Jacob Cartwright

About Jacob

“Data becomes powerful when it solves real clinical problems.”

Jacob Cartwright is a Data Scientist at Shepherd Center’s Virginia C. Crawford Research Institute. He works at the intersection of rehabilitation, movement science, and applied AI, building systems to structure and analyze high-dimensional clinical and biomechanical data. Jacob collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to develop statistical and machine-learning models that transform motion capture, wearable sensor data, and longitudinal outcomes into actionable insights for evidence-based rehabilitation care.

Research specialties

• Machine learning
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Time-series data analysis

Education & training

• Ph.D., Computer Science – Georgia State University (ongoing)
• MS, Sports and Exercise Analytics – Marquette University, 2022
• B.Sc. (Hons) in Biomedical Physiology – Simon Fraser University, 2019

Certifications

• Human Subjects Research (HSR) – Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program)

Why his work matters

Jacob believes research should start with real clinical challenges, not abstract questions.

“We identify needs in patient care and build the data, methods, and systems to address them. That problem-driven approach ensures relevance and impact, and I value collaborating with clinicians and researchers to produce work that directly supports rehabilitation outcomes.”

Beyond Shepherd

Outside of work, Jacob coaches Olympic Weightlifting and has trained athletes who have earned podium spots at international competitions. He is also a Ph.D. student at Georgia State University.