Engineering to enhance human mobility, play, and exploration
We’re excited to share that Mackenzie Pitts has successfully passed her Ph.D. General Exam! 🎉
Mackenzie’s proposed work, titled “Personalizing Clinical Gait Assessments Using Bayesian Modeling,” was approved by her Ph.D. committee. This milestone marks an important step toward her doctoral degree, and we’re thrilled to celebrate her hard work and dedication.
Congratulations, Mackenzie!
Mia Hoffman of the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab, along with Bethany M. Sloane, Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Washington’s Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE), presented a session at the APTA Pediatrics 2025 Conference titled “Reimagining Mobility Aids: Collaborative Innovations Between Engineering and Physical Therapy.”
The session explored how interdisciplinary partnerships can transform traditional mobility aids into creative, user-centered solutions. Real-world examples included 3D-printed joystick adaptations, sensor-integrated systems, and community loaner programs. Attendees engaged in design thinking activities and left with practical tools to reimagine mobility for young children.
We’re proud to celebrate Ally Clarke, Madeleine (Maddie) McCreary, and Alisha Bose, who attended the Society of Women Engineers Annual Conference 2025 in New Orleans!
Ally and Maddie represented the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab in the “Rapid Fire” Collegiate Competition, showcasing their innovative research:
A huge congratulations to Ally for earning First Place in the SWE Collegiate Graduate Rapid Fire Competition!
We also want to recognize Alisha, an undergraduate researcher in our lab, who kicked off her role as Collegiate Working Group Chair-Elect at WE25, helped organize leadership meet-ups, represented Break Through Tech at the career fair, and even had two articles featured in SWE Magazine.
We’re thrilled to see members of our lab engaging and being recognized at this incredible event!
We’re thrilled to share that Ally Clarke has successfully passed the Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. qualifying examination! 🎉
This milestone marks an important step toward her doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington.
Congratulations, Ally, on this incredible achievement – we can’t wait to see the impact of your research in the years ahead!
Journal Article in Journal of Applied Physiology
Prior research using indirect calorimetry has shown that children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit significantly increased energetic costs during walking. However, metabolic testing to obtain oxygen cost is challenging. As a result, differences in oxygen uptake kinetics (V̇o2) in CP compared with their typically developing peers remain unexplored. Step changes in work rate have been shown to result in an exponential V̇o2 response with three distinct phases 1) cardiodynamic, 2) primary, and 3) steady-state.
Aim: This study aimed to apply a dual-exponential Bayesian model to assess the time constant of the primary phase V̇o2 response from resting to walking in children with CP. In addition, evaluate the model’s ability to estimate steady-state V̇o2 using shorter test durations.
Methods: A dual-exponential Bayesian model was applied to metabolic data from a sample of 263 children with CP. The model estimated the time constant of the primary phase V̇o₂ response and tested the accuracy of steady-state V̇o₂ estimation using only the first 3 minutes of data, compared to the standard 6-minute duration.
Results: The median V̇o2 time constant was 33.1 s (5th–95th percentile range: 14.5–69.8 s), significantly longer than reported values for typically developing children (range of means: 10.2–31.6 s). Furthermore, the model accurately estimated steady-state V̇o2 using only the first 3 min of metabolic data compared with the typical 6 min used in current clinical practice. The 3-min estimate explained >95% of the 6-min estimate variance, with <5% mean absolute error.
Interpretation: Slower oxygen kinetics in children with CP suggest impairments in metabolic control, potentially contributing to their higher energy demands. Although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, this study provides valuable insights into the walking energetics of children with CP and presents a more efficient method for analyzing V̇o2 for this population.
