Susan Brown
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
Associate Professor, Movement Science
About
Dr. Susan Brown is an associate professor of Movement Science and director of the Motor Control Laboratory at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. Prior to her time at U-M, Dr. Brown was a research associate at the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Western Ontario. She completed her PhD in Physiology there, as well.
Dr. Brown has published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Experimental Brain Research, the Journal of Neurophysiology, and the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. She has also been on the editorial board of the Motor Control Journal.
Dr. Brown's research projects have received $12 million in grant funding from organizations like the National Parkinson Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the American Heart Association. She is also a grant reviewer at Blue Cross Blue Shield and a committee member of the International Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies. An established expert in motor control and coordination, Dr. Brown has been invited to numerous conferences and symposiums to talk about her work. Her memberships include those in the Society for Neuroscience, the International Movement Disorders Society, and the Gerontological Society in America.
Since coming to U-M in 1992, Dr. Brown has taught numerous courses in Movement Science at the undergraduate and graduate level. A popular instructor, she received the School of Kinesiology's Excellence in Teaching Award multiple times, and was twice nominated for the university-wide Golden Apple Award. In 2001 the U-M Office of the Provost honored her with a Thurnau Professorship for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Areas of interest
Motor coordination, aging, stroke, cerebral palsy, rehabilitation.
Dr. Brown's research studies motor coordination across the life span and in neurological disorder conditions, such as cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease. She has a particular interest in linking theoretical motor control approaches and clinical research in the area of neurological rehabilitation. Dr. Brown directs an active research laboratory that provides research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. Based on research demonstrating that Parkinson's patients could improve their walking ability if visual or auditory cues accompanied their movement, Dr. Brown is examining whether sensory cueing may facilitate upper limb performance and postural control in older individuals and people with Parkinson's disease. She collaborates with Dr. Edward Hurvitz in U-M's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation to assess the effectiveness of intensive training on upper limb performance in children with spasticity. Besides evaluating different therapeutic strategies, these studies will provide rehabilitation specialists with much needed quantitative assessment methods currently unavailable in clinical settings. Dr. Brown's research interests also include age-related changes in hand function and force control. More recently she has initiated a collaborative project with Dr. Daniel Monyeki, University of the North (South Africa) where they are examining the effects of malnutrition on motor coordination in children and adolescents.
Contact
Susan
Brown
OBL 2152
1402 Washington Hts.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2013
(734) 763-6755
(734) 647-2808
Classes
| Course | Course Title | Credits | Term | Instructor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KINESLGY 421 | Disorders of Voluntary Movement | 3 | Fall, Winter | Brown | |
|
Course Name RO: Disord Vol Move
Course Level: Graduate
Description
An introduction to a variety of common diseases or conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's Disease which affect voluntary movement. Emphasis is placed on relating structure to function and the application of motor control principles in describing conditions characterized by sensorimotor deficits. This course will be of interest to students considering careers in neurorehabilitation or other health-related fields. Prerequisites: Graduate status; MOVESCI 320 or permission of instructor.
Component: LEC
|
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| KINESLGY 424 | Aging and Motor Performance | 3 | As Arranged | Brown | |
|
Course Name RO: AgingMotor Perfmnc
Course Level: Graduate
Description
This course focuses on age-related changes in human movement, particularly as they relate to upper limb control. Changes in the sensory, neuromuscular, and central neural systems will be addressed, as well as the development of adaptive strategies and the application of various therapeutic techniques to enhance motor performance. Disease conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, commonly associated with the elderly, will also be discussed. While being primarily a survey course, recent experimental findings will be incorporated where appropriate. This course is relevant for those students considering careers in health care delivery with an emphasis on older populations. Prerequisites: Graduate status; MOVESCI 320 or permission of instructor.
Component: LEC
|
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| KINESLGY 600 | Graduate Seminar in Movement Science | 1 | Winter, As Arranged | Brown | |
|
Course Name RO: Grad Sem MVS
Course Level: Graduate
Description
Graduate students give presentations on their own research related to Movement Science. The emphasis is on communication across Movement Science disciplines (i.e. biomechanics, exercise physiology, and motor control) and presentation skills. Can be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Graduate status.
Component: SEM
|
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| MOVESCI 320 | Motor Control | 4 | Fall, Winter | Brown | |
|
Course Name RO: Motor Control
Course Level: Undergraduate
Description
Introduces students to the neural and behavioral basis of motor control. It covers nervous system structures involved in planning, executing and learning movements, as well as the principles of motor control that apply to locomotion, reaching and grasping, eye movements and more complex skills. Prerequisites: (MOVESCI 110 or Athletic Training BS Major) and (MEDADM 401 or MOVESCI 230 or AT/PHYSED 310) and (MOVESCI 250 or S250 Student Group) and (PHYSIOL 201 or Athletic Training BS Major).
Component: LEC,LAB
|
|||||
| MOVESCI 421 | Disorders of Voluntary Movement | 3 | Fall, Winter | Brown | |
|
Course Name RO: Disord Vol Move
Course Level: Undergraduate
Description
An introduction to a variety of common diseases or conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's Disease which affect voluntary movement. Emphasis is placed on relating structure to function and the application of motor control principles in describing conditions characterized by sensorimotor deficits. This course will be of interest to students considering careers in neurorehabilitation or other health-related fields. Prerequisites: MOVESCI 320 or permission of instructor.
Component: LEC
|
|||||
| MOVESCI 424 | Aging and Motor Performance | 3 | Fall, Winter, As Arranged | Brown | |
|
Course Name RO: AgingMotor Perfmnc
Course Level: Undergraduate
Description
This course focuses on age-related changes in human movement, particularly as they relate to upper limb control. Changes in the sensory, neuromuscular, and central neural systems will be addressed, as well as the development of adaptive strategies and the application of various therapeutic techniques to enhance motor performance. Disease conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, commonly associated with the elderly, will also be discussed. While being primarily a survey course, recent experimental findings will be incorporated where appropriate. This course is relevant for those students considering careers in health care delivery with an emphasis on older populations. Prerequisites: MOVESCI 320 or permission of instructor.
Component: LEC
|
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| MOVESCI 429 | Laboratory Rotation in Motor Control | 1-3 | Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer | Brown | |
|
Course Name RO: Lab Mtr Cnt Dev
Course Level: Undergraduate
Description
Students work in a professor's laboratory to learn research methods and participate in the scientific process. May be taken twice. Prerequisites: MOVESCI 320; permission of instructor.
Component: LAB
|
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