Christine C. Raasch, Ph.D.

Dr. Raasch specializes in the biomechanics of injury, vehicle occupant dynamics and kinematics, human injury tolerance and associated test criteria, occupant restraint systems, and accident reconstruction. Dr. Raasch’s work involves analysis of traumatic injuries associated with motor vehicle and other accidents, computer simulation of occupant motions using ATB, DYNAMAN, and MADYMO, and analysis of vehicle restraint system performance. She has conducted test projects including full-scale vehicle crash and sled testing, motorcycle testing, component testing, and specialized biomechanical studies such as helmet impact testing. Dr. Raasch also directs Exponent’s anthropomorphic test dummy (ATD) laboratory, and provides analysis of ATD biofidelity issues and project-specific modification of ATDs. She has developed ATD calibration fixtures and procedures, and managed the design and integration of Exponent’s own Hybrid III-based motorcycle ATD, which includes an onboard data collection system and instrumented leg. Her research has focused on analysis of locomotion and reaching movements, and impaired control of movement after head injury or stroke. Her investigations have included the creation of complex computer models of muscle and skeletal dynamics, use of optimization techniques, and experiments using motion analysis and electromyography.

Raasch C, Davee D, Luepke P. Seat belt entanglement in rollover accidents: Physical evidence and occupant kinematics. SAE 2008-01-1237.

Davee D, Van Arsdell WW, Raasch C, Moralde M. Seat belt buckle release by inadvertent contact. SAE 2008-01-1236.

Jones SL, Henry SM, Raasch CC, Hitt JR, Bunn JY. Responses to multi-directional surface translations involve redistribution of proximal versus distal strategies to maintain upright posture. Exp Brain Res 2008; 187:407–417.

Richards D, Carhart M, Raasch C, Pierce J, Steffey D, Ostarello A. Incidence of thoracic and lumbar injuries for restrained occupants in frontal collisions. Annu Proc Assoc Adv Automot Med 2006; 50:119–133.

Newberry, W, Lai W, Carhart M, Richards D, Brown J, Raasch C. Modeling the effects of seat belt pretensioners on occupant kinematics during rollover. SAE 2006-01-0246.

Davee D, Brown JC, Raasch C. Case study of clothing fabric transfer to seat belt webbing under accident forces. SAE 2006-01-0904.

Yamaguchi GT, Carhart MR, Larson R, Richards D, Pierce J, Raasch CC, Scher I, Corrigan CF. Electromyographic activity and posturing of the human neck during rollover tests. SAE 2005-01-0302.

Davee D, Van Arsdell W, Raasch C. Minimal effect of amplified vehicle accelerations on seat belt buckle resistance to inertial release. SAE 2004-01-0854.

Raasch CC, Zajac FE. Locomotor strategy for pedaling: muscle groups and biomechanical functions. J Neurophysiol 1999; 82:515–525.

Ting LH, Raasch CC, Brown DA, Kautz SA, Zajac FE. Sensorimotor state of the contralateral leg affects ipsilateral muscle coordination of pedaling. J Neurophysiol 1998; 80:1341–1351.

Raasch CC, Mussa-Ivaldi FA, Rymer WZ. Motor learning in reaching movements by hemiparetic subjects. Soc Neurosci (Abs) 1997; 23(part 2):2374.

Raasch CC, Zajac FE, Ma B, Levine WS. Muscle coordination of maximum-speed pedaling. J Biomech 1997; 30:595-602.

Raasch C. Coordination of pedaling: functional muscle groups and locomotor strategies. Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, 1996.

Raasch CC, Zajac FE, Ma B, Levine WS, Dairaghi CA, Stevenson PJ, Brown DA. Muscle coordination of maximum-speed pedaling based on modeling and kinesiological data. Soc Neurosci (Abs) 1993; 19(part 1):146.

Published Abstracts of Presentations

 
Henry SM, Jones SL, Raasch CC, Hitt JR, Bunn JY. People with chronic low back pain re-weight proximal vs. distal torque responses to maintain upright posture. 6th Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Pain, Barcelona, Spain, 2007.

Raasch C, Carhart M. Comparison of ATD upper and lower neck flexion/extension moments, and implications for neck injury criteria. 5th World Congress of Biomechanics, Munich, Germany. J Biomech 2006; 39(suppl. 1):S145.

Larson R, Raasch C, Pierce J. Measurement and evaluation of vibration exposure for locomotive crew members. 1st American Conference on Human Vibration, Morgantown, WV, 2006.

Jones SL, Henry SM, Raasch CC, Hitt JR, Bunn, JY. Persons with chronic low back pain (LBP) demonstrate less dynamic frontal plane torque responses to unexpected perturbations. International Society of Posture and Gait Research Conference XVII, Marseilles, France, 2005.

Jones SL, Henry SM, Raasch CC, Hitt JR, Bunn, JY. Persons with chronic low back pain (LBP) demonstrate reduced sagittal plane joint torques in response to surface translations. International Society of Posture and Gait Research Conference XVII, Marseilles, France, 2005.

Jones SL, Henry SM, Raasch CC, Hitt JR. Patients with chronic, recurrent low back pain demonstrate more generalized joint torque patterns in response to postural perturbations. XVth International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology Conference, Boston, MA, 2004.

Jones SL, Henry SM, Raasch CC, Hitt JR. Differential effects of two physical therapy interventions on automatic postural responses in patients with low back pain. World Congress for Low Back and Pelvic Pain, Melbourne, Australia, 2004.

Jones SL, Raasch CC, Hitt JR, Henry SM, Bunn JY. Persons with chronic, recurrent low back pain exhibit altered neuromuscular patterns in response to postural perturbations. APTA Annual Scientific Exposition, Chicago, IL, 2004.

Raasch CC, Zajac FE. A primitive locomotor strategy for pedaling. Proceedings, Neural Control of Movement 7th Annual Meeting, Cancun, Mexico, p. 20, 1997.

Raasch CC, Zajac FE. A simple muscle synergy control for different steady-state pedaling goals. Proceedings, 19th Annual American Society of Biomechanics Conference, Palo Alto, CA, p. 263, 1995.

Ting LH, Raasch CC, Zajac FE. Muscle coordination of one-legged pedaling. Proceedings, 19th Annual American Society of Biomechanics Conference, Palo Alto, CA, p. 265, 1995.

Ting LH, Raasch, CC, Sheehan FT, Brown DA, Kautz SA, Zajac FE. Is one leg controlled the same during two mechanically equivalent tasks? 2nd World Congress of Biomechanics Abs 1994; II: 112.

Raasch CC, Zajac FE, Ma B, Levine WS. Importance of biarticular muscle control to smooth pedaling. 2nd World Congress of Biomechanics Abs 1994; II: 124.

Raasch CC, Ma B, Zajac FE, Levine WS. Use of an optimal control model to study normal and constrained control of maximum-speed pedaling. Proceedings, IFAC Symposium on Modeling and Control in Biomedical Systems, Galveston, TX, pp. 456–457, 1994.

Raasch CC, Zajac FE, Ma B, Levine WS, Dairaghi CA, Stevenson PJ. The use of optimal control and kinesiological data to study muscle coordination of pedaling. Proceedings, 15th Annual International Conf. of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, San Diego, CA, pp. 1147–1148, November 1993.

• Research Associated and Post-Doctoral Fellow, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Northwestern University, 1996–1999
• Biomedical Engineer and Research Assistant, Rehabilitation Research & Development Center of the Palo Alto
• Veterans Administration Health Care System and Stanford University, 1990–1996
• Satellite Systems Engineer, TRW Space & Technology Group, 1986–1990
  

• Society of Automotive Engineers (member)
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (member)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (member)
• Program Committee Member and Session Chair, American Society of Biomechanics 2007 Annual Meeting