Human Movement Science Curriculum (GRAD)

The Department of Health Sciences in the School of Medicine offers an interdisciplinary program of study in human movement science leading to the doctor of philosophy degree. The intent of this program is to develop research and teaching scholars who are capable of producing and disseminating new knowledge in the field of human movement science. The curriculum combines core requirements for all students in the program while allowing for considerable flexibility in designing programs of study to meet the needs of a specific area of concentration and the students’ interests.

The doctoral program in human movement science is offered through the cooperative effort of the Division of Physical Therapy (UNC School of Medicine) and the Department of Exercise and Sport Science (College of Arts and Sciences). This program is designed to provide students an opportunity for doctoral study in areas that will increase our knowledge of human movement. The program focuses on contributing to the scientific basis of human movement and developing theory and methods for maintaining health, preventing disability, and improving movement ability. Focusing on normal movement and movement disability requires a special emphasis in research and education that draws upon yet differs from the focus of related sciences. Students of varied academic disciplines are accepted into the program. Students in our program study across several areas of interest in human movement:

• Biomechanics
• Brain injury / concussion
• Exercise physiology
• Injury prevention
• Neuromuscular control and motor learning
• Rehabilitation (musculoskeletal, neurological)

Research Facilities

Several research facilities are available for students in the departments participating in the program. These include the Recovery of Gait and Neurorehabilitation (ReGaiN) and Cassidy Plasticity Laboratories in the Division of Physical Therapy, and the Applied Physiology, Integrative Exercise Oncology Lab, MOTION Science Institute, STAR Heel Laboratory, and the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science. These laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art instruments for measuring a range of human movement and performance through behavioral, physiological, biomechanical, cognitive, sensory, and computer modeling instrumentation.

Admission

Student selection is based primarily on academic records and research experience. Requirements include the following:

• At least one core HMSC faculty member has agreed that he/she may serve as the applicant’s mentor if the applicant is admitted to the program. This is not a guarantee of admission, but an indication that the faculty member has endorsed the application.
• A master's degree in a field related to human movement (e.g., physical therapy, exercise science, athletic training, biomedical engineering, anatomy, etc.) is preferred. In rare circumstances, qualified candidates with a bachelor's degree will be considered for admission.
• A grade point average of 3.0 or better in the last two years of the student's most recent degree program. A typical student who is admitted has a 3.4 GPA or better.
• Coursework in the following areas, completed within the past five years, is a prerequisite for admission. Completion of coursework in these areas longer than five years ago may require completion of an admissions examination.
  • Statistics
  • Human anatomy
  • Human physiology

AND at least one of the following courses:

• Physics
• Biomechanics
• Chemistry
• Psychology
• Exercise physiology
• Motor learning/motor control/ neuromuscular control
• Neuroanatomy

• Three letters of academic recommendation
• Curriculum vitae
• Written statement of the academic/career goals and research interests
• Name of the faculty member who has agreed to mentor the applicant. (Applicants should contact a faculty member in their area of interest prior to beginning the application process.)

Courses

Numbered 700-999:

• Human Movement Science (HMSC)

Human Movement Science, Ph.D.

A key feature of this program is the interdisciplinary orientation of the combined efforts of several successful programs on the UNC – Chapel Hill campus.  We believe that the advancement of the science of human movement can best be accomplished with methods and researchers across disciplines. Human movement is inherently complex and dynamic and is the product of biological, mechanical, behavioral, and environmental systems.  The dynamic and complex nature of human movement provides an organizational perspective for the curriculum.  Specific features of this organizing perspective include:

• An emphasis on developing and testing theory of normal and dysfunctional human movement;
• Applying these and other theories of movement to maintaining and improving human movement;
• Recognizing the multifactorial nature of human movement;
• An interdisciplinary approach to solving problems of human movement;
• Studying movement at multiple levels of analysis; and
• Addressing the unique movement problems associated with injury, disease, development and aging.

Course Requirements

¹

Students with previous, relevant undergraduate or master's experience may have the option of substituting one of these courses with consultation with the DGS and program coordinator.

²

Students must take this 1-credit hour class four times.

³

For alternative courses please consult your DGS and program coordinator.

Milestones

The following list of milestones (non-course degree requirements) must be completed; view this list of standard milestone definitions for more information.

• Doctoral Written Exam
• Doctoral Oral Comprehensive Exam
• Doctoral Committee
• Prospectus Oral Exam
• Dissertation Defense
• Doctoral Dissertation Approved/Format Accepted
• Residence Credit
• Doctoral Exit Survey

Professors

Claudio Battaglini, Management of Cancer Treatment-Related Symptoms, Prescriptive Exercise Intervention
Troy Blackburn, Neuromuscular Function and Motor Control, Knee Osteoarthritis Prevention
Joseph Hart, Neuromuscular Consequences of Joint Injury, Knee Osteoarthritis Prevention
Christopher Ingersoll, Arthrogenic Muscle Inhibition, Muscle Activation
Kristen Kucera, Sport and Occupational Injury Epidemiology, Including Musculoskeletal Disorders, Ergonomics, Return to Work
Karen McCulloch, Balance and Cognitive Interactions in Older Adults and Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Effects of Military Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Balance and Cognitive Function, Including Dual-Task Performance and Return to Duty Implications
Jason Mihalik, Sports Medicine, Sports and Military Neurotrauma
Brian Pietrosimone, Sports Medicine; Knee Osteoarthritis
Johna Register-Mihalik, Traumatic Brain Injury – Negative Consequences, Prevention, Education and Clinical Management
Eric Ryan, Exercise Physiology; Exercise Adaptation, Nutritional Supplementation, and Aging on Neuromuscular Function
Abbie Smith-Ryan, Exercise Physiology, Exercise and Nutrition Interventions, Body Composition
Darin Padua, Biomechanics and Sports Medicine, Knee Injury Prevention
Erik Wikstrom, Impact of Musculoskeletal Injury on Sensorimotor Control of the Lower Extremity, Ankle Joint Injury

Associate Professors

J.D. DeFreese, Athlete Psychological and Physical Health and Social Functioning
Tim Eckard, Risk Factor Identification, Injury Screening Techniques, Military Training Populations
Erik Hanson, Exercise Physiology, Exercise Testing and Training in Clinical Populations, Exercise Oncology and Immunology
Zachary Kerr, Sports Injury Surveillance; Sports-Related Injury Prevention
Adam Kiefer, Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention in Sport
Michael Lewek, Stroke Rehabilitation; Biomechanics; Neuromuscular Function
Lee Stoner, Interactions Between Lifestyle Behavioral Factors and Cardio-Metabolic Disorders, Assessing Cardio-Metabolic Health, Translation of Basic and Applied Science to Affect Public Health Outcomes

Assistant Professors

Shelby Baez, Consequences of Maladaptive Psychological Responses to Injury; Interventions on Cognitive Behavior Following Joint Injury
Jimakaye Beck Courtney, Engagement in Health Behaviors, Physical Activity, Alcohol
Malia Blue, Cardiometabolic Health in Racial and Ethnic Populations, Body Composition, Performance, Injury Risk
Jessica Cassidy, Neuroimaging and Neurostimulation in Neurological Disease, Injury, and Development
Gena Gerstner, First Responder Health, Performance, and Neuromuscular Function
Dana McCarty, High-Risk Infants, Cranial Outcomes, Maternal Mental Health, NICU Accessibility
Derek Monroe, Multimodal Brain Imaging, Traumatic Brain Injury, Brain Aging
Louise Thoma, Optimizing Rehabilitation and Recovery After Orthopedic Injury and Surgery

Affiliated Faculty

Leigh Callahan, Department of Medicine 
Jacqueline H. Cole, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Jason Franz, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Steven George, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Kelly Giovanello, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Richard Goldberg, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Yvonne Golightly, Department of Epidemiology
Kevin Guskiewicz, Michigan State University
Anthony C. Hackney, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Exercise Endocrinology–Stress Physiology
Joseph Hopfinger, Department of Psychology
He Huang, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Laura Linnan, Department of Health Behavior
Stephen Marshall, Gillings School of Global Public Health
Vicki Mercer, Department of Health Sciences
Michelle Meyer, Department of Emergency Medicine 
Justin Moore, Wake ForestUniversity 
Amanda Nelson, Department of Medicine 
Deborah Porterfield, Department of Family Medicine