The primary concentration of my research agenda is the interaction of footwear on gait and posture variability, exploring the causative factors of low back and lower extremity pathology, and the creation or implementation of design features to correct stated pathologies. In particular, I am interested in understanding the role of tactile feedback and proprioception in gait and lifting mechanics. Furthermore, though low back pain often manifests itself as a complicated pathology, there is little information regarding the effect of footwear on the lower extremity, pelvis, or lumbar spine during activities of daily living. This is extremely concerning given the kinematic and kinetic changes that can result from varying foot-floor interfaces. Through my research, I hope to better understand the demands placed on the passive and active tissues of the body, as well as musculoskeletal variability associated with footwear and other personal protective equipment. I believe this research line will have an impact on recommendations and implementations to assist in the reduction of common musculoskeletal disorders and ailments while providing significant funding opportunities from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Specifically, I have been working to answer a wide variety of research questions, such as:
Kinematic and kinetic variations in gait due to altered tactile feedback
Design, testing, and verification of a quantitative and evidence-based ergonomic workplace assessment tool intended to estimate cumulative job risk profiles for the upper-body and low-back
Inertial effects of footwear in stride length variability
Footwear effects on alterations in lumbopelvic rhythm during lifting tasks
Emotional interaction with gait mechanics
Implications of lumbopelvic movements during lifting tasks and cumulative trauma disorders
Examples of my past and ongoing work include:
Influence of heel height on lower extremity and trunk muscle activity during barbell squats
Effect of altered tactile feedback on ground reaction forces during walking
Barefoot and shod effects on spatiotemporal gait parameters
Seasonal changes in the kinematics of collegiate triple jumpers
Performance variations due to altered flip-turn technique of experienced swimmers
Gender differences in the kinematics of the horizontal jumps (Track & Field)
Since my arrival at Louisiana Tech University as an Assistant Professor of Biomechanics I have worked to continue research related to my dissertation which examined the synchronicity and timing of limb segments as well as torso and lower extremity musculature during gait. This work is especially important in understanding human movement variability and may have consequences for the design of personal protective equipment. Furthermore, I believe this is a vital and highly fundable research line which has implications for the understanding and prevention of cumulative trauma disorders in the workplace for a variety of physically demanding jobs (e.g. construction, healthcare and manufacturing).
Though it is based on biomechanical principles, I believe my research also holds interdisciplinary research implications, emphasizing components of more traditional areas, such as biomechanics and physiology, with more applied areas such as ergonomics, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement. Specifically, a goal of my research is to better understand the relationship between human movement variability, interaction effects of the environment and equipment, and implications for the development of cumulative trauma disorders. Furthermore, my educational background provides me with a unique opportunity to bring together knowledge from fields such as epidemiology, engineering, physiology, and sports medicine to work with a collaborative team of researchers to address questions of particular importance. As a result, I hope to push further in the areas of lower-extremity and low back pathology while developing meaningful ways of reducing related injury rates.