I am a rehabilitation scientist with expertise in orthopaedic and neurological rehabilitation, biomedical engineering, robotics, biomechanics, motor control/motor adaptation, clinical trials research, gait rehabilitation, and rehabilitation engineering. I am an internationally trained Physical Therapist with over 20 years of clinical and research experience in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. My research involves both mechanistic and interventional studies to facilitate our current understanding of neuromuscular function and regulation in the context of movement control and neuromuscular plasticity.

I direct the Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (NeuRRo Lab) at the University of Michigan. The goal of the Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (NeuRRo Lab) is to develop effective and efficient rehabilitation methods for individuals with neurological and orthopedic disorders. The NeuRRo Lab seeks to achieve this goal by a combination of mechanistic and interventional research approaches that facilitate our current understanding of neuromuscular function and regulation in the context of movement control and neuromuscular plasticity. I have a special interest in developing and testing low-cost technologies for the assessment and treatment of neurological and orthopedic conditions. Along these lines, my lab has developed several novel low-cost technologies for upper- and lower-extremity rehabilitation. These projects are funded through various extramural and intramural grants, including grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01, R21, P2C pilot program) and the National Science Foundation. Research in the NeuRRo Lab involves using technologies, such as robotics, noninvasive brain stimulation, and virtual reality, to improve neuromuscular function in people with movement dysfunction. Neuromotor performance and recovery are evaluated using sophisticated techniques that provide detailed information on changes happening at the biomechanical (kinematic and kinetic), neurophysiological (EMG, brain plasticity, muscle physiology), and clinical levels. We study uninjured able-bodied subjects as well as individuals with neuromuscular dysfunctions. Specific populations of interest include subjects with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury, Arthritis, Below Knee Amputation, Joint Replacements, Stroke and Cerebral Palsy.