Lab Members

Investigators

Maureen Whitford, PT, PhD, NCS
Maureen Whitford is a physical therapist who has a PhD in Rehabilitation Science with a special interest in motor recovery and neuroplastic change after stroke. She has been an Assistant Professor at CSU since August 2014. She has been a physical therapist for 24 years, practicing across many settings, with a focus on neurorehabilitation. She is especially interested in gaining insight in to motor control and learning post-stroke in an attempt to develop more effective rehabilitative interventions. She currently studies these questions in humans (healthy controls and people post-stroke), primarily using the upper extremity as a model. She is also extremely interested in bimanual coordination post-stroke. For more information, please see faculty profile.

Students

 

Sarah Popernack

Sarah Popernack graduated from Cleveland State University as a Scholars Student in May 2015 with her Bachelor of Health Sciences- Pre-Physical Therapy degree and a minor in Psychology. She is currently a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Cleveland State, with the anticipated graduation date of December 2018. Sarah is the current Graduate Assistant for Dr. Whitford, completing various tasks and assisting in research needs. Her interests within physical therapy include orthopedics, neurology, and teaching.  

 

Brooke Harshbarger

Brooke graduated from University of Toledo in 2014 with her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. She is currently a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Cleveland State, with an anticipated graduation date of December 2018. Brooke is completing independent research with Dr. Whitford focusing on writing a manuscript for a study looking at use of paretic versus nonparetic and unilateral versus bilateral upper extremities during reaching tasks in participants post-stroke as compared to healthy controls. Brooke is most interested in pursuing a career working with the neurological population upon graduation from Cleveland State.




Trevor Foster

Trevor Foster is an undergraduate senior at Cleveland State University, where he majors in Health Sciences. Trevor is currently on the Pre-Physical Therapy track with an anticipated graduation date in December 2017. Upon graduation, Trevor will be in Cleveland State University's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, Class of 2020. Trevor has assisted with Dr. Whitford's research in the Physical Therapy Department since Spring 2016. Currently, Trevor is in an Independent Research course working with Dr. Whitford in the Motor Behavior Lab. Trevor presented at Cleveland State University's Undergraduate Research Day and Ohio Physical Therapy Association's Scientific Symposium regarding "Effects of Task Requirements on Choice of Upper Extremity Use in Subjects Chronic Post-stroke."



Amanda Videmsek

Amanda Videmsek graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2014 and is currently working towards her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Cleveland State with an anticipated graduation date in December 2017. She was a graduate assistant in the Physical Therapy Department working under Dr. Whitford where she assisted with research recruitment, data collection, and data entry for research studies looking at upper extremity recovery in individuals after stroke. Her clinical interests include pediatrics and orthopedics. Amanda presented at the 2016 Marilyn Mount Case Report Night regarding "Communication & Awareness: Incorporating Accelerometers into Physical Therapy with Patients Who Have Aphasia."

 

 

 

Andrea Matanovic

Andrea Matanovic graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a minor in Psychology from Cleveland State University as an Honors Program Student in December 2016. She is currently pursuing a Master of Occupational Therapy degree at Cleveland State with an anticipated graduation date of December 2019. She worked as a research assistant under Dr. Whitford's supervision where she assisted with participant recruitment, data collection and analysis, and initial manuscript writing. As an Honors student, she worked on an independent study with Dr. Whitford examining recovery after stroke. Andrea presented at the 2016 Marilyn Mount Case Report Night regarding "Communication & Awareness: Incorporating Accelerometers into Physical Therapy with Patients Who Have Aphasia."

 

 Brian Richards 

Brian Richards is a current Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Cleveland State University with an anticipated graduation date of December 2017. Brian has assisted Dr. Whitford in writing research focused on observing the effects of accelerometer-based feedback on upper extremity use in participants post-stroke. Brian's interests include neurology and motor learning.

 

 

 

 

Mishgan Abdullah

Mishgan Abdullah is in her senior year at Cleveland State University. Her major is Health Sciences Pre-Physician Assistant with a minor in Biology. She plans on graduating in May of 2018. She has participated in research with Dr. Whitford through the TRIO McNair Scholars Program in the summers of 2015 and 2016. Mishgan presented at the Ohio Physical Therapy Association's Scientific Symposium and Cleveland State University's Undergraduate Research Day regarding the "Effect of Accelerometer Based Feedback on Paretic Upper Extremity Amount of Use and Quality of Movement: A Case Study."