Physical Therapy Research Facilities
The Department of Physical Therapy provides training for graduate students in the Physical  Therapy Program and the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomechanics and Movement Science. Research focuses on applied physiology, movement analysis, motor behavior, and motor control. Students are exposed to all aspects of research, including experimental design, data  acquisition and analysis, and writing manuscripts and grant proposals. Graduate students also help mentor undergraduate researchers involved in the extensive Undergraduate Research Program through the Science and Engineering Research Scholars Program and the Peter White Fellowships.
Motion Analysis Laboratory
326 McKinly Lab
Phone: (302) 831-4646

The MAL is a 2,354 square foot laboratory used for research in motor control and biomechanics and also the testing site for the the Running Injury Clinic. 

Researchers:
Irene McClay, PT, PhD
Katherine Rudolph, PT, PhD
John P. Scholz, PT, PhD
Lynn Snyder-Mackler, PT, ScD
Equipment:
  • 6 camera (60/120Hz) Vicon Workstation
  • Vicon Realtime System
  • 2 mobile, Bertec Force Platforms on Air Carriers
  • 16 channel Motion Lab System 
  • EMG system
  • PCB Piezotronics uniaxial accelerometer 
  • Quinton treadmill 
 Equipment:
  • 2 Panasonic video cameras
  • 2 Sony VCRs (with frame by frame capability) 
  • PEAK Performance video-based motion analysis system
  • Therapeutics Unlimited EMG system
  • 6 channel Data Translation analog-to-digital board 
  • custom designed computer-controlled torque motor-manipulandum system 
Return to top
 
Motor Behavior Laboratory
329 McKinly Lab
Phone: (302) 831-3214

The 410 sq. ft. research laboratory is located across the hall from the motion analysis laboratory and is used for research in motor control and motor behavior of infants and adults. 
Equipment:
  • 6 camera (60/120Hz) Vicon 512 Workstation
  • with 64 channel A/D board
  • Broadway video capture card
  • 2 large capacity Pentium based computers 
 Researchers:
James C. (Cole) Galloway, PT, PhD
John Scholz, PT, PhD

 
Animal Research Laboratory
323 McKinly Lab
Phone: (302) 831-3011

      The ARL is a 350 sq. foot animal laboratory in which basic and applied muscle physiology research is performed.  In addition to the facilities supported by the  Physical Therapy Department, the University maintains an outstanding animal care facility.  The animal care support staff includes a veterinarian and three full-time animal caretakers. 
 
Equipment:
  • customized LabVIEW 
  • application software
  • A to D and I/O boards
  • torque motor, stimulators
  • a Kopf spinal frame
  • storage oscilloscopes
  • a digital data recorder
 Researchers:
Stuart Binder-Macleod, PT, PhD

 
Human Muscle Performance Laboratory
325 McKinly Lab
Phone: (302) 831-3011

      This 350 sq. foot  human muscle performance laboratory is used to perform research in electrical stimulation of skeletal muscle.  This lab is also used to perform strength tests on patients from the UD PT Clinic.
Equipment: 
  • 2 computerized force dynamometers
  • (KIN-COMs)
  • Grass S8800 stimulators, 
  • customized LabVIEW application 
  • software
  • A to D and I/O boards
  • storage oscilloscopes
  • a digital data recorder
 Researchers:
Stuart Binder-Macleod, PT, PhD
Lynn Snyder-Mackler, PT, ScD

 
Physical Therapy Clinic
053 McKinly Lab
Phone: (302) 831-8893

   In addition to the traditional research facilities described above, the Physical Therapy Department also operates a fully equipped Physical Therapy Clinic in McKinly Laboratory.  This clinic, which provides more than 300 patient visits per week, serves as an excellent source of patients for clinical research studies and is an outstanding clinical training facility for students. 

Researchers:
Lynn Snyder-Mackler, PT, ScD
301 McKinly Lab | University of Delaware | Newark, DE 19716 | phone 302-831-8910 | fax 302-831-4234
Comments to: krudolph@udel.edu 
last edited: 6/2000