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Rachel Straub, MS, CSCS

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Research Interests

My general research interests are in the areas of sports performance and injury prevention. My current research focuses on identifying movement patterns that increase the risk of injury to the lower extremity. More specifically, I am working on the development and validation of a movement-based screening assessment to evaluate an athlete’s readiness to return to sport following ACL reconstruction. The long-term goal of this line of research is to reduce risk of re-injury in this population and to improve exercise interventions.

 

 

 

Contact

Office Phone: (323) 442-2089

Email: rstraub@usc.edu

Office: Center for Health Professionals (CHP), G12

Education

  • M.S. Biokinesiology (2013). University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
  • M.S. Exercise Physiology (2011). San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
  • M.S. Nutritional Sciences (2011). San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
  • B.A. Chemistry (2007). Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Publications

  • Straub RK, Powers CM. Utility of 2D Video Analysis for Assessing Frontal Plane Trunk and Pelvis Motion during Stepping, Landing, and Change in Direction Tasks: A Validity Study. Int J Sports Phys Ther. In press.
  • Straub RK, Della Villa F, Mandelbaum B, Powers CM. Confidence to Return to Play After ACL Reconstruction: An Evaluation of Quadriceps Strength Symmetry and Injury Mechanism in Male Athletes. Sports Health. In press.
  • Straub RK, Horgan A, Powers CM. Estimation of vertical ground reaction force parameters during athletic tasks using 2D video. Gait Posture. 2021;90:483-488.
  • Straub RK, Powers CM. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case Report Highlighting Diagnosing and Treatment Challenges and the Possibility of Jarisch-Herxheimer Reactions If High Infectious Loads Are Present. Healthcare (Basel). 2021;9(11):1537.
  • Straub RK, Horgan A, Powers CM. Clinical Estimation of the Use of the Hip and Knee Extensors During Athletic Movements Using 2D Video. J Appl Biomech. 2021;37(5):458-462.
  • Stearns-Reider KM, Straub RK, Powers CM. Hip Abductor Rate of Torque Development as Opposed to Isometric Strength Predicts Peak Knee Valgus During Landing: Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury. J Appl Biomech. 2021;37(5):471-476.
  • Barrack AJ, Straub RK, Cannon J, Powers CM. The relative orientation of the trunk and tibia can be used to estimate the demands of the hip and knee extensors during the barbell back squat. Int J Sports Sci Coach. 2021;16(4):1004-1010.
  • Della Villa F, Straub RK, Mandelbaum B, Powers CM. Confidence to Return to Play after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction is Influenced by Quadriceps Strength Symmetry and Injury Mechanism. Sports Health. 2021;13(3):304-309.
  • Straub RK, Barrack AJ, Cannon J, Powers CM. Sagittal plane trunk orientation is a better predictor of the knee extensor moment during squatting than tibia orientation. J Sport Rehabil. 2021;30(6):899-904.
  • Stearns K, Straub RK, Powers CM. Improvements in Hip Extensor Rate of Torque Development Influence Hip and Knee Extensor Feed-Forward Control. J Mot Behav. 2021;53(6):750-757.
  • Powers CM, Ghoddosi N, Straub RK, Khayambashi K. Hip strength predicts ankle sprains in male soccer players: a prospective study. J Athl Train. 2017;52(11):1048-1055.
  • Khayambashi K, Ghoddosi N, Straub RK, Powers CM. Hip muscle strength predicts noncontact ACL injury in professional athletes: a prospective study. Am J Sports Med. 2016;44(2):355-361.
  • Yiu-Ming W, Straub RK, Powers CM. The VMO:VL activation ratio while squatting with hip adduction is influenced by the choice of recording electrode. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2013;23(22):443-447.
  • Straub RK, Cipriani DJ. Influence of infrapatellar and suprapatellar straps on quadriceps muscle activity and onset timing during the body-weight squat. J Strength Cond Res. 2012;26(7):1827-1837.
  • Parry JS, Straub R, Cipriani DJ. Shoulder and back muscle activation during shoulder abduction and flexion using a bodyblade pro versus dumbbells. J Sport Rehabil; 2012;21(3):266-272.
  • Marsh TG, Straub RK, Villalobos F, Hong MY. Soy protein supports cardiovascular health by downregulating hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 and increasing antioxidant enzyme activity in rats with dextran sodium sulfate-induced mild systemic inflammation. Nutr Res. 2011;31(12):922-928.
  • Mamonova T, Hespenheide B, Straub R, Thorpe MF, Kurnikova M. Protein flexibility using constraints from molecular dynamics simulations. Phys Biol. 2005;2(4):S137-147.

Published Book

  • Stellabotte F, Straub R. Weight Training Without Injury: Over 350 Step-by-Step Pictures Including What Not to Do! Walnut, CA: Regalis Publishing. 2016:1-294.

Abstracts

  • Straub RK, Powers CM. Decreased Hip-Knee Extensor Isometric Strength Predicts Ipsilateral ACL Re-injury in Female Athletes: A Retrospective Case-Control Study. ACL Research Retreat IX, Greensboro, NC, March 2022. (Submitted)
  • Straub RK, Powers CM. Use of the Knee Extensors Relative to the Hip Extensors Predicts ACL Re-injury in Females. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, June 2022. (Submitted)
  • Straub RK, Powers CM. Quadriceps Strength Symmetry Predicts Vertical Ground Reaction Force Running Symmetry 6 Months Post-ACL Reconstruction. Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, San Antonio, TX, February 2022. (Accepted for Podium)
  • Straub RK, Barrack AJ, Cannon J, Powers CM. Maximizing Use of the Hip Extensors Relative to the Knee Extensors During Squatting: A Classification and Regression Tree Analysis. 26th Annual European College of Sports Science Congress, September 2021. (Podium, Virtual)
  • Straub, RK, Horgan A, Barrack AJ, Zhuang F, Cuellar R, Powers CM. Clinical estimation of movement behavior predictive of vertical ground reaction forces during athletic tasks. International Society for Biomechanics, Stockholm, Sweden, July 2021. (Poster, Virtual)
  • Straub, RK, Horgan A, Barrack AJ, Mosesian L, Powers CM. Clinical estimation of the use of the hip and knee extensors during athletic movements. European Society for Biomechanics, Milan, Italy, July 2021. (Podium, Virtual)
  • Straub RK, Stearns-Reider KM, Powers CM. Hip Abductor Rate of Torque Development Predicts Knee Valgus during Landing: Implications for ACL Injury. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, June 2021. (Poster, Virtual)
  • Straub RK, Stearns-Reider KM, Powers CM. Improvements in Hip Extensor Rate of Torque Development Influence Hip and Knee Extensor Feed-Forward Control: A Neuromuscular Training Study. Society for the Neural Control of Movement Annual Meeting, April 2021. (Poster, Virtual)
  • Straub RK, Mandelbaum B, Powers CM. Restoration of Quadriceps Strength Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Comparison Among Graft Types during the Early and Late Post-Operative Period. 5th Annual Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine for the Clinician, Jacksonville, Florida, March 2021. (Podium, Livestream)
  • Straub RK, Barrack AJ, Cannon J, Powers CM. Sagittal plane trunk orientation is a better predictor of the knee extensor moment during squatting than tibia orientation. International Society for Biomechanics and Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, Calgary, Canada, July 2019. (Poster)
  • Barrack AJ, Straub RK, Cannon J, Powers CM. The influence of trunk and tibia orientation on the Hip/Knee extensor moment ratio during squatting. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, June 2019. (Poster)
  • Straub RK, Powers CM. Tibia/Trunk orientation predicts Hip/Knee moment ratios during dynamic activities. Research Day at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, USC, Los Angeles, CA, April 2018. (Poster)
  • Straub RK, Khayambashi K, Ghoddosi N, Powers CM. Hip muscle strength predicts lateral non-contact ankle sprains in male soccer players: a prospective study. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, June 2016. (Podium)
  • Straub RK, Khayambashi K, Ghoddosi N, Powers CM. Hip muscle strength predicts non-contact ACL injury in male and female athletes: a prospective study. ACL Research Retreat VII, Greensboro, NC, March 2015. (Podium)
University of Southern California