I completed my academic training with a B.S. in Kinesiology from Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi, an M.S. in Health and Exercise Science in Fort Collins, Colorado, from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Motor Behavior from Arizona State University in Phoenix. My master’s research examined the role of footwear and interhemispheric connectivity on gait and balance in multiple sclerosis (MS), while my doctoral research focused on the neural control and adaptability of reactive balance responses in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). During my postdoctoral fellowship in Atlanta at Emory University and Georgia Tech, supported by an American Parkinson’s Disease Association Postdoctoral Fellowship, I investigated the cortical mechanisms underlying freezing of gait (FoG) in PD using EEG and balance platforms.

As a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast, my research focuses on the neural and cognitive mechanisms that underlie balance control, mobility impairments, and FoG in neurological conditions such as PD and multiple sclerosis (MS). I use neuroimaging techniques like EEG to study cortical activity and relate these findings to clinical measures of balance and mobility. My work also aims to develop interventions to reduce fall risk and improve mobility outcomes.

A fun fact- my identical twin brother also reaches posture and gait in neurologic disorders as a postdoctoral fellow at Wayne State University in Detroit!