An additional research interest is in the area of functional changes induced by muscle atrophy and immobilization and potential rehabilitation strategies. Her work focuses on determinants of performance and fitness in children and adults, development and validation of objective techniques to assess habitual physical activity in children and adults, and physical activity and health outcomes in women. He is particularly concerned with modeling the lower extremity in an attempt to define criteria on which humans optimize during running. In addition, he is interested in mechanisms of lower extremity injury during running. Current research projects include adaptations of motor unit discharge behavior to long-term exercise, central drive during maximal strength production, adaptations in motor unit discharge behavior during aging, motor unit synchronization, and the conjoint role of motor unit recruitment and firing rate in motorcontrol.
Primary interest is in the area of human skeletal muscle function and fatigue.
In particular, her work examines the mechanisms of fatigue, and how these may vary depending upon age, gender, chronic health status and habitual physical activity level. A secondary interest is an examination of the influence that fatigue has on functional capacity. Interests include worksite health promotion programs, exercise compliance, and fitness management. His experimental work is oriented towards questions related to the coordination changes and movement stability in locomotion and posture in learning, movement disorders, and development. Faculty Copyright 2000 University of Massachusetts, Amherst.