Alabama State University News July 9, 2014 New Grant Places ASU's Biomechanics and Motor Lab at Forefront of Gait Research By Tina Joly Dr. Lee Childers, assistant professor in the Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics, has received a nearly $15,000 grant to continue working on a pilot research project that places ASU at the forefront of gait research focusing on people with amputation. The research will examine the effect of prosthetic feet with multi-axial features on gait stability (the ability to walk without falling over) on uneven and level terrains. ASU will be the only P&O program in the country with the capability of collecting gait data on uneven surfaces. "The world outside is full of uneven terrain, and this can be very challenging to people with amputation. Prosthetic foot manufacturers have attempted to minimize these challenges by designing prosthetic feet that can perform and adapt to uneven terrain," Childers said. "However, there is no scientific evidence showing these prosthetic feet perform as advertised." The grant could pave the way for larger studies in the future, Childers added. "This is the first funded grant for the new Biomechanics and Motor Control Laboratory. This funding will enable ASU to gain a reputation of generating meaningful prosthetic research, produce publishable research, purchase additional research infrastructure to increase research capacity and use data generated from this project as pilot data in larger NIH grant applications," Childers said. Childers said the grant gives students the opportunity to gain first hand research experience. "We have had some remarkable students who have donated their time and energy to help build and test our uneven walkway, expand the walkway and reconfigure the Vicon motion capture system to collect this data," Childers said. "The grant also provides funding for two students to work on this project for two semesters. Our students will be exposed to a real-world, hands-on research project that will have direct clinical impact on their future patients." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2014meeting-form.html for the October 26-28, 2014 HBCU Library Alliance 6th Membership Meeting in Atlanta GA!