Biomechanics Seminar Series: Peter Fino

About this event

The focus of the seminar series is to call for experts related to academia and research in the areas related to biomechanics, variability, motor disorders, physical therapy, and related studies.

Presentation Title : The Biomechanics of Balance after Brain Injury: Translating from the Lab to the Clinic

Presentation Abstract :

Concussions (i.e., mild traumatic brain injuries) affect millions of individuals each year and can create persistent balance problems and functional limitations. While early studies suggested that these balance problems may be caused by sensory-related impairments, recent work has shifted the focus to motor-related impairments. Using sensorimotor integration models that can disentangle sensory weighting from mechanical parameters of postural control, instrumented clinical tests of reactive balance, and new rehabilitation techniques, this talk will provide an overview of emerging research on how a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of balance impairments and the use of emerging digital health technologies are transforming rehabilitation for people after brain injury.

About the speaker :

Dr. Peter Fino is a Professor of Health & Kinesiology at the University of Utah, with adjunct appointments in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Physical Therapy & Athletic Training, and Robotics. He received his BSE in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, and his postdoctoral training in Neurorehabilitation and Human Balance Control at Oregon Health & Science University. At the University of Utah, he leads the Neuromechanics & Applied Locomotion Laboratory, where his team uses an interdisciplinary approach bridging kinesiology, engineering, neuroscience, psychology, and rehabilitation, to understand basic neural and biomechanical mechanisms of balance control and daily mobility and translate that knowledge, with the help of digital health technologies, to improve clinical decisions and rehabilitation approaches for people with traumatic brain injuries.