Lindsey Lepley, PhD, ATC

Dr. Lindsey Lepley is an assistant professor of Athletic Training and co-director of the Orthopedic Rehabilitation and Biomechanics (ORB) Laboratory at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. She earned a master's in Education from the University of Virginia and a PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Lepley’s research program focuses on the identification of neuromuscular mechanisms and rehabilitation strategies to treat dysfunction after common orthopedic injury. Much of her previous and current research has identified adaptions in neuromuscular mechanisms that contribute to injury and disease with a particular emphasis on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Her current projects look to study the interactive nature of neural and morphological factors on muscle strength recovery and the use of preclinical animal models to study the ability of exercise to promote recovery after injury.

Dr. Lepley has been honored with several awards, including:

• NATA Research & Education Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Award, 2016
• New England American College of Sports Medicine New Investigator Award, 2015
• University of Michigan Paul A. Hunsicker Memorial Award, 2014

Her affiliations include:

• American College of Sports Medicine
• American Society of Biomechanics
• Athletic Trainers’ Osteoarthritis Consortium
• National Athletic Trainers’ Association

Dr. Lepley has nearly 40 journal articles published, including those for:

• Sports Medicine
• American Journal of Sports Medicine
• Journal of Athletic Training
• Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy

Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease Research; Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association Research; and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research and Education Foundation.

She is also a manuscript reviewer for several professional journals, such as Sports Medicine; American Journal of Sports Medicine; Frontiers in Physiology; and Journal of Orthopaedic Research.

Seeking Motivated PhD student: Dr. Lepley is currently seeking a motivated doctoral student to work on understanding the underlying physiological responses to traumatic joint injury and developing optimized therapeutic interventions to improve patient outcomes in preclinical models, starting Fall 2022. Details.