Veronica J. Santos

Veronica J. Santos

Veronica J. Santos is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Affiliate Faculty of Bioengineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. She directs the UCLA Biomechatronics Lab (http://biomechatronics.ucla.edu), which specializes in artificial tactile sensing and perception and is dedicated to improving quality of life by enhancing the functionality of artificial hands and their control in human-machine systems. Her research interests include hand biomechanics, human-machine systems, tactile sensing and perception, and prosthetics / robotics for grasp and manipulation. She also serves as the Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Faculty Affairs for the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.

Dr. Santos earned her B.S. in mechanical engineering (music minor) from the University of California, Berkeley, was a Quality and R&D Engineer at Guidant Corporation, and earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering (biometry minor) from Cornell University. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern California, she contributed to a bio-inspired tactile sensor for prosthetic hands before moving to Arizona State University as an Assistant Professor.

Dr. Santos was selected for an NSF CAREER Award, a U.S. National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium, and numerous teaching awards. Her work has appeared in numerous television shows, and print / online media, including National Geographic, TechCrunch, and Forbes. She has served as an IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) Editor, an IEEE Haptics Symposium Editor-in-Chief, and General Co-Chair for the 2022 and 2024 IEEE Haptics Symposia.

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  • Organization
    University of California, Los Angeles
  • Profession
    Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Related sessions
In person
10 July 2025
10:50 - 11:10
EST - New York
CST - Beijing
PST - Los Angeles
AWST - Perth, Australia