About the MIT Sports Lab
The MIT Sports Lab works with a diverse set of undergraduate and graduate MIT students and faculty across all disciplines. The Sports Lab is committed to addressing complex challenges in sports by advancing research in artificial intelligence, computer vision, mechanics, human and institutional behavior, machine learning, and statistics. Our mission is to accelerate new techniques and approaches in areas such as athlete health and performance, talent identification and development, game strategy, and fan engagement. Driven by the desire to push the limits of human performance, we also focus on the design and discovery of new materials and products to advance high-performance personal and protective equipment.
Partnering with leaders across sports, the Sports Lab provides early entry into advancements in the field, facilitates cross-industry learnings, offers unparalleled access to the latest innovations across disciplines, and helps organizations define and grow their expertise.
Learn more about us at our website.
Partnering with leaders across sports, the Sports Lab provides early entry into advancements in the field, facilitates cross-industry learnings, offers unparalleled access to the latest innovations across disciplines, and helps organizations define and grow their expertise.
Learn more about us at our website.
2024 Faculty Leadership
Christina Chase
Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering, MIT; Co-Founder & Managing Director, MIT Sports Lab Christina Chase is a Lecturer at MIT in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 2015, she co-founded the MIT Sports Lab with Prof. Anette “Peko” Hosoi and serves as its Managing Director. Prior to this she was the first Entrepreneur in Residence at MIT through the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Christina has helped hundreds of teams go from concept to company. In 2013, she was named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in the Boston Tech Community and in 2014, Mashable named her one of the 15 People Shaping Boston’s Tech Scene. In a past life, Christina was a cyclist where she was one of 12 women selected by the US Cycling Federation to train at the US Olympic Training Center. She has taught downhill skiing in Colorado, summited six of Colorado’s 14-ers across seasons, and her latest sport is kiteboarding. Christina is a Techstars mentor and serves on the Board of the MIT Enterprise Forum, is a judge for the SXSW Accelerator Competition and former Advisory Board member. |
Professor Anette (Peko) Hosoi
Neil and Jane Pappalardo Professor, Mechanical Engineering, MIT; Co-founder, MIT Sports Lab Anette “Peko” Hosoi is a Neil and Jane Pappalardo Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Mathematics. Her research contributions lie at the junction of nonlinear hydrodynamics, biomechanics, and bio-inspired design. A common theme in her work is the fundamental study of shape, kinematic, and rheological optimization of biological systems with applications to the emergent field of soft robotics. More recently, she has turned her attention to problems that lie intersection of biomechanics, applied mathematics, and sports. She is the co-founder of the MIT Sports Lab which connects the MIT community with pro-teams and industry partners to address data and engineering challenges that lie within the sports domain. She has received numerous awards including the APS Stanley Corrsin Award, the Bose Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Jacob P. Den Hartog Distinguished Educator Award. She is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), a Radcliffe Institute Fellow, and a MacVicar Faculty Fellow. |
Ben Shields
Senior Lecturer, Managerial Communications, MIT Sloan School of Management Ben Shields is a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His work as a teacher, researcher, and practitioner focuses on digital transformation in the sports, media, and entertainment industries. He teaches a number of courses in the graduate programs at MIT Sloan. He created and teaches Creative Industries: Media, Entertainment, and the Arts; Social Media Management; and Sports Strategy and Analytics. He also teaches Communication for Leaders and co-teaches the Sloan Fellows Seminar on Leadership. In 2020, he received MIT’s Teaching with Digital Technology award. In 2022, he received the Jamieson Prize for Excellence in Teaching, MIT Sloan's most prestigious teaching award. Ben also teaches in the MIT Sloan Executive Education program. He is the Faculty Director of the Global Executive Academy, a two-week program focused on leadership that convenes executives from around the world. In addition, he developed and teaches the open enrollment program Data-Driven Teams: The Art and Science of Winning. He also teaches in two other open enrollment programs: Communication and Persuasion in the Digital Age and Maximizing Your Personal Productivity. He is the author or coauthor of three books, Social Media Management: Persuasion in Networked Culture (Oxford University Press, 2016), The Sports Strategist: Developing Leaders for a High Performance Industry (Oxford University Press, 2015), and The Elusive Fan: Reinventing Sports in a Crowded Marketplace (McGraw-Hill, 2006). He has also coauthored MIT Sloan case studies on Formula 1 and the National Women's Soccer League. Prior to MIT Ben served as the Director of Social Media and Marketing at ESPN. |
2024 Student Leadership
Duncan Lee
Co-Lead and Industry Speaker Management, Mechanical Engineering, Graduate Student Duncan is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at MIT, working in the Biomechatronics group in the MIT Media Lab. His research is focused on better understanding ankle dynamics of people with amputation in order to design prosthetic devices that can improve mobility and comfort. He graduated from Yale University with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, and he was a member of the varsity swim team for all four years of college. He would love to apply both his experience in athletics and his current research to improve technology in sports in order to increase accessibility to more people. An avid Formula 1 fan, Duncan also loves skiing, film photography, and electronic dance music. |
Helen Sun
Co-Lead and Industry Speaker Management, Mechanical Engineering, Senior Helen Sun is a current senior ('24) at MIT studying Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Product Development. Outside of school, she is on the Varsity Swim Team and is also a Secretary for the Undergraduate Association. Projects she's worked on in the past include visualizing data from breast movement tracking experiments at Loughborough University at the Sports Technology Institute as well as creating Machine Learning models to predict hamstring injuries from running gait videos at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). |
Eva Nates
Partner Speaker Management, Mechanical Engineering, Graduate Student Eva is a second year graduate student studying Mechanical Engineering at MIT. She graduated from Stanford University in 2022 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. During undergrad, Eva was a member of the varsity rowing team. Now she does Computer Vision and Machine Learning research with the AusCycling BMX Freestyle team at the MIT Sports Lab. She is excited about other ways to incorporate AI to find meaningful takeaways from sports data, as well as the growing field of women's sports. |
Jonas Rajagopal
Partner Speaker Management, Computer Science and Nuclear Science, Junior Jonas is currently a junior ('25) at MIT majoring in Computer Science and Nuclear Science. He has done research with the MIT sports lab analyzing optimal strategy for gunners on NFL punts using player tracking data. He is interested in using tracking data to analyze performance and design in-game strategies. He is also doing research on finding suitable materials for nuclear fusion power plants. Outside of class, he loves following sports and is an avid Boston sports fan and loves being in the mountains, including skiing and climbing. |
Katie Kostecki
Logistics and Research Talk Management, Computer Science, Data Science, and Economics; Business Analytics, Senior Katie is currently a senior ('24) at MIT studying Computer Science, Data Science & Economics and Business Analytics. She is an avid sports fan and is also a member of the MIT Swim & Dive team. Katie is currently working on two projects with the Sports Lab where she is analyzing underwater swimming and quantifying skill in coaching. In addition to these projects, Katie is interested in the intersection of business and sports and is passionate about utilizing data to improve player safety. In her free time, Katie enjoys watching football and trying new sports. |
Henry Wang
Research Talk Management, Social and Engineering Systems, Graduate Student Henry is a 1st-year Social & Engineering Systems PhD student at the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society and a research assistant at the MIT Sports Lab. His research involves working with FIFA Football Research and Standards to leverage player & ball tracking technologies to improve and democratize access to auto-generated event data in football. Previously, he was worked on BMX Freestyle analytics, and has experience with skeletal tracking data in football, basketball, and baseball through internships at Hawk-Eye innovations. Henry swam at MIT and now enjoys running in his free time. |
Felix Huang
Website, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence; Statistics and Data Science, Junior Felix is currently a junior ('25) majoring in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and minoring in Statistics and Data Science at MIT. He is a member of MIT's varsity football team where he plays offensive guard and center. Felix is passionate about learning new technologies in order to advance the field of sports analytics. An avid Fantasy Football player, Felix also enjoys playing chamber music, piano, and poker in his free time. |
Thomas Wu
MIT Outreach Management, Website, Computer Science and Engineering; Business Analytics, Sophomore Thomas is currently a sophomore ('26) at MIT majoring in Computer Science and Engineering as well as Business Analytics. He is a member of the varsity swimming team and a member of the DAPER Board as the undergraduate representative. Thomas is very interested in the applications of sport technologies and is working with the Sports Lab on predicting swimming performances. |
George Bian
Ticketing, Computer Science and Engineering; Economics, Graduate Student George is currently a senior & MEng student (‘24) majoring in Computer Science & Engineering with a Concentration in Artificial Intelligence, and minoring in Economics. He is currently doing his research with the MIT Sports Lab and FIFA, analyzing goalkeeping and defensive events with skeletal tracking data. George is passionate about applying Machine Learning techniques to help advance sports analytics. In his free time, George enjoys watching the NFL, running, playing poker, and cooking. |
.Mackenzie Bivin
MIT Outreach Management, Business Analytics, Junior Mackenzie is currently a junior ('25) at MIT majoring in Business Analytics. As a passionate sports devotee, Mackenzie enjoys watching various professional and collegiate sports and can be found on the diamond representing the MIT varsity softball team. Off the field, Mackenzie remains intrigued by the intersection of sports and technology as well as using reliable data to make better informed personnel and in-game decisions. |
Nicholas Stone Perez
Ticketing, Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science, Junior Nicolas is currently a junior ('25) at MIT majoring in Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science along with Management. Nicolas is a member of the Men's Soccer and Men's Volleyball varsity teams here at MIT, plays Gaelic football for Donegal Boston, and has been a sports fanatic for as long as he can remember. He also works with the MIT Sports Lab, using skeletal match data to improve auto-eventing algorithms for FIFA. Nicolas is very passionate about the intersection of sports, business, and technology, and he hopes to continue exploring this during his time at MIT and beyond. |
Luke Wagner
Day-of-Volunteer Management, Computer Science, Senior Luke Wagner is currently a senior ('24) from Austin, Texas studying Computer Science at MIT. He is passionate about software engineering and data analytics in the world of sports. He is currently working to analyze ticketing data to develop an attendance projection model for the San Antonio Spurs to predict how many people will be in the arena during the game. Outside of the classroom, Luke is one of the captains on the MIT Varsity Basketball team. He also loves outdoor activities including being an avid wakefoil fan. |
Alexander Cohen
Startup Showcase, Computational Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Graduate Student Alex Cohen is a 3rd year Computational Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering PhD student at MIT. Alex received a B.S. in Molecular Engineering (with a minor in Computer Science) from the University of Chicago in 2020. During his PhD, Alex is working on physics-informed machine learning methods for model discovery in biophysical systems and energy materials. He is also a member of the MIT club tennis team and avid sports fan. Alex plans to continue researching data-driven methods in different scientific fields, with a focus on biology. |
Kimberly Liao
Day-of Volunteer Management, Biological Engineering, Senior Kimberly Liao is senior ('24) from Long Island, NY studying biological engineering at MIT. She is interested in the role of biotechnology in improving human physical health and healthcare advancements. Kimberly is also passionate about equality and inclusion in sports and the mental health of athletes. Outside of the classroom, she is an All-American tennis player and co-chair of MIT’s Undergraduate Association. She also loves running, thrifting, and New York bagels. |
Kaitlin Zareno
Student Poster Session, Computation and Cognition, Graduate Student Kaitlin is an M-Eng student in Computation and Cognition at MIT. She is currently working in the Tadesse Lab and conducting precision diagnostics research. Alongside her current research, Kaitlin enjoys working on sports data analytics projects and is interested in real-time health tracking to provide personalized health and performance insights. She is an avid soccer fan and was a member of the varsity soccer team throughout her undergrad. In her free time, Kaitlin loves playing pick up and spending time outside |
Emelie Eldracher
Graphics, EECS & BCS, Graduate Student Emelie is a second-year MEng in Computation and Cognition. In the MIT Sports Lab, she works with Comfiknit to investigate textile and fiber design for athletic performance. Emelie’s thesis revolves around single-camera 3D Pose Estimation and the biomechanics of joint-tracking. Outside of MIT, Emelie is a member of Team USA where she is the coxswain for the Paralympic Rowing team and will compete in Paris 2024. She is using her research in artificial intelligence and materials to better analyze Para biomechanics and body temperature regulation. Previously, she worked on BMX Freestyle analytics and TinyML wearable devices. |
Ekanem Okeke
Graphics, Mechanical Engineering, Junior Ekanem is currently a junior ('25) at MIT majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in Product Design. Ekanem is passionate about the ways that advanced manufacturing technologies can revolutionize player performance and safety. Over the summer of 2023, Ekanem worked on a multitude of projects at the Australian Institute of Sport creating equipment to improve athlete performance. While she takes interest in a variety of sports, Ekanem's favorite sports memory is attending the Women's World Cup this past year. |
Ali Gibbs
SWAG & Sponsorship, Math and Finance, Sophomore Ali is a current sophomore ('26) at MIT majoring in Math and Finance. She is on the Women's Volleyball Team at MIT and has always been a huge sports fan. She is passionate about weaving data analytics into sports and is currently working on a project in the MIT Sports Lab on the history of aesthetic sports and how it can predict future score changes in the Olympics. Outside of the Sports Lab, she is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee to provide insight and input on the student athlete experience. |
Ivy Brenner
Resume Book, Computer Science, Freshman Ivy is currently a freshman ('27) at MIT, where she competes in throwing events on the track and field team. She is interested in data applications to strategic in-game decision making and scouting for collegiate recruitment and professional drafts. She collects and analyzes data on players for the Healdsburg Prune Packers, a summer team for D1 college baseball players. In her free time, Ivy loves playing cards, snowboarding, and boba tea. |
Joey Licht
Summit Advisor, Mechanical Engineering, Graduate Student Joey is a student at MIT studying Computer Science. He has spent time researching with FIFA to quantify the difficulty of the offside call. He is passionate about utilizing health and wellness trackers to provide actionable performance insights. Joey was a member of the MIT varsity football team, where he played quarterback. Next fall, he plans to begin a fifth-year master’s program in computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence at MIT. |
Seung Kyun (SK) Ha
Summit Advisor, Chemical Engineering, Postdoctoral Associate SK is a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT. Originally from South Korea, he holds a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering (with a minor in Physics) from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from MIT. Alongside his current research on data-driven prediction of organic reaction outcomes, SK enjoys working on sports data analytics projects, including a recent project with the MIT Sports Lab on developing a mathematical model that describes the player dynamics during dribbles in soccer games. SK loves playing and watching sports, especially soccer. |
Jess Sonner
Summit Advisor, Mechanical Engineering, Graduate Student Jess is a second year Master’s Student in Mechanical Engineering at the MIT Sports lab. Completing her thesis with Adidas under the guidance of Prof. Peko Hosoi, Jess's research focuses on unveiling differences in men’s and women’s soccer. In her fourth year with the MIT Sports Lab, she has worked on user-interface design in shoe development with Adidas, analytics in baseball, ski goggles with SHRED., machine learning in soccer, and how to drive sustainable product development in the athletic industry. A lifelong athlete herself, Jess is driven to create innovative solutions to boost performance, prevent injuries, and enrich athletes’ experiences. She played for the MIT Women’s Varsity Soccer team and now enjoys skateboarding, dancing, and rugby. |
Cover photo from MIT Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER)
© 2024 MIT Sports Lab. All Rights Reserved.
© 2024 MIT Sports Lab. All Rights Reserved.