Dr. Li-Shan Chou, professor and chair of the Department of Human Physiology at the University of Oregon, will present a lecture titled “Tracking Functional Deficits Following Concussion Using Movement Analysis” on December 14 as the next installment of Louisiana Tech University’s New Frontiers in Biomedical Research series. Chou’s presentation will begin at 3:30pm in the auditorium of University Hall on the Louisiana Tech campus. The event is free and members of the campus and local communities are cordially invited to attend. The New Frontiers in Biomedical Research seminar series is co-organized by Dr. Jamie Newman, the Scott Weathersby Endowed Professor in Zoology and Premedicine, and Dr. Mary Caldorera-Moore, assistant professor of biomedical engineering. The 2015-2016 series will spotlight interdisciplinary collaborations, alumni spotlights and features, and research discussions by renowned guest speakers from across the nation. “Tracking Functional Deficits Following Concussion Using Movement Analysis” will be of particular interest to sports coaches and parents of young athletes. Chou’s research is on the forefront of tracking and understanding long term effects of sport-related concussions in athletes. Some of his research has shown alterations in the gait and balance of concussed individuals long after cognitive disruptions have subsided. As Chou further develops this area of research, he hopes to identify biomechanical, cognitive and other measurements which can assist clinicians in their ability to determine whether an individual is ready to return to everyday or sport activities following concussion. As the director of the University of Oregon Motion Analysis Laboratory, Chou investigates the biomechanical mechanisms governing gait balance control and factors contributing to mobility impairments. Combining engineering knowledge and collaboration with colleagues in neuroscience and sports medicine, his interdisciplinary research programs connects basic research to clinical applications relevant to patients with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders. Chou received his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to arriving at the University of Oregon in 2000, he held positions as post-doctoral research associate in research fellow at the University of Chicago and the Mayo Clinic, respectively. Chou’s areas of research expertise include clinical gait analysis, assessment of dynamic stability during locomotion, and mathematical modeling of the musculoskeletal system. To further his work, he has received research grants from the National Institute of Health, the Mayo Foundation, the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All lectures during the New Frontiers in Biomedical Research seminar series will be recorded and can be accessed through the College of Engineering and Science’s Events web page at http://coes.latech.edu/about-the-college/events.php. Sponsors for the 2015-2016 series include Lincoln Health Foundation, Louisiana Tech’s College of Engineering and Science, the College of Applied and Natural Sciences, the Office of the President, Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science, Sigma Xi, and generous donations from members of the community. For more information on Chou and his presentation, or other events in this year’s New Frontiers in Biomedical Research series, visit www.biomedicalresearch.wix.com/new-frontiers.