Healing strides
UO physiology professor studies how to get athletes back in action
Inside the large basement laboratory of the University of Oregon’s Li-Shan Chou, people are watched closely as they walk or run.
Chou, an associate professor of human physiology, recently has been applying funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to closely monitor a person’s gait in the aftermath of injuries, including concussions suffered by athletes.
“We are studying the mechanics involved in body movement,” said Chou, whose lab was featured in this short video. (Story continues below video.)
Chou keeps a large team of graduate students busy, gathering and analyzing data that lead to interventions to guide rehabilitation.
Chou’s teaching focus is in the area of biomechanical analysis of human movement, orthopedic biomechanics, and rehabilitation engineering. He applies engineering and mechanical theories to enhance the understanding of mechanisms governing human locomotion.
His areas of expertise include clinical gait analysis, assessment of dynamic stability during locomotion, and mathematical modeling of the musculoskeletal system. In addition to CDC funding, Chou has received major research grants from the National Institutes of Health and from the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon.
His early studies of the impact of head concussions on gait have suggested that many athletes try to go back into their sports competition too early. His research has found tell-tale signs in the way a person walks or runs that says the brain is not ready for action.