Biomechanics applies the laws of mechanics to the study of human movement. Both acute exercise responses and chronic adaptations resulting from exercise training are considered in relation to health and performance and are investigated in three specialized labs. Research in the Motor Control Laboratory investigates how movement is regulated and controlled via the nervous system in normal and pathological populations. Special emphases include motor deficits attributed to basal ganglia dysfunction and upper extremity coordination, particularly finger and hand posture, in reaching and prehensile movements. Motor development and learning studies how human movement is generated and evolves through out the lifespan.
Current research focuses on learning and development of bimanual coordination.
Timing and coordination of perceptual-motor skills are measured in normal developing children, persons with Down syndrome, and adults to investigate cerebral asymmetries and specificity of learning. The Sport and Exercise Psychology Lab examines the relationship between psychological constructs and physical activity, and the influence of participation in physical activity on psychological phenomenon. In addition to the ESRI facility, Exercise Science students and faculty have access to laboratories in the Departments of Bioengineering, Chemistry, and Psychology.