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Neurorehabilitation, motor control and development, stroke, robotics, neuroimaging
2020 Post-doctoral Fellowship, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
2016 PhD, Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
2013 DPT, Physical Therapy, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
2008 BS, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
My overall research goal is to maximize recovery following a neurologic injury such as stroke. A key challenge in neurorehabilitation is a poor understanding of the specific impairments an individual may have, which makes it difficult to target therapies. I use robotics to measure specific motor and sensory impairments, and then link these impairments with neuroimaging findings. I am specifically interested in bilateral coordination in both adults who have had a stroke as well as children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy due to a stroke early in development.
One of my areas of research will focus on developing robotic assessments of bilateral coordination. Bilateral coordination encompasses a wide range of tasks, from picking up a box with both hands to stabilizing a jar with one hand while opening it with the other. Robotic assessments can allow us to pinpoint the specific areas of bilateral coordination that are impaired in individuals with stroke and cerebral palsy, and then relate these impairments with neuroimaging findings. This will lead to more targeted interventions to improve rehabilitation outcomes.
A second area of focus is in how bilateral arm use typically develops, and how it is impacted by an early lesion. Accelerometers can be worn on the wrists to quantify how much a child moves their arms in daily life. We can then develop interventions to promote the use of the weaker arm in children with early lesions. Encouraging early use of the affected arm can drive positive neuroplastic changes to improve outcomes in children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy.