Dr. Stacey A. Meardon

Biomechanics and Motor Control of Musculoskeletal Injury and Recovery

Dr. Meardon joined the ECU Department of Physical Therapy in the fall of 2013. She is a licensed physical therapist with a primary practice areas of orthopedics, sports and research. She graduated with her master’s in physical therapy from Washington University of St. Louis and her PhD from Iowa State University in Kinesiology with primary focus areas of biomechanics and motor control. She is passionate about movement science and skeletal health. Her current (and persistent) research interest lies in uncovering the mechanisms of bone and joint injuries, seeking targets for intervention to enable people to lead active lives.

When she is not working, she finds balance in spending quality time with her husband, three kids, and two labs. Hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding and reading a good book are some of her favorite activities.

Research Focus

Our lab group examines the relationships between motor control, biomechanics and tissue structure and function as it relates to mechanisms of injury, interventions and treatment outcomes. Target populations range from young athletes to older adult.

Research Mission

Through the investigation of the biomechanics and motor control of the musculoskeletal system, the mission of our lab group is to identify mechanisms underlying bone and joint injury and to identify effective interventions to empower individuals to be active.

Research Overview

Our group studies neuromuscular and biomechanical factors that contribute to injury during physical activity with an emphasis on bone health. Our research is directed toward identifying neuro-biomechanical factors that result in elevated tissue loads and injury during activity in order to identify target interventions and remove barriers to physical activity. We are also interested in how postural control, movement variability, and coordination contribute to injury. Most of our research is accomplished in the Movement Biomechanics Lab and the Sensorimotor Testing and Rehabilitation Lab.

Our research combines multiple, non-invasive measures of human movement to study factors to contribute to injury risk and promote recovery. We use combination of kinematic, kinetic, and imaging tools to quantify human movement and model tissue loading, a key component of tissue adaptation and a proximate cause of injury. Our multi-scale modeling approach allows us to estimate tissue stress and strain during human movement at musculoskeletal injury sites and to discover the role of individual, task and environmental factors on injury mechanisms and recovery.

Projects

Current projects include:

  1. Identifying biomechanical factors associated with elevated bone stress and stress fracture
  2. Assessing how locomotor patterns, motor tasks and footwear influence tissue loads and damage potential, both positively and negatively, acutely and over time
  3. Evaluating load distribution, postural control and adaptability in persons with injury
  4. Studying the effects of neurocognition on musculoskeletal injury risk factors
  5. Assessment of Exoskeleton Devices to Enhance Mobility of Warfighters with Leg Fractures. (HJF W81XWH-20-C-0031 1068885)
  6. Study of fatigue impacts on musculoskeletal injuries. (HJF W81XWH-20-C-0031)
  7. Identifying somatosensory thresholds associated with fall risk and injury (NIH R15 (1R15AG058228-01A1)
  8. REU Site: Biomedical Engineering in Simulations, Imaging and Modeling (BME-SIM, NSF 1359183)

For a complete list of prior publications please see the Google scholar page or the ORCID page for Stacey Meardon, PT, PhD

Lab Group

Current ECU PhD Students

Ankur Padhye joined the Movement Biomechanics Lab in the fall of 2020. He is doctoral student in our Rehabilitation Sciences Program and a licensed physical therapist. He earned his BS in Physical Therapy from Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India, and his MS in Health Sciences from the University of Indianapolis. Ankur’s research interests relate to movement analysis of sports injuries and injury prevention. Currently, his research is directed towards understanding foot biomechanics in the athletic population. padhyea20@students.ecu.edu

 

Kiavash Sharifi joined Dr. Meardon’s lab group in the Fall of 2024. He has a background in Biomechanical Engineering. He earned his M.Eng. in Biomechanical Engineering and B.Eng. in Biomedical Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Iran. His master’s research focused on the biomechanical behavior of the lumbar intervertebral disc under repetitive compressive loading, using experimental and computational methods. His research interests include movement analysis, orthopedic biomechanics, and musculoskeletal modeling related to treating and preventing musculoskeletal injuries. sharifik24@students.ecu.edu

 

PhD Committees

  1. Sam Lyons (in process) Practical Methods to Estimate Tibial Compressive Force Outside of the Laboratory. University of Memphis [committee member]
  2. Ankur Padhye (in process) Metatarsal Bone and Joint Loads: Implications for Injury. [co-director]
  3. Brittany Trotter (in process) Neurological Impacts of COVID 19 on Postural Control and Vision.
  4. John Davis (2023) Understanding Internal Biomechanical Loads During Running Using Wearable Sensors. Indiana University. [committee member; site supervisor]
  5. Gustavo Sandri Heidner (2022) Long Lasting Effects of MTBI on Oculomotor Ability and Neuromuscular Control. East Carolina University. [committee member]

Doctoral of Physical Therapy Graduate Assistants

  • Caitlyn Burkett, Class of 2026
  • Abby Yourkavitch, Class of 2025
  • Alex Livengood, Class of 2025
  • Alumni: Zach Blank, Emily Brown, Marie Morrisette, Karleen Bartol, Caroline Campbell, Kristen Edmonds, Maggie Marshall, Abbie Donahue, Dylan Sampson, Lauren Dicktel, Lynnz Brewer

Master’s Degree Students

  • Alumni: Matthew Becker, Victoria Price, Mara Thompson, Patricia Butler, Riley Horn

Undergraduate Interns

  • Alumni: Avery Barr, Alyssa Genova, Jasmine Scales, Breanna Hall, Abbey Donahue, Fionan Linch, Summer Kenny, Rachel Golden, Emily Edwards, Gabriel Pate, Bridget Kenny, Trinity Lamb
  • BMES REU: Karleen Bartol, Leela Goel, Julie Liu, Hannah Arris, Jordan McClung,
Get Involved & Contact Details

Are you interested in learning more or getting involved? We are always looking for diverse, inquisitive individuals who are passionate about human movement to join our group.  Please reach out to Stacey Meardon, PT, PhD for more information:

  • (252) 744-6248
  • 2410B Health Sciences Building
  • East Carolina University
  • Greenville, NC 27834
  • meardons@ecu.edu
  • website: http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/hmal

Interested in participating in a study?  Please reach out to Stacey Meardon PT, PhD to learn about current opportunities at meardons@ecu.edu.