Neurorehabilitation and Biomechanics Lab

Forouzan Foroughi

PhD Student

Forouzan received her master’s degree in physical therapy from Shiraz University of medical sciences in 2017. After working as a physical therapist for three years, she pursued a PhD in Movement and Cognitive Rehabilitation Science from the University of Texas at Austin. Her dissertation is focused on age-related changes in walking
and the effect of real-time ground reaction force biofeedback on lower extremity joint work output during walking in the elderly. In her free time, she enjoys weight training (F45 is her new
favorite), long walks, meditation, and Yoga.

Email: frozen@utexas.edu

Shun Nakamura

MS Student

Shun Nakamura is a second-year M.S. student in the Movement and Cognitive Rehabilitation Science program at UT. Shun received his BS in Health Sciences with a Movement Science concentration at the University of Cincinnati. During his senior year of undergrad, Shun worked at Human Performance Lab under the guidance of Dr. Michael Riley as an undergraduate research assistant. Shun’s current research interest is what are the limiting factors of lateral stepping performance in older adults and how they adapt their stepping performance after multiple exposures to the balance perturbation. When he is not in the lab, Shun enjoys playing soccer, exploring good ramen shops, and listening to jazz.

Mac Prible

PhD Student

Mac Prible is a licensed Physical Therapist and Board Certified Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. Prior to graduating with a DPT from Texas State University in 2016, he worked as a pension actuary after receiving a B.A. in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin in 2003. His research interests include modifying gait via real-time adaptive perturbations and open-source motion capture built on emerging machine-learning tools for pose estimation.

Email: prible@utexas.edu

Soroosh Sadeh

PhD Student

Soroosh is a Ph.D. student in Rehabilitation and Movement Science. Soroosh earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Iran. Soroosh’s expertise is in the biomechanics of the knee joint. He completed his bachelor’s thesis by successfully modeling a knee joint using a finite element method to predict the forces inside the joint capsule. During his first master’s studies in Exercise Science at the University of Texas at Austin, Soroosh conveyed a study to reduce knee pain in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome using electrical stimulation. Soroosh recently earned his second master’s degree in quantitative research methods from the Education Psychology department at the University of Texas at Austin. Soroosh is currently working on a research project to study postural responses to imposed weight transfer in older adults.

Email: soroosh.sadeh@utexas.edu

Keng-Hung Shen

PhD Student

Keng-Hung received his MD from National Taiwan University and spent two years in clinical practice. Initially on a trajectory towards physiatry, a blend of unsatiated curiosity in motor control and his own “non-specific” low back pain steered him to UT to explore the realms of movement science. The complexity of walking mechanics soon captivated him, leading to a dissertation that leverages inverted pendulum dynamics and experimental tools that literally shake people to probe why individuals post-stroke don’t shift their body weight towards their paretic leg during walking. When he’s not working, Keng-Hung enjoys backpacking, bouldering, lifting weights, and making pour-over coffee.

Email: kenhung.shen@utexas.edu

Jacob Smith

MS Student

Jacob Smith is a second-year M.S. student in the Movement and Cognitive Rehabilitation Science program at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in lower extremity biomechanics and human performance. His journey began at Georgia Southern University, where he earned his B.S. in Exercise Science. During his undergraduate years, Jacob delved into biomechanical and neuromuscular research under the mentorship of Dr. Nicholas Siekirk, serving as an undergraduate research assistant. Jacob’s current research focuses on leveraging visual biofeedback within virtual reality to enhance vertical ground reaction force and joint kinematic symmetry during deadlifting and squatting exercises to prevent injury. In parallel, Jacob is leading a study to validate biomechanical metrics obtained from a novel wearable inertia measurement unit (IMU) suit designed to improve human performance. His overarching goal is to optimize human performance and advance wearable health technology. Jacob has also presented findings at prestigious conferences such as the American Society of Biomechanics and the Southeast American College of Sports Medicine. Beyond academia, Jacob finds joy in various activities, including playing tennis, pickleball, video games, and exploring hiking trails with his dog, Oakley.

Email: jacobmsmith@utexas.edu