Victoria Landrum
Major: Mechanical Engineering (Concentration in Biomechanics), Minor in Applied Mathematics
Mentor: Dr. Kat Steele, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D. Candidate Charlotte Caskey, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Contact: vlandrum@uw.edu
Current research project: Effects of Spinal Stimulation on Motor Control in Children With Cerebral Palsy
Tori is a rising senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering (Biomechanics) with a minor in Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington. She is interested in using engineering technologies to improve and adapt rehabilitation/healthcare strategies to improve mobility and quality of life for vulnerable populations. Since the fall of 2021, she has been working in the Steele Lab to understand the effects of non-invasive spinal stimulation on motor control and kinematics in children with cerebral palsy. Outside of research and classwork, Tori enjoys playing video games, playing the guitar, biking, or hiking in cold weather.
Translate your work so that we can all understand its importance
Cerebral palsy (CP) is caused by a brain injury around the time of birth. Children with CP often experience spasticity, a velocity dependent stretch reflex that causes muscles to overreact and impairs movement. CP can cause an impairment of gross motor function, strength, and muscle activation, and thus many children with CP undergo rehabilitation that focuses on improving motor function. Additionally, to alleviate some of the symptoms of CP, children with CP can undergo invasive surgical procedures that can further limit their mobility and motor function. It is important to find rehabilitation strategies that maximize the child’s mobility functions and quality of life while minimizing the negative effects of such strategies. Non-invasive transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) is a novel intervention that is hypothesized to increase sensory feedback when paired with repetitive, task-specific training such as treadmill training. The combination of tSCS and treadmill training may provide a non-invasive alternative to current intervention strategies by reducing spasticity and improving walking function. To better understand the effects of tSCS and treadmill training on walking function, I evaluate the complexity of a child’s motor control by analyzing their muscle activity and grouping patterns using various data factorization techniques, as well as assist in processing kinematics captured with motion capture equipment. By translating this high-dimensional data into interpretable outcomes, engineers and clinicians will be able to understand the effects of tSCS and incorporate them into their rehabilitation decisions for treatment.
When, how, and why did you get involved in undergraduate research?
During my freshman year, after joining a few RSOs dedicated to adapting existing technologies to improve mobility and accessibly, I decided to try exploring research opportunities dedicated to such topics. I knew that I was interested in combining engineering with rehabilitation and healthcare, and luckily, the UW has amazing research spaces for that. After a few months of struggling to find opportunities, in the fall of my sophomore year, I applied for an open position in the Steele Lab, housed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, to assist in processing motion capture data and analyzing kinematics for an ongoing project. I have remained involved in the Steele Lab ever since, and my research has evolved to more independent work as I continue to grow as a researcher and engineer.
What advice would you give a student who is considering getting involved in undergraduate research?
Don’t limit yourself based on your current knowledge! Undergraduate research is meant to serve as a learning experience and mentorship opportunity, and no lab is going to expect you to have a plethora of knowledge when you first apply. It is intimidating to enter a space and not know all the skills needed for the job, but the most important thing you can bring to the table is your excitement for the research and willingness to learn.