The object
Jonathan Posner co-founded VICIS and led its scientific work on the ZERO1 football helmet, a deformable-shell product intended to reduce dangerous impact forces. The physical helmet brought fluid and mechanical engineering into a major sports-safety problem and helped make concussion mitigation a visible product-design priority.
What Jonathan did
Co-founded VICIS and served as its chief science officer during development of the ZERO1 football helmet.
Why it matters
VICIS won the 2016 UW Medicine Inventor of the Year Award for its concussion-reducing football helmet, and the ZERO1 reached top-tier NFL helmet testing.
Living-status check
The University of Washington's current Engineering Innovation in Health faculty page lists Posner as director in 2026, positive evidence he was alive and active in 2026.