• Full-Time Faculty and Research Scientists
• Open Faculty Positions
• Adjunct Faculty
• Part-Time Faculty, Other Researchers, and GSIs
• Staff
• Kin-Help

Daniel Ferris, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Movement Science
Chair, Kinesiology Graduate Program
Associate Professor, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Member, Neuroscience Graduate Program
Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

• Areas of Interest
• Educational Background
• Research
• Teaching
• Honors and Awards
• Professional Affiliations and Service
• Selected Publications
• Selected Projects/Grants

3152 Observatory Lodge
1402 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2013
Phone: (734) 647-6878
Fax: (734) 647-2808
ferrisdp@umich.edu

Office Hours (Spring Summer 2008):
Please contact for an appointment

Full vita>>

Laboratories:

• Human Neuromechanics Laboratory
• Injury Biomechanics Laboratory
• Neuromuscular Research Laboratory
• Dr. Ferris' web site (leaving Kinesiology site)

Areas of Interest

Short Description: Neuromechanical control, locomotion, robotic exoskeletons, rehabilitation

Dr. Ferris is a biomechanist whose research focuses on how the nervous system and musculoskeletal system interact to produce coordinated movement. Using a combination of techniques from engineering mechanics, neurophysiology, and non-linear dynamics, he studies both basic science and applied health issues. Some of the fundamental questions his research addresses include:

• How flexible are the neural networks that control human locomotion?
• Do the brain and spinal cord let the natural dynamics of the limbs determine movement patterns?
• Can we use robotic exoskeletons to improve gait rehabilitation after spinal cord injury or stroke?

The common goal of his research is to discover general principles of locomotor control and apply them to improve human health.

Educational Background

University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Post-Doc., Bioengineering, 2000-2001

University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Post-Doc., Neurophysiology, 1998-2000

University of California, Berkeley, CA
Ph.D., Human Biodynamics, 1998

University of Miami, Miami, FL
M.S., Exercise Physiology, 1994

University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
B.S., Mathematics Education, 1992

Research

• Pneumatically Powered Lower Limb Exoskeletons
• CAREER: Biomechanics and Energetics of Human Locomotion with Powered Exoskeletons
• Computer Simulations of Neuromechanical Systems
• Rehabilitation Strategies for Improving Walking Ability after Neurological Injury
• Self-Assisted Stepping for Neurologic Rehabilitation

Teaching

MOVESCI 330. Biomechanics of Human Movement

MOVESCI 435 / KINESLGY 435. Biomechanics of Human Locomotion

MOVESCI 439 / KINESLGY 439. Lab Rotation in Biomechanics

KINESLGY 530. Graduate Seminar in Biomechanics

KINESLGY 533 / BIOMEDE 533. Neuromechanics

KINESLGY 600. Graduate Seminar in Movement Science

KINESLGY 616. Professional Skills for Research Scientists

* Movement Science courses are for undergraduate credit; Kinesiology courses are for graduate credit.

Honors and Awards

Professional Affiliations and Service

Selected Publications

Lewis CL and Ferris DP (2008) Walking with increased ankle pushoff decreases hip moments. Journal of Biomechanics, in press.

Collins SH, Adamczyk PG, Ferris DP and Kuo AD (2008). A simple method for calibrating force plates and treadmills using an instrumented pole. Gait and Posture, in press.

Sawicki GS and Ferris DP (2008). Mechanics and energetics of level walking with powered ankle exoskeletons. Journal of Experimental Biology, 211:1402-1413.

Simon AM and Ferris DP (2008). Lower limb force production and bilateral force asymmetries are based on sense of effort. Experimental Brain Research, 187:129-138.

Pelc E, Daley MA, and Ferris DP (2008). Resonant hopping of a robot controlled by an artificial neural oscillator. Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, 3(2):26001

Cain S, Gordon KE and Ferris DP (2007) Human motor adaptation during walking with a powered ankle-foot orthosis depends on control method. Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation, 4:48. Ferris DP, Sawicki GS and Daley MA (2007). A physiologist's perspective on robotic exoskeletons for human locomotion. International Journal of Humanoid Robotics, 4:507–528.

Zehr EP, Balter JE, Ferris DP, Hundza SR, Loadman P and Stoloff RH (2007). Neural control of rhythmic arm and leg movement is conserved across human locomotor tasks. Journal of Physiology, 582: 209-227.

Domingo A, Sawicki GS and Ferris DP (2007). Kinematics and muscle activity of individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury during treadmill stepping with and without manual assistance. Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation 4:32.

Gordon KE and Ferris DP (2007). Learning to walk with a robotic ankle exoskeleton. Journal of Biomechanics, 40:2636-2644.
     U-M News Service article on this research.

Stoloff RH, Zehr EP and Ferris DP (2007). Recumbent stepping has similar but simpler neural control compared to walking. Experimental Brain Resesarch, 178:427-438.

Simon AM, Gillespie RB and Ferris DP (2007). Symmetry-based resistance as a novel means of lower limb rehabilitation. Journal of Biomechanics, 40:1286-1292.

Cherry MS, Choi DJ, Deng KJ, Kota S and Ferris DP (2006). Design and fabrication of an elastic knee orthosis - preliminary results. Proceedings of the International Design Engineering Technical Conference & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, September 10-13, Philadelphia, USA, DETC2006-99622.

Ferris DP, Huang HJ and Kao P-C (2006). Moving the arms to activate the legs. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 34:113-120.

Gordon KE, Sawicki GS and Ferris DP (2006). Mechanical performance of artificial pneumatic muscles to power an ankle-foot orthosis. Journal of Biomechanics, 39:1832-1841.

Ferris DP, Gordon KE, Sawicki GS and Peethambaran A (2006). An improved powered ankle-foot orthosis using proportional myoelectric control. Gait and Posture, 23:425-428.

Sawicki GS, Domingo A and Ferris DP (2006). The effects of powered ankle foot orthoses on muscle activation and joint kinematics during walking by individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury. Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation, 3(1):3.

Ferris DP, Bohra ZA, Lukos JR and Kinnaird CR (2006). Neuromechanical adaptation to hopping with an elastic ankle-foot orthosis. Journal of Applied Physiology, 100:163-170.

Selected Projects/Grants

Extramural Grants (Funded)

2008-2010. NIH (R21 NS062119). Robotic Orthoses for Gait Rehabilitation. $351,688 total costs. Aim: To determine if individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury improve their energetics, biomechanics, and neural control from practice walking with powered ankle-foot orthoses.

2006-2009. NIH (F31 NS056504). Self-Assisted Neurological Rehabilitation. The aim is to determine if using the upper limbs to assist the lower limbs during recumbent stepping will improve lower limb neuromuscular recruitment, motor learning, and motor performance in individuals with spinal cord injury.

2004-2009. National Science Foundation (BES — Biomedical Engineering). Principal Investigator: Daniel P. Ferris. CAREER: Biomechanics and Energetics of Human Locomotion with Powered Exoskeletons. ($400,000 Total Costs). Aim: to determine if powered lower limb exoskeletons can reduce the metabolic cost of human walking.

2006-2008. National Science Foundation (BIO-0630664). Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics. The aim is to build a neuromechanical computer simulation of a running bird to match existing experimental data.

2006-2007. National Science Foundation. Research Experience for Undergraduates Supplement. This supplement is for undergraduate students to assist with research related to the NSF CAREER Award.

2003-2005. Paralyzed Veterans of America Spinal Cord Research Foundation. Principal Investigator: Daniel P. Ferris. Recumbent Stepping for Gait Rehabilitation After Spinal Cord Injury. ($150,000 Total Costs). Aim: to assess the feasibility of using self-assisted recumbent stepping as therapy for gait rehabilitation after spinal cord injury.

2002-2006. NIH (NINDS). Principal Investigator: Daniel P. Ferris. Motor Adaptation During Human Locomotion. 4-year R01 (R01NS45486) ($1,233,622 total costs). Aim: to determine if healthy human subjects alter their muscle activity patterns and/or limb kinematics when walking with powered ankle-foot orthoses.