Researcher spotlight: Dr. Lauren Tueth
Precision Motion
Lauren Tueth, Ph.D.
Researcher, Washington University of Medicine, St. Louis
Opal® V2R Technology has been used by thousands of researchers worldwide and together, these researchers have published more than 800 peer reviewed papers, greatly contributing to available body of evidence in human movement.
APDM, now owned by Clario, has delivered deep scientific expertise and broad endpoint technologies to help transform lives around the world for more than 50 years. Our endpoint data solutions have been deployed over 26,000 times to support clinical trials in more than 100 countries. Our global team of science, technology, and operational experts have supported over 60% of all FDA drug approvals since 2012.
For more information, visit our Wearable Biosensors for Research page.
Q:
Would you please introduce yourself, your academic background and your research interests?
A:
My name is Dr. Lauren Tueth. I am a licensed physical therapist and PhD-trained researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. My research focuses on gait and balance impairments in people with neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson disease and Huntington disease. I am especially interested in how cognitive impairment influences gait and balance impairments in these populations, as many individuals with these diagnoses will eventually develop cognitive impairment.
Q:
Do you have a personal story that led to your interest in human movement/ neurodegenerative disease research? What continues to drive your ambitions as a scientist?
A:
I became interested in research while in PT school. I was assigned to the Movement & Neurodegenerative Disease Lab for my work study job, and I found myself drawn to the research projects even as I was out on my clinical rotations. Working in the clinical setting can be frustrating when there is often a lack of well-done research studies to support our interventions. I felt like I could make the most impact on the PT profession by working in the research space, and this led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Movement Science.
Currently, our research participants have really contributed to my continued drive to pursue research. We are fortunate to have many people come volunteer for our studies that just want to help others with their same diagnoses, and it is very motivating to hear their experiences with clinical care and research. There are so many unanswered questions on how we, as physical therapists, can best improve movement and quality of life in people with neurological conditions, and I want to help answer as many of those questions as I can.
Q:
How has Clario’s APDM Opal V2R® System been most useful in your research endeavors?
A:
I have used the APDM Opal sensors for many of my research projects. One of the things I like best about the system is how easy it is to put the sensors on our research participants. We can quickly get the sensors on and get into our walking and balance tasks without much burden on the participants. Many of our participants end up forgetting they have them on, which demonstrates how unobtrusive they are. I also appreciate how quickly Mobility Lab processes the data. We can very easily see if the trials were recorded properly or if there are issues we need to address.
Q:
What research projects or questions are you currently working on?
A:
Currently, I am working on a clinical trial aimed at improving gait in people with Parkinson disease using a music-based walking program. This project builds on the work we have been doing in our lab for many years on the effects of music and mental singing on gait in Parkinson disease. We are using the APDM Opal sensors to collect our gait measures and have been very happy with how simple it is for us to collect many walking trials during our evaluation sessions.
Q:
Where do you see the use of wearable IMU’s in human movement research going in the next 5 years?
A:
I think the use of IMU’s is going to continue to grow. They are very simple to put on and provide so much data valuable for many different types of movement. I think there will be a lot more research happening outside of the lab and in people’s normal environments. There are many factors that affect the way we move, and being able to assess people in their typical environments will give us a lot of insight into these factors.
Q:
Fill in the blank: When I’m not working on a research project, you can find me…
A:
Outside! Years of working in a basement office have really made me appreciate being in the sunshine. I have a little vegetable garden on my apartment balcony that I am currently trying to protect from the squirrels. I also try to go on a walk outside every day. Contrary to popular belief, Missouri has some really pretty nature worth exploring, and I love to go out walking in the parks in the area as often as I can.