Rika Sugimoto Dimitrov

Rika Sugimoto Dimitrova is a graduate student in mechanical engineering whose work explores how the brain maintains upright posture in the face of delays, noise, and degradation in neuromuscular control. Her research focuses on quiet standing—an everyday task that becomes profoundly challenging with age or neurological impairment—and aims to reveal how balance control strategies adapt or fail across different populations. As a MathWorks Fellow, Rika will develop and evaluate competing models of human balance, including intermittent and predictive controllers, to identify the mechanisms most consistent with physiological behavior. MATLAB plays a central role in her work, enabling high-throughput spectral analysis, system modeling, and delay-based simulations. She utilizes the Signal Processing, Control System, and Statistics and Machine Learning Toolboxes, and shares her custom code openly to promote reproducibility. Rika’s research could inform new approaches to diagnosing balance deficits and inspire future technologies that support mobility, rehabilitation, and fall prevention.