People

Lori Michener, PhD, PT, ATC, SCS, FAPTA

Principal Investigator

Dr. Michener’s research characterizes the biomechanics of musculoskeletal shoulder pain, diagnosis and treatment of shoulder and cervical pain, clinical trials investigating optimal treatment strategies for shoulder and cervical disorders, and the use of patient-rated outcomes measurement tools to assess health related quality of life. She is the Director of the COOR (Clinical biomechanics and Orthopedic Outcomes Research) Laboratory. As the Director of Clinical Outcomes and Research, she directs the development, collection, and analysis of patient-rated outcomes and the process of care in the USC Physical Therapy Associates Clinics, and serves as a resource for clinical research.

List of Publications
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Jonathan Sum, PT, DPT

Clinical Faculty Associate

2015-Present

Dr. Sum specializes in treating patients with orthopedic disorders, sports-related injuries, post-surgical rehabilitation, pain management and musical performance-related injuries. He is double board certified in both orthopedic and sports physical therapy and is an executive board member of the American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists (ASSET). His research is focused on understanding physical factors related to the development of shoulder and elbow pain and its impact on baseball pitching, throwing, and hitting performance, as well as characterizing physical factors related to the evaluation and treatment of shoulder pain.

List of publications
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Sum_CV

Adam Barrack MS, CSCS, TSAC-F

Doctoral Student

2020-Present

Adam completed his Master of Science degree in Biokinesiology at the University of Southern California under co-advisors Dr. Lori Michener and Dr. Chris Powers. Excessive shoulder and elbow torque is associated with the prevalence of upper extremity injuries in baseball players. While pitching is a total body action, little is known about the role of the lower extremity in development of torque at the upper extremity. His current work will build upon his interest in joint and segmental contributions to complex motion by describing lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during the baseball pitch, and defining their contribution to shoulder and elbow torque. By characterizing the impact of the lower extremity on the kinetic chain, we seek to optimize pitching mechanics while minimizing potentially injurious upper extremity torques during pitching. He is currently a Doctoral Student in the COOR Laboratory and the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Laboratory (MBRL). Additionally, he serves as the interim study coordinator for the PAC-12 funded research study: Biomechanical metrics to improve performance and reduce elbow injuries in baseball.

List of Publications

Adam Barrack’s CV

Oscar Vila Dieguez, MSc, PT

Doctoral Student

2020-Present

Matt Heindel PT, DPT

Doctoral Student

2021-Present

Matt completed his undergraduate degree in Applied Human Biology at Seattle Pacific University and his Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of New England. He then received his orthopedic residency training at the Sports and Orthopedic Department at Nationwide Children’s Hospital before pursuing his PhD in Biokinesiology at USC under Dr. Michener.

     His research will primarily focus on understanding pain processing in those with chronic, nontraumatic shoulder pain. This work will help illuminate potential targets for intervention by better understanding the mechanism by which pain persists through evaluating the variation seen within the cortical and subcortical structures of the brain.

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