Biodynamics Lab

In the Biodynamics Lab we study neurological impairments and sports-related injuries, and develop state-of-the-art rehabilitation robotics to address these clinical problems. Arm impairments in stroke survivors involve the shoulder, elbow and wrist simultaneously with abnormal coupling between the joints and the muscles acting at each joint. The intelligent rehabilitation robot controls the shoulder, elbow, and wrist individually and allows natural trunk and scapular motions. It has unique capacities for diagnosis, multi-joint stretching, voluntary movement training, and outcome evaluation. We are also able to investigate reflex/non-reflex factors contributing to spasticity and motor impairment, study injury and compensation mechanisms of pathological knee conditions and develop injury prevention programs.

Muscle Fiber Lab

In the Muscle Fiber Lab, we investigate muscle fiber and tendon properties in neurological impairments and sports-related injuries. At the related Biodynamics lab, we develop novel treatment and investigate pathological changes and treatment-induced improvement associated with spastic hypertonia in various neurological disorders. The above studies are done in vivo on human subjects at the joint-muscle levels. It is strongly needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the pathological changes and treatment–induced improvements in the neurological disorders at the fiber, tendon and sarcomere levels. Both in vivo noninvasive and in vitro microscopic methods are used in the studies.