ALUMNI

"When looking back on my experience in this lab, it extends far past the technical data collections as the people within this lab became a small family for me within the University of Michigan." - Recent Undergraduate Alum


Meghan Gatward, MS

Meghan enrolled at the University of Michigan in 2017 as a Movement Science Master’s student after receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. In addition to managing the lab, her work focuses on determining real-life spontaneous arm use in pediatric populations with either neonatal brachial plexus palsy or cerebral palsy via the use of wearable Actigraph accelerometers. Meghan graduated with her Master’s in Movement Science in the Spring of 2019 and will be starting medical school at Michigan State University in the fall.


Ramsay Bialek, BS

Ramsay came to the University of Michigan as a transfer student into the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience. Their lab work focuses on balance deficits in adult populations of women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer and developed lymphedema of the arm. They will graduate in the spring of 2019 with a BS in Neuroscience and a minor in General Philosophy, and plan to apply to medical school afterwards.


Nina Bourdeau, BS

Hi, my name is Nina. I am a junior studying Movement Science on the pre-med track. I joined Dr. Brown's my freshmen year; I love being able to interact with patients and "push back the frontiers of science"! Additionally, I am part of the University of Michigan Cheerleading team! Catch me during home football and basketball games. The team also competes every year; it keeps me busy, but is a blast. Lastly, I am treasurer of the Kidney Disease Screening Awareness Program, a club that provides free health screenings for underprivileged areas in hope of detecting kidney disease earlier and promoting overall health. As always, Go Blue!


Sofia Perez, BS

I am a Class of 2023 Freshman at the University of Michigan and joined this lab through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. In the lab, my work focuses on analyzing grip force at low force levels in comparison to young and older populations. I plan on majoring in Biomolecular Science and minoring in Gender and Health and hope to one day go to medical school. I am involved in Saint Mary's Student Parish, K-Grams, TEACH, the Pre-Medical Club, am a member of the Professional Fraternity Delta Epsilon Mu, and am a Douglass Houghton Scholar.


Helen Liu, BS

Helen joined as a Junior majoring in Movement Science on pre-PT track. She currently helps with quantifying patient-initiated arm use following surgery to repair nerve damage affecting their upper limbs. When she’s not working on school or lab, she is an ITS Tech Consultant at the Angell Hall computing site and the Michigan Union. She is planning to graduate in 2021, just at the time when the new Kinesiology building will be ready.


Beatrice Lucchesi, BS

Beatrice joined the Motor Control Lab as a sophomore through Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. Her work in the lab focuses on the relationship between grip force and lymphedema, and she will spend the upcoming year analyzing the interplay of factors such as handedness and age. She plans to graduate from the School of Kinesiology movement science program in the spring of 2020.


Carli Meyerson, BS

Carli joined the motor control lab during the summer before her junior year of undergrad. Her research in the lab involves analyzing grip force at low force levels in the NBPP population. She is currently a senior in the Movement Science Undergraduate Program graduating in the spring of 2019 and plans to pursue a graduate degree in Social Work and Psychology.

Will Muter, BS

Will joined the Motor Control Lab as a sophomore. His work in the lab focuses on the relationship between arm swing and locomotion in BPI populations and plans to spend the upcoming year analyzing wearable Actigraph accelerometer data. He plans to graduate from the School of Kinesiology movement science program in the spring of 2021.

Mia Caminita, BS

Mia came to the Motor Control Lab as a sophomore through Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. She has spent her time in the lab completing her honors thesis which focused on the development of tactile and grip force control devices for clinical applications. Mia graduated from the School of Kinesiology honors movement science program in the spring of 2016, and will begin a MS degree in Industrial & Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan this fall.

Wesley Schermer, BS

Wes came to the lab as a sophomore through Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. He has spent the past three years working on a joint project with Spring Arbor University involving the assessment of sensorimotor function in children and adults with upper limb dysfunction. He also participated in the UROP Biomedical & Life Science Summer Fellowship and worked on a project interested in examining postural deficits in patients with upper limb peripheral nerve injuries. Wes recently graduated from the School of Kinesiology honors movement science program in the spring of 2016, and plans on applying to medical school.


Rachel Carlson, BS

Rachel came to the Motor Control Lab as a junior through Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. She has spent her time in the lab completing her honors thesis which focused on the interplay between age, attentional demands, bimanual coordination, and grip force production under different force conditions. Rachel graduated from the School of Kinesiology movement science program in the spring of 2016, and will begin her doctorate degree at the Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine this fall.


Julia Davis

Julia came to the lab as a junior and has since spent her time studying relationships between age, cognitive loading, hand coordination, hand sensory function, and grip force production under different force conditions. In the fall, Julia will begin working on an honors thesis that will focus on balance control in children with neonatal brachial palsy. Julia plans ongraduating from the School of Kinesiology honors movement science program in the spring of 2017, and hopes to pursue a career that intertwines physical therapy and prosthetics.


Adrianne Musick

Adrianne conducted research for two years before completing her undergraduate degree in 2009. Following her time here at Michigan, Adrianne continued on to complete her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Northwestern University. Currently serving as a physical therapist in Park City, Utah, Adrianne has the opportunity to work in an orthopedic setting and a neuro/trauma rehabilitation unit. Adrianne works with individuals who have sustained spinal cord injuries, stroke, traumatic brain injuries, cerebral palsy, total joint replacements, complex medical conditions, and a variety of joint pathologies. Adrianne says that the Motor control Lab allowed her to begin exploring her passion regarding human movement and assisting individuals in improving their function and quality of life.



Elizabeth Munsell

Elizabeth Munsell graduated from the Motor Control Lab after over two years of working on a variety of projects. After graduating in 2009, Elizabeth completed a Masters of Occupational Therapy degree at Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Science. Elizabeth notes that “Presenting my senior thesis study at the annual Neuroscience research conference and having my abstract selected for press release are specific accomplishments from my time in the lab that I am proud of. This was the capstone of my work in the lab and these achievements signified the culmination of the academic and personal growth I’d experienced working there.” In addition to teaching Kinesiology and Research Methods to graduate level OT students, Elizabeth has continued her work investigating the therapeutic effects of dance by developing an integrated dance program for children with and without developmental disabilities, and serving as a consultant to help a local modern dance company begin a dance program for adults with Parkinson’s disease. She recently was part of a research panel discussion focused on the interface of OT and the performing arts at the 2013 American Occupational Therapy Association’s annual conference.

Marianne Mousigian

Marianne worked in the Motor Control Lab during all four years of her undergraduate career (2006-2009). Currently, Marianne is a fourth year medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine. She will be applying to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency programs, and she ultimately strives to specialize in pediatric rehabilitation or sports medicine. In describing the highlights of conducting research in the lab, Marianne writes, “I really enjoyed the autonomy I had while completing my senior honors thesis, and I was extremely proud that this work resulted in a publication after collaborating with other members of the lab. My work in the motor control lab was actually very pivotal in directing me toward physiatry. I fell in love with rehabilitation after becoming involved in multiple studies that aimed to improve function in the aging population. I was also intrigued by other ongoing studies in that lab that were evaluating the efficacy of web-based home training programs for patients with cerebral palsy. My experiences in the motor control lab definitely whetted my appetite for a career in physical medicine and rehabilitation!”

Rachel Napier

Rachel had worked in the MCL from Fall 2009 to Spring 2011 when she graduated with a BS in Kinesiology. Following graduation, Rachael utilized her motor control experience while completing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University. Following graduation April 2014, Rachel is currently working as a PT in an outpatient clinic in Chicago, Illinois. A highlight of her time in the Motor Control Lab was receiving a student research fellowship from the American Heart Association. Rachel’s honors thesis examining the effects of home training to improve arm function in an adolescent with brachial plexus palsy is currently under review for publication in the Journal of Hand Therapy.

Micah Aaron

Micah has been working in the Motor Control Lab for several years working on projects such as The Assessment of Upper Limb Proproceptive Acuity During the Different Phases of the Menstrual Cycle. Micah completed her master’s degree in Epidemiology through the School of Public Health in 2015 and currently works for Trinity Health. She plans on pursuing a PhD in Public Health at Johns Hopkins next year.

Allie Berry

Allie worked in the Motor Control Lab for three years, and graduated from University of Michigan's School of Literature, Science, and the Arts with a BS in Neuroscience in 2014. Allie was an assistant researcher in an important study that assessed upper limb proprioceptive acuity during the different phases of the menstrual cycle. Currently, Allie is applying to medical school and is hoping to matriculate in the fall of 2015.

Mountaha Eidy

Mountaha worked in the Motor Control Lab for three years, recently graduating with her BS in Movement Science from the School of Kinesiology in 2014. Working on projects such as Assessment of Sensorimotor Function in Children and Adults with Upper Limb Dysfunction, Mountaha will attend Michigan State University's Medical School.

Currin Hall

Currin Hall joined the Motor Control Lab as a senior, making a great addition to the Assessment of Sensorimotor Function Team. Currin graduated in 2014 with a BS in Movement Science from the School of Kinesiology with hopes to go on to become a Physician’s Assistant in an Orthopedic Practice.

Desiree Leapheart

Desiree has worked in the Motor Control Lab for her two years here at U of M while working towards her master's degree. In 2013, Desiree graduated with a MS in Kinesiology, with plans to go on to receive a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Andrea Otte

Andrea has been trained as a physical therapist in Germany and worked in the Motor Control Lab for several years here at U of M while working towards her bachelor's degree in Movement Science through the School of Kinesiology. Andrea has ambitions to receive her doctoral degree in physical therapy and began attending University of Michigan - Flint's transitional DPT program in fall 2014.

Alexander Peck

Alex came to the Motor Control Lab as a freshman through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, since working on projects such as Computer-Assisted Training Programs to Improve Arm and Balance Functions in Young and Older Adults. With plans to graduate in 2016, Alex aims to obtain his Bachelors in Economics with a minor in Computer Science through the School of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Lauren Phillips

Lauren began working in the Motor Control Lab her freshman year, and spent the entirety of undergraduate years completing research until her graduation in 2014. Lauren has been a part of more than five projects and published some of her work. After graduation, Lauren is working with City Year Detroit to mentor and tutor middle and high school students before she heads to medical school.