Illustration by A. Scharf and J. Brazill in association with InPrint at Washington University in St. Louis
Foot & Ankle Injury Recovery
Faculty Investigator: Mary K. Hastings, PT, DPT, MSCI, ATC [Research Profile 
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The focus of our work is to examine the relationship between anatomical and biomechanical factors of the foot and ankle and mechanisms of injury, interventions, and treatment outcomes.
Learn more about our research on foot and ankle injury recovery »
Hardware and Software Design for Rehabilitation Research
The primary focus of this research area is the development of instrumentation, software, and electronics for use in rehabilitation engineering projects.
Faculty Investigator: Joseph W. Klaesner, PhD [Research Profile ]
Learn more about hardware and software design for rehabilitation research »
Integrative Muscle Physiology
Faculty Investigator: Gretchen A. Meyer, PhD [Research Profile ]
This research area focuses on understanding how changes at the cellular level in skeletal muscle affect muscle structure and function, and, in turn, how pathological changes in muscle affect cellular processes.
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Movement and Musculoskeletal Problems in Diabetes
Faculty Investigator: Michael J. Mueller, PT, PhD, FAPTA [Research Profile ]
In investigating how movement and metabolic factors contribute to musculoskeletal problems in people with diabetes mellitus, we aim to minimize limited joint mobility, weakness, skin breakdown, pain, and disability for this high risk population.
Learn more about our movement and musculoskeletal research »
Movement and Neurodegenerative Disease
Faculty Investigators: Gammon M. Earhart, PT, PhD, FAPTA [Research Profile ] and Ryan P. Duncan, PT, DPT, MSCI [Research Profile ]
Our goal is to investigate how the human nervous system controls movement in health and in neurological and neurodegenerative disease.
Learn more about our movement and neurodegenerative disease research »
Neural Control of Movement Following Neurological Injury
Faculty investigator: Laura McPherson, PT, DPT, PhD [Research Profile ]
The focus of our research is to explore neural mechanisms underlying movement problems following neurological injury to inform the development of rehabilitation interventions that are rooted in nervous system neuropathophysiology. We use neural and biomechanical measures of motor output, including advanced signal analysis techniques of motor unit populations.
Learn more about our research on neural control of movement following neurological injury »
Neural Plasticity and Sensorimotor Integration
Faculty investigator: Jacob McPherson, PhD [Research Profile ]
We study patterns of synaptic communication within sensorimotor neural networks and how these networks learn to modify their function(s) when new patterns are introduced or existing patterns are altered.
Learn more about our research on neural plasticity and sensorimotor integration »
Orthopaedic Biomechanics
Faculty Investigator: Michael D. Harris, PhD [Research Profile ]
We investigate joint shape, musculature, and associated biomechanics as they change due to injury or disease and how we can improve interventions to preserve or restore joint health.
Learn more about our orthopaedic biomechanics research »
Physical Activity and Fitness
Faculty Investigators: B. Ruth Clark, PT, PhD [Research Profile ] and Susan B. Racette, PhD [Research Profile ]
We study the influence of physical activity and exercise patterns on cardiorespiratory fitness and health outcomes in various populations.
Learn more about our research on physical activity and fitness »
Prevention, Rehabilitation and Maintenance in Musculoskeletal Conditions
Faculty Investigator: Linda Van Dillen, PT, PhD, FAPTA [Research Profile ]
The goal of our work is to understand how the musculoskeletal and nervous systems interact to contribute to the development of musculoskeletal conditions across the lifespan. We also are interested in how psychosocial and environmental factors impact these interactions.
Quantitative Methodology and Rehabilitation Informatics
Faculty Investigator: Keith Lohse, PhD, PStat [Research Profile ]
We focus on measurement, design, and analysis as they pertain to rehabilitation science and clinical practice. Rehabilitation is a complex, dynamic process with many interacting factors at physiological, psychological, and sociological levels. To that end, we specialize in analytical and predictive modeling techniques to help disentangle these problems and mechanistically explore the rehabilitation process.
Rehabilitation Research for Orthopaedic Conditions
Faculty Investigator: Marcie Harris-Hayes, PT, DPT, MSCI [Research Profile ]
The goal of our research is to develop effective rehabilitation strategies for people with musculoskeletal hip pain that will improve function and prevent or delay the need for surgical or pharmacological intervention.
Learn more about our rehabilitation research for orthopaedic conditions »
Stroke Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Accelerometry
Faculty Investigators: Catherine Lang, PT, PhD, FAPTA [Research Profile ], Marghuretta D. Bland, PT, DPT, NCS [Research Profile ], and Carey L. Holleran, PT, MPT, DHS, NCS [Research Profile ]
Our research is aimed at developing effective and efficient, individualized rehabilitation for people with neurological injury, particularly those with stroke.
Learn more about stroke recovery, rehabilitation, and accelerometry research »
Tendon Rehabilitation
Faculty Investigator: Jennifer Zellers, PT, DPT, PhD
The Tendon Rehabilitation Lab is committed to improving care for people with tendon injury and dysfunction. Our research is aimed at advancing our understanding of person-specific factors that affect a tendon’s ability to respond to treatment.