Awarded in 2005
Home Department: Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor: Terence Sanger (Pediatric Neurosurgery)

Research Description: Virginia worked in Dr. Sanger's group to develop a theoretical model for human motor learning. In particular, she was interested in studying motor learning in children and young adults. Various aspects of motor learning were explored to help shed light on its important elements. Virginia also studied children with severe movement disorders in order to learn more about the missing pieces that lead to various motor learning deficits. Using this information, she intended to study "correction" methods to compensate for the missing pieces in light of the model. With a greater understanding of the motor learning deficits, Virginia hoped to develop medical devices and training paradigms to help children with movement disorders learn and further develop their motor skills.

WHERE IS SHE NOW?

Virginia is an assistant professor of Occupational Therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University.