Mississippi Center for Human Movement, Health and Rehabilitation
The Move Center
Moving Mississippi Forward in Health and Rehabilitation
The Mississippi Center for Human Movement, Health and Rehabilitation at UMMC (Move Center) is a research center focused on human movement, supported by all the resources of Mississippi’s only academic medical center.
A multidisciplinary hub, the Move Center collaborates with researchers in all seven schools at UMMC to advance research, education, clinical service and innovation in the field of human movement and rehabilitation science.
The Move Center integrates expertise in basic, applied and translational sciences to optimize mobility, function and quality of life across the human lifespan. With a strong emphasis on translational research, the Center bridges the gap between laboratory discovery and real-world applications. The Center’s research impacts clinical, occupational, athletic, pediatric, and geriatric populations.
Mission
To enhance and optimize human movement through combined efforts of biomechanics, neuroscience, physiology, ergonomics and rehabilitation accomplished through innovative research, education and health care.
Vision
To move Mississippi forward in health and rehabilitation and contribute to the advancement of human movement and rehabilitation science.
Objectives
To advance research, foster innovation, educate and train the next generation of researchers and health care professionals, collaborate across disciplines and serve the community.
Our location
The Move Center, and its research laboratory, the Move Lab, is housed in the UMMC School of Health Related Professions (SHRP). Although based at SHRP, the Center collaborates with all schools at UMMC. Also located in SHRP are office spaces for the executive director, director of research, all research coordinators, faculty and staff, as well as conference rooms, large lecture auditoriums and AV-equipped classrooms. These meeting rooms are available for seminars, lectures and grand rounds within the SHRP building.
The Move Lab
The Move Lab, which focuses on biomechanics, ergonomics, and rehabilitation research, is housed within the Center in SHRP. The lab uses advanced technology for movement capture and real-time analysis of human movement. The data obtained in the lab provide meaningful insights into the Center's research projects.
The Move Center’s research environment is constantly growing, with existing research equipment such as portable balance force plates, algometers, a smart spirometry system, reaction time trainer and VR headsets among many others. Additionally, in collaboration with the UMMC Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research (MCCTR), the Move Center also houses the Artinis fNIRS system, while newer systems such as a 8-camera markerless 3D motion capture system, electromyography system, IMU-based 3D motion capture system and instrumented treadmills are all coming soon.
A hub for research: collaboration across disciplines
In addition to collaborations with all seven schools at UMMC, the Move Center also works with the National Center for Tactical Readiness (NCTR) and the Center for Design, Device, Diagnostics and Biomechanics (D3B), both located at the University of Mississippi. Other research collaborations are conducted with various departments at the University of Mississippi, including the Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
The Move Center will also continue the executive director’s ongoing collaborations with institutions across Mississippi, including Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi, and beyond.
Through partnerships with clinicians, educators, students and community stakeholders, the Center seeks to accelerate innovation in biomechanics, ergonomics, physiology and digital health, while also training the next generation of leaders in movement science and rehabilitation, thereby aiding in the mission of moving Mississippi forward in health, mobility and rehabilitation.
Learn more about the Move Center
To learn more about current research and to inquire about collaboration with our teams, please send email to SHRP-Research@umc.edu or call (601) 984-6333.