My name is Steven Hirsch, and I work as a human performance and tech consultant, biomechanist, and data scientist. My main area of expertise lies at the intersection of biomechanics, statistics/machine learning, and strength and conditioning. I am particularly interested in developing tools and technologies that improve athletic performance, reduce injury risk, and facilitate the acquisition of motor skills safely and effectively. In addition to my experience in sport and exercise biomechanics, I also have experience modelling physiological data (heart rate, muscle oxygenation).

Education

Ph.D. - Exercise Science (Biomechanics), University of Toronto (January 2023)

• Thesis Emphasis: Exploring how the magnitude and structure of movement variability is influenced by range of motion status and exercise demands

MSc - Exercise Science (Biomechanics), University of Toronto (June 2018)

• Thesis Emphasis: Assessed validity of barbell velocity tools, the impact of various velocity-based instructions on bench press performance, and theoretical implications of training with absolute versus relative velocities

BKin, University of Toronto (June 2016)

• Graduated with honours

Employment History

Senior Biomechanist - Uplift Labs (August 2022 - Present)

• I built two Python packages, a biomechanical model and Inverse Kinematics solver, that ingested computer vision data and exported kinematic data, key events, and practically relevant summary metrics for baseball pitching, hitting, jumping, squatting, lunging, and joint range of motion reports used by more than one-third of the MLB
• I Collaborated with Product and Sales team to design simplified biomechanical assessments and reports that provided tangible insights to sport coaches at academy and collegiate levels
• I Lead lab-related initiatives for Research and Development

Senior Data Scientist, Human Motion - Tonal (April 2022 - July 2022)

• Note: Position ended after only ~3 months of work due to projected macroeconomic uncertainty resulting in termination of the projects I was hired to work on.
• I worked with computer vision models to detect and correct users' technique during exercise.
• I extracted user data and data from Tonal's motor using SQL and Python to assess the quality of deployed models.
• I applied my domain expertise to rephrase the text for 100+ technique notifications that Tonal provides its users.

Sport Biomechanist - Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (March 2021- April 2022)

• Guided the design of training programs for Olympic-track athletes using biomechanical data from force plates (ForceDecks) and position transducers (GymAware)
• Organized projects over Zoom with various CSIO departments and athletic organizations

Technical Consultant & Independent Contractor - Curv Health (August 2018- June 2021)

• Consulted on signal processing algorithms and design of onboarding movement assessments
• Validated computer vision software using Qualysis, Visual3D, and Python in collaboration with their data science and engineering team and the CEO
• Wrote jargon-free articles for Curv website explaining their assessment protocols

Private Strength and Conditioning Coach - Personal Business (September 2017 - April 2022)

• Designed and delivered in-person and online strength and conditioning services for Triple Jump, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, badminton, and ice hockey athletes (ranging from recreational to international level)

Product Validation & Independent Contractor - PUSH (Acquired by Whoop) (September 2016-June 2018)

• Identified hardware and software limitations in company’s wearable device (PUSH band 1.0) to guide development of 2.0 commercial product
• Validated hardware and software using OptiTrack (AMASS), Visual3D, and R
• Collaborated with, and presented findings to, the engineering and algorithms teams

Teaching Assistant - University of Toronto (September 2016 - April 2022)

• MPK4012 - Capstone Project - Improving Kinesiology Practice
• MPK4005 - Strength Based Professional Practice
• KPE372 - Injury and Orthopaedic Biomechanics
• KPE367 - Sport and Exercise Biomechanics
• KPE263 - Introductory Biomechanics

Research Assistant - University of Toronto (May 2014 - August 2019)

• Varsity athlete Physical Literacy Screen assessment
• Varsity football velocity-based training study
• Biomechanical analysis of single-leg squat data
• Data labelling for Using verbal instructions to influence lifting mechanics – Does the directive “lift with your legs, not your back” attenuate spinal flexion? study

Strength and Conditioning Coach - Stackhouse Performance (Internship May 2014 - August 2014, Employee from May 2015 - August 2017)

• Delivered strength and conditioning services for ice hockey, football, bobsleigh, and speed skating athletes (ranging from recreational to professional level)

Volunteer

Advisory Team Member - Canadian Strength and Conditioning Association (March 2020 - April 2022)

• Assisted the social media team with writing articles and creating infographics for website and Instagram

Professional Affiliations

• Centre for Sport-Related Concussion Research, Innovation, and Knowledge, University of Toronto

Guest Lectures

• University of Michigan - Discussing Data from (Portable) Sport Technologies
• University of Waterloo - Transitioning from Academia to Industry
• Ontario Tech University - Introduction to Biomechanics

Certifications

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA)
• NCCP - Weightlifting
• NCCP - Multisport
• Canadian Red Cross - CPR & First Aid