Justin Z. LaFerrier, PhD

Assistant Professor, Kinesiology (Affiliate)

Research Overview

During my time in the military I served as the officer in charge of physical therapy for the DoD amputee and polytrauma centers for excellence which helped focus my current research interests which include polytrauma and amputation rehabilitation, assistive technology, virtual reality aided rehabilitation and benefits of sport, exercise, and recreation (SER) in individuals with disabilities.

As a beginning researcher at The Human Engineering Research Labs (HERL), I worked on several projects from investigating Mobility Related Assistive Technology (MAT) usage and abandonment patterns in veterans to conducting ISO standards testing on prosthetic feet currently used by the military. Some of my first projects involved developing adaptive technology to improve sports performance in individuals with disabilities and investigating the effects of participation in SER on psychosocial outcomes in veterans with disabilities. Current and future projects include developing a low-cost variable load prosthetic foot and physiological and psychosocial benefits of high intensity training and adaptive sports in individuals with disabilities.

Education

BA Biology 1999 University of Rhode Island
BA Psychology 1999 University of Rhode Island
MS Physical Therapy 2002 University of Rhode Island
PhD Rehabilitation Science and Technology 2012 University of Pittsburgh

Recent Publications