Dr. Robinson studies a broad spectrum of topics related to the human pain experience. Specific topics include Placebo Analgesia, Patient Centered Outcomes, Sex, Race, and Age biases in decisions about pain, Psychological Factors in pain perception, Behavioral Interventions (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for pain and insomnia, Manual Therapy, Placebo) and Coping with…
Dr. Shechtman’s research is in the area of measurement, specifically examining reliability and validity of various assessments in two major arenas, grip strength and driving. One focus is on how grip strength and sincerity of effort testing are affected by musculoskeletal disorders due to pain and motor control changes. The…
Dr. Romero utilizes modern test theory methodologies to develop, evaluate, and improve clinical/research outcome measures and patient reported outcome measures. He is particularly interested in rehabilitation outcome measures to evaluate patients with mobility deficits leading to falls. Dr. Romero utilizes Item Response Theory to evaluate existing instruments and develop new…
Dr. Rose’s research investigates the development and implementation of behavioral intervention strategies, based on principles of neuroplasticity and motor learning, for the rehabilitation of motor control deficits following neurologic injury and disease. She investigates the role of adjuvants, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, to behavioral interventions for the recovery…
All movements –as simple as blinking one’s eyes to as complex as signing one’s name and walking—involve the production and control of muscular force by the nervous system. While biomechanical demands vary across motor tasks, the nervous system responds to regulate force production in a task dependent manner. Dr. Patten’s…
Dr. George’s primary research interests involve the utilization of biopsychosocial models for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Dr. George’s research projects have been supported by awards from the University of Florida, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the Foundation for Physical Therapy. His…
Dr. Fuller’s research program is aimed at understanding how neuroplasticity in the brain and spinal cord influences the control of breathing. The overall hypothesis driving the work in Dr. Fuller’s laboratory is that appropriate induction of neuroplasticity has the potential to improve respiratory muscle control in cases of injury or…
Dr. Bishop’s research interests are in the management of musculoskeletal conditions, particularly pain, by conservative rehabilitation interventions like manual therapy. This work uses experimentally induced pain models and includes modalities such as quantitative sensory testing to measure pain sensitivity and central nervous system changes in response to interventions. This work…
Dr. Bialosky’s research interests are primarily on the mechanisms of manual therapy in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. He is currently supported by the K12 Rehabilitation Research Career Development Program with a research program focused on 1) placebo mechanisms of manual therapy and 2) neuroplastic changes in pain associated with…
Dr. Vandenborne’s work presents a multidisciplinary, integrated research approach to study muscle degeneration/regeneration from a pathophysiological level to functional impairment. The specific objectives of her program are to: 1) develop novel noninvasive techniques for the evaluation of skeletal muscle, 2) investigate the ability to enhance muscle function using modalities ranging…
