College of Engineering Biomedical Engineering Program

hr-uconn-health-signature

Kristin Morgan, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Research Interests:
Gait pattern analysis; quantifying dynamic joint stability; computational modeling of human movement; detecting and assessing lower extremity injury risk.
Address:
Bronwell 307, 260 Glenbrook Road, Unit 3247
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269-3247
Office Phone:
(860) 486-8118
(860) 486-8195
Office Fax: (860) 486-2500
Education:
BS (Biomedical Engineering),  Duke University, Durham, NC
MS (Biomedical Engineering), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
PhD (Biomedical Engineering), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Research Summary:

I am a biomedical engineer and my primary research focus is human movement biomechanics. In particular, I am interested in investigating how changes in joint motion and muscle function relate to lower extremity injuries; such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and patellofemoral pain. In my work, both advanced engineering and statistical techniques – including Nyquist and Bode stability analyses, time series modeling, and wavelets – are employed to detect and characterize changes in joint stability.  By using these findings and OpenSim, a musculoskeletal software system, computational models and subject-specific simulations of human movement are developed to better understand how muscles generate force during athletic and other dynamic tasks.

Selected Publications:

Morgan, K.D., Zheng, Y., Bush, H. and B. Noehren. “Nyquist and Bode Stability Criteria to Assess Dynamic Knee Stability in Healthy and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructed Individuals during Walking.” Journal of Biomechanics, 2016; 49(9): 1686-1691.