentation of females. One of the most exciting parts of the course has been learning about issues that directly affect females in a classroom where the majority of students are women and can personally relate to these topics. This course has expanded the way I think about biomechanics and reinforced the importance of inclusive research and design.”
Setting a Precedent for the Future
By embedding sex-based analysis into biomechanics education, the course represents a broader shift toward equity-driven engineering research.
Historically, design standards for vehicles, protective equipment, and safety systems have often been derived from male-based data and models. As a result, women can experience different injury risks in the same environments. Courses like BMEG 400X aim to equip engineers with the knowledge needed to address those disparities.
Dr. Cripton hopes this approach becomes standard practice across engineering programs, globally.
“We’re at a pivotal moment to rethink how we train engineers, with inclusivity at the forefront,” he said. “By embedding sex differences and inclusivity into how we teach and conduct research today, we can empower the next generation to design technologies that are safer, more effective, and truly work for everyone.”
By combining cutting-edge research with forward-thinking curriculum design, the course is setting a new benchmark for biomechanics education that reflects the complexity of the human body and the diversity of the people engineers seek to protect.