Daniel Davis, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Health & Kinesiology
Profile
The Utah CTSI had the privilege of talking to Daniel Davis, a Spheres of Translation Across the Research Spectrum (STARS T32) trainee. We thank him for taking the time to answer our questions about his research in older adults' biomechanics with walking.
What is your research area?
My research area is biomechanics. Specifically, I study how our muscles, tendons, and bones work together to produce efficient and effective human movement.
What makes it relevant?
I'm currently studying how older adults walk to try to determine why they use more energy and choose to walk slower than their younger adult counterparts.
How does it help the world?
Expending too much energy can lead to fatigue and may reduce an individual's physical activity. The speed at which older adults choose to walk is predictive of their all cause mortality. As such, determining why older adults present with walking difficulties will improve their mobility and quality of life.
How has the CTSI helped you?
My STARS T32 through the CTSI has exposed me to clinically-relevant research outside my area of expertise - this has been helpful in understanding how to present my message to non-biomechanists and to better understand the landscape of clinically-focused research.