Brooke Slavens

Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
EMS Office 755

Dr. Slavens is currently investigating the prevention of secondary conditions of the shoulder in manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury across the lifespan. She is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), and the VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service (RR&D). She is also the Director of the Mobility Lab at the Innovation Campus Accelerator Building. The lab is cross affiliated with the College of Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Science & Technology and the College of Engineering & Applied Science Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Education

NIDRR ARRT Postdoctoral Training Pediatric Mobility Marquette University 2010
PhD, Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, 2007
MS, Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, 2004
BS, Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, 2001

Research Interests

Dynamics of human movement
Musculoskeletal modeling
MRI and ultrasound musculoskeletal imaging
Rehabilitation engineering
Orthopaedic biomechanics

New interests in human motion analysis have directed research to the area of upper extremity. To quantify the upper extremity, the Movement Analysis for Biomedical Innovation & Technology (Mobility) Lab has developed a validated 3D inverse dynamics model for assessment of pediatric mobility. The model can be used to characterize shoulder, elbow and wrist joint forces and moments. It is being applied to subjects with myelomeningocele, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury and osteogenesis imperfecta to characterize crutch, walker and wheelchair mobility to better understand joint load demands. Due to long-term assistive device usage, these mobility device users may be at an increased risk for developing upper extremity pain or pathologies.

Further research interests include musculoskeletal and finite element modeling to investigate the tissue level effects of long-term joint loading from assistive device usage. Research may improve clinical intervention strategies, therapeutic gait planning and offer insight to long-term joint loading effects.

Selected Publications

Slavens, B. A., Bhagchandani, N., Wang, M., Smith, P. A., & Harris, G. F. (In Press). Upper extremity inverse dynamics model for lofstrand crutch-assisted gait in children with osteogenesis imperfecta. Harris, G. F., Rauch, F., & Smith, P. (Eds.). Tampa, FL/Shriners Press: Transitional Care in Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Advances in Biology, Technology, and Clinical Practice.
Fritz, J. M., Inawat, R. R., Slavens, B. A., McGuire, J. R., Ziegler, D. W., Tarima, S. S., Grindel, S. I., & Harris, G. F. (2016, September). Assessment of Kinematics and Electromyography Following Arthroscopic Single-Tendon Rotator Cuff Repair. PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation, 1-13.
Slavens, B. A., Schnorenberg, A. J., Aurit, C. M., Tarima, S., Vogel, L. C., & Harris, G. F. (2016). Biomechanics of Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Mobility. Lausanne: Frontiers Media: Wheeled Mobility Biomechanics.
Fiedler, G., Slavens, B. A., O’Connor, K. M., Smith, R. O., & Hafner, B. J. (2016). Effects of physical exertion on trans-tibial prosthesis users’ ability to accommodate alignment perturbations. Prosthetics & Orthotics International, 40(1), 75-82.
Slavens, B. A., Schnorenberg, A. J., Aurit, C. M., Graf, A., Krzak, J., Reiners, K., Vogel, L. C., & Harris, G. F. (2015). Evaluation of pediatric manual wheelchair mobility using advanced biomechanical methods. BioMed Research International: Special Issue on Wheeled Mobility, 2015, 11 pages.
Slavens, B. A., Schnorenberg, A. J., Aurit, C. M., Tarima, S., Vogel, L. C., & Harris, G. F. (2015). Biomechanics of Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Mobility. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 3(137).
Schnorenberg, A. J., Slavens, B. A., Wang, M., Vogel, L., Smith, P., & Harris, G. F. (2014). Biomechanical model for evaluation of pediatric upper extremity joint dynamics during wheelchair mobility. Journal of Biomechanics, 47(1), 269-276.
Fiedler, G., Slavens, B. A., O’Connor, K. M., Smith, R. O., & Hafner, B. J. (2014). Effects of physical exertion on trans-tibial prosthesis users’ ability to accommodate alignment perturbations. Prosthetics & Orthotics International, 1-8.
Fiedler, G., Slavens, B. A., Smith, R. O., Briggs, D., & Hafner, B. J. (2014). Criterion and construct validity of prosthesis-integrated measurement of joint moment data in persons with trans-tibial amputation. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 30(3), 431-438.
Paul, A. J., Slavens, B. A., Graf, A., Krzak, J., Vogel, L., & Harris, G. F. (2013). Upper Extremity Biomechanical Model for Evaluation of Pediatrics with SCI during Wheelchair Activities.Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 19(2), 152-190.
Fiedler, G., Slavens, B. A., Hafner, B., Briggs, D., & Smith, R. O. (2013). Leg laterality in persons with bilateral transtibial amputation: A pilot study using prosthesis-integrated sensors. Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, 25(4), 168-176.
Slavens, B. A., Graf, A., Krzak, J., Vogel, L., & Harris, G. F. (2013). Wheelchair Kinematics for Children with Spinal Cord Injury. Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 19(2), 152-190.
Slavens, B. A., & Harris, G. F. (2012, February). Biomedical engineering education and advanced bioengineering learning: Interdisciplinary concepts, Chapter 7: Biomechanics. Abu-Faraj, Z. O. (Ed.). 1, 284-338. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Slavens, B. A., Bhagchandani, N., Wang, M., Smith, P. A., & Harris, G. F. (2011). An upper extremity inverse dynamics model for pediatric lofstrand crutch-assisted gait. Journal of Biomechanics, 44(11), 2162-2167.
Slavens, B. A., Bhagchandani, N., Wang, M., Smith, P. A., & Harris, G. F. (2011, October (4th Quarter/Autumn)). Motion Analysis of the Upper Extremities During Lofstrand Crutch-Assisted Gait in Children with Orthopaedic Disabilities. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, 3(4), 218-227.

Awards, Honors and Societies

Travel Award for the Advanced User’s Group Meeting. Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (2014) NIH National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research (NCSRR).
Nominated for the UWM Office of Research/UWM Foundation Research Award (2014, March) .
Best Video Presentation (2013, August) OpenSim Advanced User’s Workshop.
NCSRR Travel Award (2013, August) NIH National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research (NCSRR).
Best of Howard H. Steel Paper (2013, May 6) American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA).
Training In Grantsmanship for Rehabilitation Research (TIGRR) Workshop (2013, January 15) TIGRR.
Training In Grantsmanship for Rehabilitation Research (TIGRR) Participant (2012, November 5) National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Young Investigator’s Initiative Grant Writing Workshop Participant (2012, November 2) United States Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD).
Dean’s Research Award (2012, May 11) College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Marquis Who’s Who in America (2011, March) .
Young Investigator’s Initiative Grant Writing Workshop Participant (2009, November 6) United States Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD).
Best Professional Paper Award (2009, April 18) Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium (RMBS).
Enhancing Rehabilitation Research in the South (ERRIS) Intensive Workshop on Grant Writing, Preparation, and Submission in Rehabilitation Research (2009, January 13) University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA with funding from the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR).
Best Student Presentation Award (2008, April 1) Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis (GCMAS) Society.
Marquis Who’s Who in America (2008, February 6) .
Student Scientific Paper Award (2007, June 15) Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA).
Travel Award (2006, November 29) Howard H. Steel, Shriners Hospitals for Children and Saladin Shrine Center.
Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J. Fellowship (2005, February 15) Marquette University.
Student Conference Award (2004, April 21) Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society (GCMAS) and the Whitaker Foundation.
Research Assistantship (2002, January) Marquette University, Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Engineering Center (OREC).
Dean’s List (2001) University of Iowa.
Dean’s List (2000) University of Iowa.
Dean’s List (1999) University of Iowa.
Dean’s List (1998) University of Iowa.
Dean’s List (1997) University of Iowa.
National Freshman Honor Society (1997) Phi Eta Sigma.
Opportunity at Iowa Scholar (1997, August) University of Iowa.
Undergraduate Scholar Assistantship (1997, August) University of Iowa.