Fairmont State University has received $71,101 in grant funding through the West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence to equip the Applied Biomechanics and Human Performance Laboratories with peripheral nerve stimulation, ultrasound, and electromyography equipment, according to a May 28 announcement. The funding was secured with assistance from Fairmont State University’s Office of Sponsored Programs.
Dr. Shawn Reese, Assistant Professor of Exercise Science, will oversee the purchase and implementation of a Cadwell Sierra Summit neurodiagnostic system, a Mindray MX7 Portable Ultrasound, and a Delsys Trigno Centro Avanti Electromyography System. “Acquiring this clinical-grade, portable neuromuscular diagnostic and imaging equipment fundamentally transforms what we can achieve in our laboratory and the experience we can offer to our undergraduate and graduate students. We now have the capability to look below the surface to measure and quantify muscle changes over time, muscle architecture, nerve conduction, muscle activation, and more,” said Reese.
The new equipment will be accessible to graduate students in the College of Education, Health, and Human Performance as well as undergraduate students pursuing independent study projects or those enrolled in exercise science classes focused on research. Equipping these laboratories with advanced instruments is expected to make Fairmont State a site for data collection on collaborative research projects.
“This funding allows us to ask deeper, more sophisticated questions about human movement, fatigue, and neuromuscular health in young adults, and how those mechanisms change as we age—ultimately impacting critical aspects of mobility such as balance and fall risk,” Reese added.
In addition to supporting research activities, this equipment will also be incorporated into classroom curriculum. The Cadwell Sierra Summit system will be used for teaching complex neuromuscular concepts, while the Mindray MX7 Portable Ultrasound offers high image clarity for observing heart function as well as blood vessels in limbs. The wireless Trigno Centro system enables researchers to capture synchronized high-resolution muscle activation data during movement for biomechanics research.
