Engineering to enhance human mobility, play, and exploration
We are excited to announce that PhD Candidate Mackenzie Pitts is a recipient of the 2026-2027 Gatzert Child Welfare Fellowship. This UW fellowship is awarded to doctoral candidates as they write their dissertation on research that supports children with disabilities. With this award that covers one quarter of funding, Mackenzie will be dedicated to improving the quality of her work in preparation for her defense.
Members of the lab road tripped to Vancouver, Canada for the World Congress of Biomechanics.
Dr. Kat Steele chaired multiple sessions and gave a presentation, “Evaluation and Optimization of Gait Dynamics Using Exoskeletons.” She and Dr. Mia Hoffman also co-hosted a special session, “Rigor, Repeatability, & FUN in Pediatric Biomechanics.”
PhD student Ally Clarke gave an oral presentation “Mediolateral Forces and Walking Stability in Children with Cerebral Palsy.” PhD student Mackenzie Pitts orally presented “Comparing Split Belt Treadmill Adaptation Rates Between Children with Cerebral Palsy and Typically Developing Peers Using Bayesian Models.” Research Scientist Engineer Katie Landwehr-Prakel had her first oral presentation, discussing “Impacts of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation on Muscle Activity and Heart Rate Responses During Walker-Based Exoskeleton Use in Children With Cerebral Palsy.” Dr. Mia Hoffman gave two presentations: “Sit, Stand, Activate! Quantifying Muscle Activity During Mobility Aid Use in Young Children With Developmental Disabilities” and “Quantifying Play Interactions: Implementation of a Digital Switch-Accessible Play Kit for Young Children Receiving Early Intervention Services.” PhD student Maddie McCreary gave a poster presentation, “Effects of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Amplitude on Gait in Children with Cerebral Palsy.” Dr. Kat Steele was honored as a 2026 ASB fellow.
Successful road trip!
Members of the lab traveled to the base of Mt. Rainier for the Dynamic Walking Conference, where conversations ranged from hummingbird drumming to exoskeletons and robotics.
Dr. Kat Steele was selected to give a 20-minute talk, “Bayesian methods for individualized modeling with wearable data.” PhD student Ally Clarke gave a 5-minute talk on energy savings from bodyweight support in children with cerebral palsy, sharing results from our Cerebral Palsy Energetics study . PhD student Mackenzie Pitts also gave a 5-minute talk on her work from the Dynamic Motor Control study, discussing the mechanical strategies children with cerebral palsy use to adapt step length during split-belt treadmill walking.
We loved reconnecting with former lab members Dr. Michael Rosenberg, Dr. Momona Yamagami, and Tori Landrum.
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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!
The Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab had a fantastic showing at the 2025 American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA! From student awards to impactful presentations, our team contributed to advancing the science of human movement and rehabilitation engineering.
We’re proud to celebrate Ally Clarke, who received a Student Travel Award for her abstract titled “Influence of Bodyweight Support on Motor Control in Children with Cerebral Palsy.” Her work was recognized by the ASB community for its contribution to pediatric motor control research. Congratulations, Ally!
Lab members presented posters across multiple themes. Madeleine McCreary explored toddler muscle activation during joystick driving in her poster “Kicking it off: Does toddler leg muscle activation while driving change with posture?” Mackenzie Pitts shared insights on “Mechanisms of split-belt treadmill adaptation in children with cerebral palsy.” Ally Clarke presented her award-winning work on bodyweight support and motor control, and Katie Landwehr-Prakel showcased her research on “Muscle activity during walker-based exoskeleton use in children with cerebral palsy.”
Beyond the science, our team engaged in workshops, debates, and networking events that emphasized advocacy, inclusion, and the integration of lived experiences into biomechanics research. The ASB 2025 program featured sessions on AI in biomechanics, wearable tech, and neuromechanics – all aligning with our lab’s mission to enhance mobility and participation.
Thank you to ASB and the biomechanics community for an inspiring week. We’re already looking forward to connecting again at the World Congress of Biomechanics (WCB) in Vancouver in 2026!
