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Graduate Student
Northwestern University
I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
My current research focuses on quantifying functional biomechanics in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) to allow for more targeted interventions that promote increased mobility and activity. For over half a decade, I have been invested in pediatric research with a specific focus on movement sciences and nervous system injury. During my time at the University of Pennsylvania, I prototyped mechatronic toys to investigate how infant-toy kinematic and haptic interactions could be used to detect motor delays from nervous system injury. This specific experience introduced the importance of clinical research to accomplish my research goals and confirmed my passion for pediatric biomechanics.
I am currently enrolled in Northwestern University’s Biomedical Engineering PhD program. My dissertation research will be completed in the Pediatrics Assessment Lab at the Northwestern University’s Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences. This unique laboratory setting bridges the gap between clinical problems and engineering solutions for pediatric diagnoses. Since advancing to candidacy, I have pivoted my research to focus on movement constraints during functional, non-steady-state walking tasks in bilateral CP. As the project lead, I have developed a scientifically rigorous protocol and sought out collaborations, which have led to two first-author publications. In addition, my educational environment puts me in an exceptional position to learn from leaders in the fields of engineering, neuroscience, and movement sciences, which have been instrumental to my training as a young research scientist.
