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Portrait of Brooke Slavens

Brooke A. Slavens, PhD

  • Associate Professor, Programs in Occupational Therapy Science, Technology & Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology

Education

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

Speaker Topics

  • Motion Analysis
  • Rehabilitation Engineering
  • Orthopaedic Biomechanics
  • Biomedical Engineering

Interests & Expertise

Brooke Slavens’ research interests include upper extremity motion analysis, inverse dynamics modeling, rehabilitation engineering and orthopaedic biomechanics. She is currently investigating upper extremity dynamics during crutch, walker and wheelchair mobility in children and adults with orthopaedic disabilities.

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

Rammer, J., Krzak, J., Slavens, B. A., Winters, J., Riedel, S., & Harris, G. F. Importance of Considering Propulsion Pattern in Therapeutic Outcomes for Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Users. Pediatric Physical Therapy.
Jahanian, O., Gaglio, A., Schnorenberg, A. J., Muqeet, V., Hsiao-Wecksler, E., & Slavens, B. A. Evaluation of Hand-rim and Wrist Joint Kinetics During Geared Manual Wheelchair Propulsion in Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury. Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation.
Gerstle, E., O'Connor, K. M., Keenan, K., Slavens, B. A., & Cobb, S. C. (2022, September). The Effect of Age and Fall History on Lower Extremity Neuromuscular Function During Descent of a Single Transition Step. Journal of aging and physical activity, 1-8.
Jahanian, O., Gaglio, A., Cho, C., Muqeet, V., Smith, R. O., Morrow MMB, Hsiao-Wecksler, E. T., & Slavens, B. A. (2022, September). Hand-rim biomechanics during geared manual wheelchair propulsion over different ground conditions in individuals with spinal cord injury. Journal of biomechanics, 142, 111235.
Koontz, A. M., Neti, A., Chung, C. S., Ayiluri, N., Slavens, B. A., Davis, C. G., & Wei, L. (2022, June). Reliability of 3D Depth Motion Sensors for Capturing Upper Body Motions and Assessing the Quality of Wheelchair Transfers. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 22(13).
Hanks, M. M., Schnorenberg, A. J., Lee, K. K., & Slavens, B. A. (2022, February). Three-Dimensional Biomechanics of the Trunk and Upper Limb during Overhead Throwing in Wheelchair Lacrosse Athletes with Spinal Cord Injury. American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation.
Leonardis, J. M., Schnorenberg, A. J., Vogel, L. C., Harris, G. F., & Slavens, B. A. (2021, November). Biological Sex-Related Differences in Glenohumeral Dynamics Variability during Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Propulsion. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference, 2021, 4619-4622.
Schnorenberg, A. J., & Slavens, B. A. (2021, November). Effect of Rotation Sequence on Thoracohumeral Joint Kinematics during Various Shoulder Postures. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference, 2021, 4912-4915.
Hanks, M. M., Leonardis, J. M., Schnorenberg, A. J., Krzak, J. J., Graf, A., Vogel, L. C., Harris, G. F., & Slavens, B. A. (2021). The Influence of Sex on Upper Extremity Joint Dynamics in Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Users with Spinal Cord Injury. Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation.
Gerstle, E., O'Connor, K. M., Keenan, K., Slavens, B. A., & Cobb, S. C. (2021, October (4th Quarter/Autumn)). The influence of age and fall history on single transition step kinematics. Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon), 89, 105456.
Qashqai, A. A., Stec, M. H., Schnorenberg, A. J., Muriello, M., Basel, D., & Slavens, B. A. (2020, July (3rd Quarter/Summer)). Plantar Pressure Assessment During Gait in Children with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome..
Hanks, M. M., Schnorenberg, A. J., Lee, K. K., & Slavens, B. A. (2020, October (4th Quarter/Autumn)). Biomechanical Comparison of Trunk and Upper Extremity Kinematics between Able-Bodied Lacrosse Players and Wheelchair Lacrosse Players with Spinal Cord Injury.
Schnorenberg, A. J., Mickshl, D., , S. I., & Slavens, B. A. (2020, October (4th Quarter/Autumn)). Normalization of Shoulder Kinematics after Rotator Cuff Repair Surgery.
Slavens, B. A., Hanks, M. M., Schnorenberg, A. J., Tarima, S., Muqeet, V., & Vogel, L. C. (2020, October (4th Quarter/Autumn)). Variability of Shoulder Kinematics Across the Lifespan in Manual Wheelchair Users with Spinal Cord Injury.
Slavens, B. A., Jahanian, O., Schnorenberg, A., & Hsiao-Wecksler, E. T. (2019, August). A comparison of glenohumeral joint kinematics and muscle activation during standard and geared manual wheelchair mobility. Medical engineering & physics, 70, 1-8.

Recent Funded Grants

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II.  IntelliWheels: The Automatic Transmission for Manually Propelled Wheelchairs.    8/1/2014-7/31/2016.

UWM CHS Stimulus Program to Accelerate Research Clusters (SPARC).  Development of a Clinical Toolkit for Real-time Visualization of Lower Limb Amputee Gait.  7/2014-12/2015.

National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP).  Soft Pneumatic Actuator for Arm Orthosis. UWM sub-award total funding 6/1/2014-5/31/2016.

Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Technologies for Children with Orthopaedic Disabilities, R4: Advanced Mobility Modeling to Improve Function and Longer Term Transitional Care of Children with Orthopedic Disabilities, Award Number H133E100007, 10/2010-9/2015.

Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Engineering Career Development Program (IREK12) in Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Award Number K12HD073945, 5/2013-5/2015

Honors & Awards

Dean's Research Award (2020) College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
ASB Diversity Travel Award (2019, May 8) American Society of Biomechanics/AMTI Force and Motion Foundation.
Outstanding Researcher Award (2018, October 25) NIH National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research (NCSRR).
Nominated for the UWM Office of Research/UWM Foundation Research Award (2015, March) .
College of Health Sciences and the Office of E-Learning Course Development Stipend (2014, August) .
Travel Award for the Advanced User’s Group Meeting. Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (2014, August) 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.
Marquis Who's Who in America (2012) .
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.

Research Partners

Professional Memberships

  • American Society of Biomechanics (ASB)
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)-Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS)
  • Gait and Clinical Motion Analysis Society (GCMAS)
  • Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)

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