Scott M. Lephart, PhD

lephart@pitt.edu

Dr. Lephart is the director of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory as well as Department Chair and Professor of Sports Medicine and Nutrition and Associate Professor within the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his undergraduate degree at Marietta College (Marietta, OH) and both his Master's and Doctoral degrees in Sports Medicine at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) in 1988. Dr. Lephart's research interests include musculoskeletal sports and female ACL injury prevention, neuromechanical contributions to upper extremity function, and injury prevention in golfers.

Timothy C. Sell, PhD, PT

tcs15@pitt.edu

Dr. Sell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Science. He is the Director of Graduate Studies in Sports Medicine and the Associate Director of the University of Pittsburgh's Neuromuscular Research Laboratory (NMRL). Dr. Sell's research interests and current ongoing projects include several injury prevention and performance optimization research studies with the Department of Defense, several studies aimed at female anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention, knee biomechanics during athletic tasks, pathomechanics, integration of accelerometers into injury prevention research, and rotator cuff injury prevention. He is in charge of instruction for the NMRL's graduate course in Laboratory Techniques in Sports Medicine and Nutrition (I and II), Research Seminar in Sports Medicine, and Pathokinesiology of Orthopedic Injury. In addition, Dr. Sell serves as an academic and research advisor to graduate students in the department. He earned a bachelor's degree in physical therapy in 1993 and a master's degree in human movement science in 2001, both at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his PhD in rehabilitation science in 2004 at the University of Pittsburgh.

Kevin M. Conley, PhD, ATC

kconley@pitt.edu

Dr. Conley is the Director of the Undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program for the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Conley completed with PhD in Rehabilitation Science as well as his Masters degree in Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA). Prior to serving as the Director of the Athletic Training Education Program, he was a clinical instructor and staff athletic trainer for the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Conley's research interests include neuromuscular control and dynamic stabilization of the ankle and the contribution to injury prevention provided by external ankle supports.

John P. Abt, PhD, ATC

jabt@pitt.edu

Dr. Abt is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh and Associate Director of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory. Dr. Abt completed his PhD in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) as well as his Masters degree in Sports Medicine. His research interests include injury prevention and performance optimization in military personnel.

Mita Lovalekar, MBBS, PhD, MPH

MitaL@pitt.edu

Dr. Lovalekar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a physician trained in India, and completed both her Master's and Doctoral degrees in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh . Dr. Lovalekar's research interests include injury epidemiology and surveillance, injury prevention, and chronic disease epidemiology.

Kim Crawford, PhD, RD, CSSD

kcrawfor@pitt.edu

Dr. Crawford is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Crawford completed her PhD in Exercise Phisiology at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a registered dietitian and certified specialist in sports dietetics. Her research interests include nutrition and exercise strategies to modify body composition and to enhance physical performance. In addition, she is interested in the evaluation of dietary supplements and the impact they have on health and performance.

Mary Murray, MS(ABD), ATC

mmurray1@pitt.edu

Mary Murray is a faculty member in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the faculty, Mary was the Director of Clinical Education in the Department of Athletic Training at Seton Hall University.  She is currently completing her doctoral studies in the Department of Educational Leadership, Management and Policy at Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ). She completed her Masters degree in Physical Education, Exercise, & Sports Science at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC) and a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Athletic Training at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA). Her research interests are in clinical education and student success in graduate health science programs.

Qi Mi, PhD

qim3@pitt.edu

Dr. Mi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. He is also a member of Center for inflammation and Regenerative Modeling within McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his PhD in Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA). His research interests include: systems biology, musculoskeletal modeling and mathematical modeling of inflammation.

COL Rusty Rowe, MD

Colonel Rusty Rowe, MD is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. COL Rowe is the Command Surgeon of Special Operations Command Europe and former Division Surgeon of the Army 101 st Airborne (Air Assault) at Ft Campbell, KY. COL Rowe received his medical degree from the Baylor College of Medicine ( Houston, TX) and his family practice residency at the Martin Army Community Hospital (Columbus , GA). COL Rowe's research interests include the prevention of unintentional musculoskeletal injury in the military and performance optimization of the tactical athlete.

Susan Casino

NMRL Administrator

svc3@pitt.edu

Susan is an Administrator of the NMRL within the University of Pittsburgh's School of Health and Rehabilitation Science. She has been with the University of Pittsburgh since 2003 and the NMRL since 2008.

Robert Kornosky, MPA

Fiscal and Personnel Administrator

kornosky@pitt.edu

Rob Kornosky is the Financial Manager for the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his Master's Degree in Public Administration and Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Rob has experience in grants management, accounting, and human resource administration. Prior to joining the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition Rob worked for the University's School of Medicine as an Accountant.

Fort Campbell Lab Staff

Back Row: Daryl, Takashi, and Dale
Front Row: Jennifer, Tony, and Brandon

Takashi Nagai, PhD, ATC

tnagai@pitt.edu

Takashi is the manager of the Human Performance Research Center at Ft. Campbell. He earned his doctoral degree in Rehabilitation Science within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh in 2010. Takashi completed his Masters degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Utah. His research interests include ACL repair techniques, rotational stability in ACL deficient copers, and the stretch shortening cycle.

Jennifer Deluzio, MS, CSCS

jbs30@pitt.edu

Jennifer Deluzio is the coordinator of the Human Performance Research Center at Ft. Campbell. Prior to joining the lab at Ft. Campbell, she completed her Bachelor's degree in Public Health at The Johns Hopkins University. She completed her Master's degree in Health and Human Performance at Austin Peay State University. Her research interests include: musculoskeletal injury prevention programs, the epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries in the military, and health issues related to female soldiers.

Dale Williams, MS, CSCS

Dale Williams serves as a strength and conditioning coach at the Human Performance Research Center at Ft. Campbell. He returns to the University of Pittsburgh, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, his Master's degree in Exercise Physiology, and was a four year letterman in football. Prior to joining the staff at Ft. Campbell, he spent three years as a Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has also worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Club, the Cleveland Browns, and was a volunteer Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Pittsburgh Olympic Staff.

Anthony C. Zimmer, ATC

acz3@pitt.edu

Anthony Zimmer is a research associate at the NMRL's Department of Defense laboratory at Stennis, MS. Anthony completed his Bachelors degree in Rehabilitation Science with a concentration in Athletic Training at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the NMRL staff, Anthony worked for UPMC's Center for Sports Medicine as a Certified Athletic Trainer. Anthony's research interests include the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries and methods of performance enhancement in the military's elite special forces units.

Greg D. Hovey, MS, CSCS

gdh9@pitt.edu

Greg Hovey is a Research Associate assigned to the NMRL's Department of Defense Laboratory at Stennis, MS. Prior to this appointment Greg completed his Masters degree in Exercise Science at Central Washington University. As a former Marine Greg has a special interest in working with the military's elite Special Forces Units. His research interests include the multifaceted factors contributing to preventable musculoskeletal injuries.

Anna M. Eastburn, RD, LDN

ame58@pitt.edu

Anna Eastburn is a Research Dietitian assigned to the NMRL's Department of Defense Laboratory at Stennis, MS. Prior to joining the NMRL, Anna worked as a Clinical Dietitian and the Wellness Coordinator at Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Mandeville, Louisiana. Anna holds a Bachelors degree in Dietetics and is currently completing a Masters degree in Clinical Nutrition from University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey. Anna's research interests include nutrient timing, pre- and post-workout nutrition, and fueling the tactical athlete as it relates to military and athletic populations.

Paul Morgan, MS.Ed

pmorgan1@pitt.edu

Paul is a research associate assigned to the NMRL's Department of Defense Laboratory at Stennis, MS. He completed his MS.Ed in Exercise Physiology and BS.Ed in Physical Education (K-12) from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. While attending NIU, he taught exercise physiology laboratory classes, supervised physical education clinical student teachers, and conducted research with Dr. Amanda Salacinski and ACSM Fellow Dr. Craig Broeder. Paul's research interests include contrast water therapy, thermoregulation in extreme environments, and flotation R.E.S.T.

Scott Conger, PhD

sconger@pitt.edu

Scott is an Assistant Professor working on the Naval Special Warfare Injury Prevention Initiative located in Coronado, CA. He received his PhD in Exercise Physiology in 2011 and his Master's degree in Human Performance and Sports Studies in 2001 both from the University of Tennessee. Prior to beginning his doctoral work, he held appointments as the laboratory manager at the Nutrition, Metabolism, and Exercise Laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and as the research coordinator at the Spinal Cord Injury Exercise Laboratory at the University of Michigan. His research interests include exercise training for optimal performance, objective methods for assessing physical activity, and nutritional ergogenic aids during exercise.

Matthew Darnell, MS, RD, SCCC

med30@pitt.edu

Matt is a Doctoral Student in Rehabilitation Science within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (anticipated graduation in 2014). Prior to enrolling in the Doctoral Program, Matt completed his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh, where he competed on the wrestling team. Matt is a Registered Dietitian and Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) and has worked as an Assistant Strength Coach for the Olympic sports teams at Pitt.  His research interests include nutrition and exercise approaches to improve athletic performance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation.

Ryan D. Wedge, MPT, BS

rwedge@pitt.edu

Ryan is a research associate assigned to the NMRL’s Department of Defense Laboratory at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, CA. Prior to joining the NMRL, he completed his Bachelors of Science degree in Physical Therapy and his Masters of Physical Therapy at Quinnipac University, Hamden, CT. He has also previously worked as a sports medicine clinician in South Portland, ME at Saco Bay Physical Therapy. Ryan’s research interests include neuromuscular and musculoskeletal patterns of endurance athletes with a history of pathology.

Tony Bozich, MS, ATC

ajb67@pitt.edu

Tony serves as a research associate at The Human Performance Research Laboratory at Ft. Bragg.   He returns to the University of Pittsburgh, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in Athletic Training and his Master's degree in Sports Medicine and Nutrition.  Prior to joining the staff at Ft. Bragg, he served as the certified athletic trainer for the University of Pittsburgh’s baseball program.  He has also worked for UPMC's Center for Sports Medicine as a Certified Athletic Trainer and completed an athletic training internship in the NFL with the New York Giants.  Tony’s research interests include the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries and identifying risk factors for musculoskeletal injury in athletic and military populations.

Julie Kresta, PhD

jkresta@pitt.edu

Julie is an Assistant Professor working on the United States Army Special Operations Command Injury Prevention and Performance Optimization Research Initiative at Fort Bragg, NC. She received her PhD in Exercise Physiology from Texas A&M University in 2011 and her Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2005. She has previously worked in the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M University coordinating research studies related to improving health, body composition and exercise performance. She has also worked as a Research Coordinator for Spinal Cord Injury Research at the Baylor Institute of Rehabilitation in Dallas, Texas. Her research interests include the utilization of exercise training and nutrition for the improvement of physical performance in trained or athletic populations.

Hung-Chun Huang, PT

huh8@pitt.edu

Hung-Chun (a.k.a. Gordon) is a doctoral student in Rehabilitation Sciences within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (anticipated graduation 2012). Prior to enrolling in the doctoral program, Gordon completed his bachelor degree in Physical Therapy at the National Taiwan University (Taipei, Taiwan) and master's degree in Sports Medicine within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include neuromuscular contributions to military performance, such as marksmanship, load carriage, and lifting, and neuromuscular control in relation to low back injury prevention.

Jon Akins, MS

jsa14@pitt.edu

Jon's Webpage

Jon Akins is a doctoral student in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh (Anticipated graduation 2012). Prior to enrolling in the doctoral program, Jon completed his Master of Science in Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma State University. His research interests injury prevention and performance optimization of athletes, soldiers, and operators via kinematic and kinetic assessments.

Karen Keenan, MA, ATC

kak170@pitt.edu

Karen Keenan is a doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (Anticipated graduation in 2012). Prior to enrolling in the doctoral program, she worked as a certified athletic trainer in the university setting and taught in several accredited Athletic Training Education Programs. She completed her Masters degree in Physical Education, Exercise, & Sports Science at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a Concentration in Athletic Training at the University of New Hampshire. Her research interests include spinal kinematics and kinetics, core stability, and neuromuscular control relating to lower extremity injury prevention.

Katelyn Fleishman Allison, MS, ACSM-HFS

kaf14@pitt.edu

Katelyn is a doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (Anticipated graduation in 2013). Prior to enrolling in the doctoral program, Katelyn completed her Bachelors degree in Exercise Science and Masters degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh, where she competed in Cross Country and Track. Her research interests include methods for performance enhancement, neuromuscular control relating to lower extremity injury prevention, and overuse injury prevention in females.

Nicholas Clark, MSc, PG Dip, PT, CSCS.

ncc18@pitt.edu

Nick is a Doctoral Student in Rehabilitation Science within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to enrolling in the Doctoral Program Nick gained extensive clinical experience in the British National Health Service (NHS), private practice, elite sport, and the British Army. He has been a Visiting Lecturer to several British Manual Physical Therapy, Sports Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Master's Degree programs, and a Rehabilitation Consultant for the British Ministry of Defence. Nick completed his Master's Degree in Manual Therapy and Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation at University College London (UK), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Clinical Biomechanics at Staffordshire University (UK), and a Bachelor's Degree in Physiotherapy at the University of East London (UK). His research interests include knee proprioception and neuromuscular control, the role of different exercise training methods in lower limb injury prevention and rehabilitation, the correlation between laboratory and clinical measurement procedures, and the effective clinical application of laboratory-based research.

Jon Pederson, MS, ATC

jjp44@pitt.edu

Jon Pederson is a Doctoral Student in Rehabilitation Science within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (Anticipated graduation in 2015). Prior to enrolling in the Doctoral Program, Jon completed his Bachelors degree in Athletic Training at Luther College and Masters degree in Sports Medicine within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include functional ankle instability, neuromuscular control relating to lower extremity injury prevention, injury epidemiology and surveillance, and musculoskeletal injuries in the military.

Valerie Williams, PT, DPT, MS

williamsvj2@upmc.edu

Valerie is a part time Doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. She currently works full time as a physical therapist for Centers for Rehab Services in Pittsburgh. Valerie completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Master of Health and Rehabilitation Science- Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh and Orthopeadic Physical Therapy Residency at Centers for Rehab Services in Pittsburgh. Clinically, Valerie enjoys treating orthopeadic injuries and working with pre-professional and professional dancers. Her research interests include risk factor assessment for injuries in dancers and athletes, development of injury prevention programs, kinematics, postural stability and proprioception, and rehabilitation of orthopeadic injuries.

Nicholas Heebner, ATC

nrh13@pitt.edu

Nick Heebner is a doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (anticipated graduation 2015). Prior to enrolling in the doctoral program, Nick received his bachelor degree in kinesiology, Athletic Training, from the Pennsylvania State University and is concurrently completing his master’s thesis in the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory. His research interests include injury prevention and performance optimization in the athletic and military populations, the use of accelerometers in injury prevention, neuromuscular control, and postural stability.

Megan Turcheck, ATC

mlt33@pitt.edu

Megan is a master’s student in Sports Medicine within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (anticipated graduation in 2013). Megan completed her bachelor of science in Athletic Training at the University of Pittsburgh and has chosen to stay to work on her master’s thesis. Her research interests include improving athletic performance, nutrition and its contribution to performance, and injury prevention within the athletic and military population.

Michelle Varnell, MS, ATC

msv11@pitt.edu

Michelle Varnell is a doctoral student in Rehabilitation Sciences within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (anticipated graduation 2015). Prior to enrolling in the doctoral program, Michelle completed her bachelor degree in Athletic Training with a minor in Political Science at Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, Arizona) and a master's degree in Sports Health Care at A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Health Science (Mesa, AZ). She has spent the last four years as a research associate with the SHRI-CORE Orthopedic Research Labs, where she has developed expertise in the motion analysis of activities of daily living in both the upper and lower extremities. She has presented her work at various national conferences. Her research interests include shoulder biomechanics, specifically related to scapular kinematics, as well as sport performance and enhancement.

Deirdre McFate, ATC

dam158@pitt.edu

Deirdre is a master's student in Wellness and Human Performance within the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh (anticipated graduation December 2011). Prior to enrolling in the master's program she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from California University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include injury prevention and performance optimization through nutrition and exercise in the athletic and military populations, and the effects of fatigue on performance and injury prevalence.