Key research themes
1. How can sensor technologies be utilized to measure and analyze human movement accurately in clinical and real-world settings?
This research area focuses on developing and validating sensor-based methods, including accelerometry, inertial measurement units (IMUs), markerless motion capture, and wearable devices, to directly measure human movement. Such technologies aim to provide accurate, reliable, and accessible tools for quantifying human motion beyond traditional laboratory constraints, enabling continuous monitoring, clinical assessment, and rehabilitation outside specialized gait labs.
2. What theoretical and analytical frameworks best characterize human movement variability and its implications for motor control and development?
This research theme addresses the conceptualization and quantitative assessment of intra-individual variability in human motor behavior. Movement variability is recognized as an inherent and functional aspect of motor control, offering insights into system adaptability, development, and pathology. This theme explores theoretical perspectives such as Dynamical Systems Theory and Generalized Motor Program, as well as methodologies for capturing variability through nonlinear dynamical systems tools and principal component analysis (PCA).
3. How do biomechanical factors and movement analysis methodologies inform understanding of gait patterns, stability, and rehabilitation potential across populations?
This theme encompasses experimental and data-driven studies focused on gait biomechanics, stability metrics, and methodological challenges, including soft tissue artifacts in motion capture and observational gait analysis. It also includes development of normative datasets and the application of gait analysis to clinical and athletic populations. The goal is to link biomechanical insights with practical applications in rehabilitation, injury prevention, and movement optimization.