Dr. Scholz' research is directed toward understanding basic processes underlying the control and coordination of movement in healthy individuals and in patients with movement dysfunction, particularly individuals with stroke. This work combines mathematical modeling with experiments designed to understand how the nervous system solves the purported "problem" of motor redundancy to learn and achieve successful functional movement tasks. This work has focused to date on the coordination of postural tasks (standing and sit-to-stand) and more skilled upper extremity activities such as reaching, pointing and drawing tasks. Another line of investigation studies recovery of walking in individuals surviving a stroke by using a novel approach combining robotics, functional electrical stimulation and motor learning. This latter work is in collaboration with other faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Physical Therapy. 

 

Collaborators: 
Dr. Gregor Schöner, Institut für Neuroinformatiks, Bochum, Germany.
Dr. Mark Latash, Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University.

Drs. John Jeka and Tim Kiemel, Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland.

Drs. Sunil Agrawal, Stuart Binder-Macleod , Thomas Buchanan and Jill Higginson, University of Delaware

Dr. Scholz’s area of clinical interest is the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with movement dysfunction due to central nervous system damage (e.g., stroke). 

GRANT  FUNDING: 
National Institutes of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, Principal Investigator. Title: Coordination of reaching in healthy adults and stroke. Period: January 1, 2005 – December 31, 2008 (NS050880)

National Institutes of Health. Title: FES and Biomechanics: Treating movement disorders; Investigator on multi-departmental grant to train walking in patients following stoke. Period: September 2002 – August 2008, PI: Thomas Buchanan and Stuart Binder-Macleod (R01HD38582).

National Institutes of Health. Investigator-subcontractor. Title: Organization of a simple synergy; PI: Mark Latash, PhD, Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University. Grant Period: February 2002-February 2009. (2286-UD-DHHS-5032); Subcontract.

National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. Investigator: John P. Scholz; Title: Control and coordination of standing from sitting. Grant Period: September, 1998 – August, 2000. 

University of Delaware Research Foundation Award. Investigators: John P. Scholz and John Elias; Title: Aiding the Disabled: Evolving efficient control methods for assistive robots.  Grant Period: January, 1994 - June, 1995. 

Foundation for Physical Therapy, Principal Investigator: John P. Scholz. Title: A parametric study of movement coordination in squat lifting. Grant Period: May 1, 1991 - April 30, 1993. 

University of Delaware Research Foundation Award. Principal Investigator: John P. Scholz.  Title: Patterns of coordination in the act of lifting.  Grant Period: January, 1989 - June, 1989. 

Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health, through the Biomedical Research Committee, University of Delaware.  Principal Investigator: John P. Scholz.  Title: Principles of neuromuscular coordination: A dynamic pattern analysis of manual lifting.  Grant Period: July, 1989 - June, 1990. 

Georgia State University Research Grant #88106. Principal Investigator: John P. Scholz.  Title: Patterns of coordination in the act of lifting.  Grant Period: January 1, 1988 - June 30, 1988. 
 

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