PhD In Human Movement Science
Current Students
Jason Mihalik
Jason Mihalik jmihalik@email.unc.edu
Jason Mihalik is a fifth year doctoral student, and completed his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science with a specialization in Athletic Therapy at Concordia University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) in 2001. Jason completed his graduate work in Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), earning his Master's Degree in December 2004. He is a recipient of the Dr. Thomas S. and Mrs. Caroline H. Royster Merit fellowship.
His research interests include the neurocognitive and postural deficits associated with sports-related mild traumatic brain injury, analyzing postural control strategies, and investigating the sequellae associated with MTBI in athletes (i.e. postconcussion syndrome, posttraumatic migraine, etc.).
David Bell 2
David Bell, MEd, ATC bell@email.unc.edu
David is a fourth year doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. He graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with a BA in Exercise and Sport Science (with a specialization in Athletic Training) in 2001. In 2002, he graduated from the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) with a Master's Degree in Education, specializing in Athletic Training. He has served as clinical coordinator for Longwood University's Athletic Training Education Program, and worked for Novacare Rehabilitation performing clinic outreach in Greater Cincinnati. His main research interest is ACL injury prevention.
Shana Harrington
Shana Harrington, MPT shanapt@nc.rr.com
Shana is a fourth year doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. She graduated from UNC-CH with a BA in Exercise and Sport Science in 1998. She completed her Master's of Physical Therapy degree at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
Shana's research interests include shoulder dysfunction and biomechanics in the swimming population and gender differences with regard to injury.
Yukiko Makihara
Yukiko Makihara m71226191@yahoo.co.jp
Yukiko is a fourth year doctoral student in the Human Movement Science Program. She graduated with a BA is Human Sciences from Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan), and a Physical Therapy degree from Tokyo National Chest Hospital. Her research interests include the mechanism of ACL injury and hamstring strain injury.
Melanie McGrath
Melanie McGrath, MS, ATC mmcgrath20@hotmail.com
Melanie is a fourth year doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. She completed her undergraduate work in Athletic Training and Exercise Science at Linfield College (McMinnville, OR) in 2001, graduating summa cum laude. In 2005, Melanie completed her Master's of Science in Exercise and Sports Science at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She has received the University Merit Assistantship for the 2005-2006 school year.
Melanie is a research assistant for the JUMP-ACL study. Her research interests include the prevention of ACL injuries, as well as the etiology and treatment for exertional anterior compartment syndrome.
Lindsay DiStefano
Lindsay Strickland DiStefano, MA, ATC ljs7@email.unc.edu
Lindsay is a fourth year student in the Human Movement Science program. She graduated from Boston University with a BS in Athletic Training in 2003. In May 2005, she completed her graduate work in Exercise and Sport Science at UNC-CH, specializing in Athletic Training. Lindsay was also recently awarded the Impact Award sponsored by UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate School's Graduate Education Advancement Board.
Her research interests include lower extremity kinematics and kinetics with focus on ACL and ankle injury prevention. She is a staff athletic trainer for the University of North Carolina gymnastics team.
Steve Leigh, MS, stvleigh@email.unc.edu
Steve is a third year student in the Human Movement Science program. He received his Master’s in Human Movement Science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2006. He received his Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Education, Sports Science, and Physics from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. Steve serves as the lab manager in the Center of Human Movement Science.
His research interests focus on the demands placed on the upper extremity joints to identify risk factors for injury.
Johna Mihalik
Johna Register-Mihalik, MA, ATC johnakay@email.unc.edu
Johna is a third year doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. She graduated from The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL) with a BS in Athletic training in 2004 and completed her graduate work in May 2006 with a MA in Exercise and Sports Science (Athletic Training Specialization) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Her research interests include sports-related concussion; knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding management of sport-related concussion; neurocognitive deficits associated with mild traumatic brain injury; and headache in the athletic population. She is also interested in the epidemiology of injuries associated with baseball.
Ben Goerger
Benjamin M. Goerger, MS, ATC bgoerger@email.unc.edu
Ben is a second year doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. In 2005, he graduated from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC) with a B.A. in Exercise and Sports Science (Athletic Training concentration). In 2007, he received his M.S. in Sports Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA).
His research interests include lower extremity and trunk biomechanics and the role they play in injury prevention.
Peter Hosick, MS hosick@email.unc.edu
Peter Hosick is a second year doctoral student in the Human Movement Science program, focusing in Exercise Physiology, working under the direction of Dr. Robert McMurray. Peter received his BS in Health and Physical Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (Edinboro, PA), with a minor in Athletic Coaching in Dec of 2003. He completed his MS degree in Exercise Science from Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) in August of 2007. Some of his research interests include endocrine response to exercise, metabolic syndrome, and antioxidants
Marc Norcross
Marc F. Norcross, MA, ATC norcross@email.unc.edu
Marc is a second year doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. He graduated from Boston University (Boston, MA) with a BS in Athletic Training in 2001. In 2003, he completed his MA in Exercise and Sport Science (with a specialization in Athletic Training) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC). He then served as the staff athletic trainer for Men's Soccer and Track & Field at the University of California—Los Angeles from 2003-2007.
His research interests include biomechanics and neuromuscular control of the trunk and hip and the implications for prevention of lower extremity injury.
Saki Oyama
Sakiko Oyama, MS, ATC oyamas@email.unc.edu
Saki is a second year doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. She completed her undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sports Science at Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR) in 2004, and completed her Masters degree in Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) in 2006. Saki continued on to pursue her Doctoral degree at the University of Pittsburgh. She transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2007, after completing her first year of the doctoral program in Pittsburgh.
Her research interests include scapular kinematics in overhead athletes, sports specific adaptations in overhead athletes' shoulders, and biomechanics of baseball pitching injuries.
Elizabeth Evans, ATC evans139@email.unc.edu
Beth is a first year doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. Beth received a BS in Physics from Rhodes College in 2002. In 2006, she began her studies here at UNC and received a Master's in Exercise and Sport Science.
Her research interests include physiological responses of the cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems to aerobic exercise in cancer patients.
Carolyn Johnson, MPT cjohnson5@elon.edu
Carolyn is a first year doctoral student n the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Movement Science. She received a Bachelor's of Science degree from Winston-Salem State University in 2000 and her Master's and Doctor of Physical Therapy from Elon University in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
Her research interests include exercise adherence in older African American adults by determining what factors encourage continued participation in physical activity to improve overall health and encourage behavioral lifestyle changes. Also interested in fall prevention and balance in older adults.
© 2006, All Rights Reserved
The Department of Allied Health Sciences is a part of the School of Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill
CB #7135 ~ UNC-CH Medical School Bondurant Hall ~ Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7135
Phone: (919) 966-4708 ~ FAX: (919) 966-3678
