About Jackie
BKin, Kinesiology, University of Toronto (2015)
MSc, Biomechanics, University of Toronto (2017)
PhD, Biomechanics, University of Waterloo (2023)
PDF, Mechanobiology, University of Calgary (2025)
Jackie Zehr joined KPE as Assistant Professor in Biomechanics on July 1, 2025. A two-time graduate of the Faculty, she earned her BKin and MSc degrees with U of T in 2015 and 2017, respectively, before completing her PhD in 2023 at the University of Waterloo. Most recently, she held an NSERC-funded postdoctoral fellowship in the Human Performance Lab at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology.
Dr. Zehr’s research focuses on integrative musculoskeletal biomechanics, with a particular emphasis on soft tissue mechanics in the spine and knee. Her work explores multi-scale mechanisms of injury and adaptation to complex mechanical and physiological stimuli, as well as the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries across the lifespan. She is especially interested in how microscopic damage in soft tissues progresses into macroscopic injuries detectable through imaging.
As a faculty member, Dr. Zehr is establishing a biomechanics lab dedicated to joint and tissue research. Her initial projects will investigate how soft tissues in the spine and knee recover both mechanically and biologically following habitual loading. She will also teach advanced biomechanics and develop a new graduate-level course.
Dr. Zehr is recognized for her innovative research and academic excellence. Her accolades include the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal, the Canadian Society for Biomechanics Young Investigator Award – Doctoral, and recognition as a finalist for both the CAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award and the Royal Society of Canada’s Alice Wilson Award.
Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys golfing, hiking, running, and cheering on her favourite sports teams.
Spine Biomechanics
Cumulative Load and Mechanical Fatigue in Soft Tissues
Initiation and Accumulation of Microdamage in Response to Subthreshold Loading
Mechanisms of Acute Inter-Session Recovery in Soft Tissues of the Spine
Acute and Long-term Adaptation to Mechanical and Physiological Stimuli
Overuse Injury Causation and Prevention
Mechanical Testing of Joints and Tissues
Zehr, JD., Joumaa, V., Callaghan, JP., Herzog, W. (2025). Region-dependent properties of lamellae constituents. A microscopic insight into intervertebral disc herniation mechanisms. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 168; 107045
Zehr, JD., Quadrilatero, J., Callaghan JP. (2024). Indentation mechanics and native collagen content in the cartilaginous endplate: A comparison between porcine cervical and human lumbar spines. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 150; 106344
Zehr, JD., Watson, MI., Callaghan, JP. (2023). Experimentally dissociating the overuse mechanisms of endplate fracture lesions and Schmorl’s node injuries using the porcine cervical spine model. Clinical Biomechanics. 104; 105946
Zehr, JD., Quadrilatero, J, Callaghan, JP. (2023). Incidence of compression induced microinjuries in the cartilage endplate of the spine. Spine. 48(9); E122-E129.
Zehr, JD., Barrett, JM., Callaghan, JP. (2022). Cyclic loading history alters the joint compression tolerance and regional indentation responses in the cartilaginous endplate. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 136; 105542.
Zehr, JD., Rahman, FA., Callaghan, JP., Quadrilatero, J. (2022). Mechanically induced histochemical and structural damage in the annulus fibrosus and cartilaginous endplate: A multi-colour immunofluorescence analysis. Cell and Tissue Research. 390(1); 59-70.
Zehr, JD., Callaghan, JP. (2022). Reaction forces and flexion-extension moments imposed on functional spinal units with constrained and unconstrained in vitro testing systems. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 144(5); 054501.
Zehr, JD., Buchman-Pearle, JM., Beach, TAC., Gooyers, CE., Callaghan, JP. (2021). Regulating movement frequency and speed: Implications for lumbar spine load management strategies demonstrated using an in vitro porcine model. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 37(6); 538-546.
Zehr, JD., Buchman-Pearle, JM., Callaghan, JP. (2020). Joint fatigue-failure: A demonstration of viscoelastic responses to rate and frequency loading parameters using the porcine cervical spine. Journal of Biomechanics, 113; 110081.
Zehr, JD., Tennant, LM., Callaghan, JP. (2019). Incorporating loading variability into in vitro injury analyses and its effect on cumulative compression tolerance in porcine cervical spine units. Journal of Biomechanics, 88; 48-54.
Zehr, JD., Howarth, SJ., Beach, TAC. (2018). Using relative phase analyses and vector coding to quantify pelvis-thorax coordination during lifting – A methodological investigation. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 39; 104-113
International Society of Biomechanics
International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine
Canadian Society for Biomechanics
American College of Sports Medicine