Dr. Van Gemmert received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and his Master and PhD degrees in Experimental Psychology from the University of Nijmegen (currently Radboud University), Nijmegen, the Netherlands. In 1992, he also was an ERASMUS Student (European Exchange Program) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and in 1994 he received a NATO Fellowship (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) to attend the summer workshop on “Multisensory Control of Movement” at the ISAS, Trieste, Italy (International School for Advanced Studies). In 1997, he moved to the United States, to join the Motor Control laboratory at Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe, Arizona, directed by Professor George E. Stelmach. At ASU, he first was a Post-doctoral research Associate (1997 – 1999); then a Faculty Research Associate and eventually in 2005, he was promoted to Associate Professor Research. In 1999, he was appointed as a Special Project Associate in the Department of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Arizona. In the latter function, he was assigned to be part of the research team of Dr. Charles H. Adler. Both appointments, at Mayo Clinic and ASU, ended when Dr. Van Gemmert joined the faculty of the Department of Kinesiology (currently School of Kinesiology) at Louisiana State University (LSU), in August 2008. Immediately after his arrival at LSU, he started the LSU Fine Motor Control and Learning laboratory and he also joined the faculty of the LSU Life Course and Aging Center (LCAC) of which center he became Executive director, September 2017. August 2018, he also became the Acting Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies. This position became permanent in April 2020.

Dr. Van Gemmert teaches classes in motor learning, and he is part of the Human Movement Science concentration (BS) and Motor Behavior concentration (MS & PhD) programs in Kinesiology at LSU. Furthermore, he is also Faculty advisor for the Pre-OT Club at LSU.

Dr. Van Gemmert professional memberships include the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), the American Psychological Association (APA-divisions: Society for Experimental Psychology & Cognitive Science (3), Adult Development & Aging (20), and Rehabilitation Psychology (22)), the Psychonomic Society (PsyS; Fellow), and the International Graphonomics Society (IGS). At the IGS, he served as Secretary (2001-2005) and Treasurer (2001-2007); he was a member of the Advisory Council (2007-2009); and he was elected to serve as President (2011-2013). After his term as President of IGS ended in 2013, he became again served a term as Secretary (2014-2017) of the IGS.

Dr. Van Gemmert’s research interests center around the control of fine motor tasks, such as handwriting, drawing, pointing, and reach-to-grasp movements. More specific, his interests focus on three different, but related, themes. 1) Mechanisms causing changes in motor control during increased demands due to stress and/or mental load. 2) Changes in fine movement control due to physiologic deterioration of the movement system as result of advanced age and/or neurological disease. 3) Challenges occuring when (re)learning fine motor tasks under strenuous conditions as a consequence of stress, mental load, advanced age, and/or neurological disease.

Curriculum Vitae (ResearchGate / PubMed / ResearchID)

Reuben Addison, M.S.

raddis3@lsu.edu

Reuben Addison, M.S., received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Ghana, Legon, in 2012 and received his Master’s degree in Kinesiology with focus on Motor Learning and Control from Memorial University of Newfoundland, in 2017.

Reuben’s current research interests pertains to changes motor skill acquisition, maintenance and transfer of skills due to mental stress. Further interests include the assessments of challenges encountered during (re)learning fine motor tasks under strenuous conditions due to mental load, advanced age, and/or neurological disease.

Erika Mora, M.S.

egarc23@lsu.edu

Erika Mora completed her Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology in 2015 and her Masters of Science degree in Kinesiology in 2017 with a specialization in sport psychology, motor control and learning from California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA.

Her interests include the observation, development, and implementation of therapeutic exercise programs for adults with balance and movement disorders caused by disease or trauma to the neurological system.

Rachael Denbrock

rdenbr1@lsu.edu

Kylie Madere

kmade13@lsu.edu

Eliott Reimann

ereima1@lsu.edu

Former Members

Prasanna Acharya, Ph.D.

prasanna.acharya@ic.edu

Prasanna Acharya, Ph.D., finished his masters and undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) and Bapuji Institute of Engineering & Technology (BIET), India. He received his Ph.D. degree in Kinesiology with a specialization in Motor Behavior from Louisiana State University in 2020.

His primary interest is focuses on neuromuscular control of movements of the fingers, hand, and arms, in particular how posture control influences fine motor task perfromance. He is currently at Illinois College.

Christopher Aiken, Ph.D.

aiken@nmsu.edu

Christopher Aiken, Ph.D., received his Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2007 and received his Masters degree in Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2011. He received his Ph.D. degree in Kinesiology with a specialization in Motor Behavior from Louisiana State University in 2015

His research interests include the effects of mental load, stress, and self-control on motor learning and how focus of attention affects human performance. He is currently at New Mexico State University.

Krystal Kirby, Ph.D.

kkirb11@lsu.edu

Krystal Kirby received her B.S. in physics and mathematics from the University of Memphis in 2014. She received her Ph.D. degree in Medical Physics from Louisiana State University in 2020.

Her interests include methods to improve the use of fMRI to assess functional changes of the brain while learning fine motor tasks and methods to postprocess and analysis obtained data with these methods. She is currently doing her residency at Mayo Clinic.

Zhujun Pan, Ph.D.

zp147@msstate.edu

Zhujun Pan, Ph.D., received her Bachelors degree in 2005 in Electronic Science and Technology from the South-West Jiaotong University and she obtained her Masters degree in 2009 in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the Capital Institute of Physical Education. She received her Ph.D. degree in Kinesiology with a specialization in Motor Behavior from Louisiana State University in 2014.

She is interested in the neural mechanisms behind changes in the performance of fine motor tasks (e.g., pointing, handwriting, drawing, etc.) due to aging and neurological disease. She is currently at Mississippi State University.

Stanley Smith, M.Sc.

ssmi265@lsu.edu

Stanley Smith received his Bachelor’s degree in Biological Engineering from Louisiana State University in 2016. He received his M.Sc. degree in Kinesiology with a specialization in Motor Behavior from Louisiana State University in 2019.

His interest is focussed on sports biomechanics. He aims to contribute knowledge applicable to the field of sports engineering.

Lauren Villa, M.Sc.

lvilla3@lsu.edu

Dakoda Allbritton, B.S.

dallbr2@lsu.edu

Sarah Cherry, B.S.

Sarah Cherry was awarded a scholarship from the President’s Future Leaders in Research program.

scherr2@lsu.edu

Audrey Demand, B.S.

Currently, she pursues an M.S. degree in Biology and Medical Sciences at Mississippi College.

ademand@mc.edu

Seth C. Fontenot, B.S.

sfont36@lsu.edu

Rachel Herr, B.S.

rherr1@lsu.edu

Madison Hopper, B.S.

LSU Discover 2018: first place STEM poster award winner.

madisonkhopper@gmail.com

Briasha Jones

bjon163@lsu.edu

Briasha Jones was awarded a scholarship from the IMSD Undergraduate Scholarship program and the Ronald E. McNair Program

Mallik Mathews, B.S.

klancl3@lsu.edu

A. Taylor Moss, B.S.

amoss9@lsu.edu

Sarah B. Odom, B.S.

Sarah Odom was one of the twelve 2014 LSU Discover Scholar Awardees for her undergraduate research work on a project aimed to understand the effects of mental load and auditory noise on learning fine motor tasks.

sodom4@lsu.edu

Angelo L. Sayo, B.S.

Angelo Sayo graduated from Louisiana State University in 2014. He graduated in the Ogden Honors College and received his BS in Kinesiology.

He is currently a student of the De La Salle Health Sciences Institute's College of Medicine (Class of 2019) in Dasmariñas, Philippines.

angelo.sayo@gmail.com

Olivia Smit

osmit1@lsu.edu

Collette M. Tilly, B.S.

Collette Tilly graduated from Louisiana State University in 2016. She graduated in the Ogden Honors College and received her BS in Kinesiology.

LSU Health Sciences Center - Shreveport
School of Medicine
Class of 2020

ctilly@lsuhsc.edu

Taylor Witten, B.S.

twitte1@lsu.edu