Our Purposes
MOVI-LAB is a multidisciplinary laboratory that focuses on understanding the neuromechanisms of human movement. Our group studies how movement is planned and controlled, with emphasis on movement disorders and sports performance.
Studies
Our research integrates experimental, interventional, observational, and clinical approaches to examine interactions between neural, perceptual, and motor systems, considering individual (e.g., sleep quality, blood metabolites, asymmetry), task (e.g., cognitive dual-tasking, obstacle avoidance), and environmental e.g., environmental complexity) constraints.
Approaches
Using neuromechanical tools (e.g., motion capture, EEG, fNIRS, force plates, eye-tracking, and EMG) and motor and non-motor strategies (e.g., exercise, hypoxia, and brain stimulation), we aim to improve movement performance, support rehabilitation, and develop assistive technologies.
Fields of Research
01
Neuromechanics, Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Applied to Movement Disorders
02
Impact of Fatigue on Gait and Posture
03
Biomechanics, Motor Control and Sports Performance
Neuromechanics, Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Applied to Movement Disorders
This research field focuses on
01
understanding how movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease) affect neuromechanics and movement adaptability, especially gait and posture;
02
applying interventions to improve mobility, promote safe and independent movement, and reduce fall risk; and
03
developing assistive technologies to enhance functional capabilities, as well as rehabilitation technologies and measurement tools for use in both clinical and laboratory settings. This research field contributes to the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of movement disorders.
Impact of Fatigue on
Gait and Posture
This research field focuses on
01
understanding the effects of mental and physical fatigue on gait and posture adaptability, as well as how neural, perceptual, and motor systems recover from fatigue; and
02
developing innovative methods to assess fatigability in laboratory and real-world settings.
The studies employ complexity manipulations (e.g., obstructed walking, static balance in a tandem position), different types of fatigue (e.g., mental and muscular fatigue), and sensorimotor handling (e.g., saccadic eye movements and asymmetry) to understand neural, sensory, and motor adaptations during walking and postural tasks in young adults, older adults, and individuals with musculoskeletal disorders.
Additionally, this field of research aims to develop innovative methods to measure fatigability that can be used both inside and outside the laboratory setting. This research field uses fatigue as a model to study aging- and disease-related changes in muscle function without confounding factors such as pain or swelling.
Biomechanics, Motor Control
and Sports Performance
This research field focuses on
01
understanding the neuromechanical aspects of movement in sports and their relationship with performance; and
02
developing training strategies to improve movement characteristics and performance outcomes.
Studies are conducted outside laboratory settings and in competition environments (often in controlled situations) to investigate the effects of personal characteristics (e.g., sleep quality, cortical activity, blood metabolites, lower limb asymmetry) and contextual conditions (e.g., warm-up and recovery strategies, perception, sensory feedback, and training) on sports movement performance.
This approach allows for translating findings into real-world practice and expanding the understanding of sports movement performance in competitive scenarios.
This research field aims to translate fundamental insights from controlled experimental and interventional studies into practice and to advance the understanding of sports performance in real-world contexts.
MOVI-LAB 