ENHP's Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Sandra Saavedra Receives a Subaward

ENHP's Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Dr. Sandra Saavedra Receives a Subaward from Westmont College to Continue a Study of Posture Control in Individuals with Cerebral Palsy

Dr. Saavedra will continue her collaboration with Westmont University’s Dr. Adam Goodworth on an innovative project that uses controls engineering to study posture development in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP).  Through the course of this study, Drs. Saavedra and Goodworth will recruit fifteen subjects with moderate-to-severe CP to participate in testing alongside fifteen control subjects. Each participant will sit on a bench with an adjustable trunk support system that will stabilize segments of each individual’s trunk to test and measure their posture control response. Data from clinical testing and parametric modeling will be used to analyze various aspects of participants’ neural processing. Drs. Saavedra and Goodworth will use the models to gain insights into atypical development of trunk control. This project will engage both undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Hartford and Westmont College through summer research experiences and internship opportunities.

In recent years, Dr. Saavedra has focused her research on posture control in persons with CP, and she has more than thirty years of experience as a pediatric physical therapist. As Co-Principal Investigator of this project, Dr. Saavedra will lead data collection, clinical interpretation, and clinical student training.

The University of Hartford’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) assists principal investigators with securing and managing grants, subawards, and contracts. For more information, or for assistance with a grant or contract, please contact OSP at ospgrants@hartford.edu.