Kharma Foucher, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition with courtesy appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Physical Therapy at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). She is also the Director of Education and Professional Development in the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science. She received an S.B. degree in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University and her PhD in Bioengineering and MD degrees from UIC. Her research uses biomechanics to understand, predict, and improve person-oriented osteoarthritis outcomes, including function, physical activity, and falls. Dr. Foucher was recently awarded a $2.8 million NIH R01 grant titled “Preoperative perturbation training to prevent falls after total knee arthroplasty”.

Dr. Foucher teaches tissue mechanics and gait mechanics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She has served on several committees within the department and the College of Applied Health Sciences, including the Dean’s Executive Committee, the Department Faculty Advisory Committee, and the Task Force on the BS in Kinesiology (charged with an overhaul and modernization of the undergraduate curriculum). Outside of UIC, Dr. Foucher serves the profession as a standing member of the NIH Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Sciences study section, is on the Board of Consulting Editors for the Journal of Biomechanics and the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Orthopedic Research. She is also the inaugural the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

Dr. Foucher has received several awards including the 2016 Journal of Orthopaedic Research “Excellence in Clinical Science” Award, and the 2021 Orthopaedic Research Society Adele L. Boskey, PhD Award – the highest mid-career award given by the society for “outstanding and sustained commitment to mentorship as well as a demonstrated track-record of an upward trajectory and impactful research program”. Dr. Foucher is frequently invited to present seminars and workshops on both research and professional development topics. Most recently, she was the final Keynote Speaker for the North American Congress on Biomechanics held in Ottawa, ON, Canada in 2022, where she presented perspectives on patient-oriented biomechanics research and the role of biomechanics in promoting musculoskeletal health equity.