Participate
Several ways to be part of the work: as a research participant, a community advisor, or a student researcher. Lab phone (352) 392-5353. Principal investigator Dr. Kerry Costello.
If none of the current studies are a fit, check back. New opportunities are posted here as they open.
A six-week study using wearable sensors and daily pain surveys to understand how movement patterns relate to pain episodes in people with knee OA.
Eligibility. Age 40+, knee OA diagnosis, knee pain 15+ days/month, able to walk independently.
Commitment. Three in-person sessions (20–60 min) plus daily sensor wear and brief smartphone surveys for six weeks.
Peter Schaefer · Project managerWalking and daily-activity data from healthy adults and people with knee OA, used to find movement patterns linked to muscle, bone, and joint health.
Eligibility. Ages 18–89, able to perform everyday activities independently, able to consent in English.
Commitment. About 20–60 minutes on site. No appointment required.
Ryan McCloskey · Project managerCompares biomechanical data from activities of daily living collected with traditional marker-based capture and newer markerless (video) systems.
Eligibility. Ages 18–89, able to perform activities of daily living without assistance.
Commitment. One visit, about 1–2 hours.
Ryan McCloskey · Project managerCommunity-based versus lab-based collection in knee OA, asking whether markerless video in the wild can widen who we study without giving up the measurement.
Eligibility. Age 40+, knee OA, walking without assistance; no recent leg injury or prior knee replacement.
Commitment. 20–60 minutes per session, with a follow-up about six months later.
Ryan McCloskey · Project managerMarkerless versus marker-based capture during yoga poses — a more comfortable setup, if it holds up for clinical biomechanics.
Eligibility. Ages 18–90, prior yoga experience, no lower-limb injury in the past six months.
Commitment. Three visits over three weeks, about 1–2 hours each.
Alexandra Chertok · Project managerUpcoming work on lower-limb joint angles during yoga in post-THA patients compared with controls, with Dr. Simon Mears. Details when recruitment opens.
Force-plate production in the weight room paired with swing metrics in the cage, in collaboration with UF Softball and Strength & Conditioning.
We are looking for people with knee osteoarthritis to help shape the research. No research experience required — a willingness to share what the studies look like from the other side of the consent form.
Volunteers are a real part of the team. Except in rare cases we ask for about 10 hours a week for at least two semesters. Positions are typically unpaid; some students take course credit or apply for the University Scholars Program. We review most applications at the end of each semester. Attention to detail matters: applications should include the phrase “biomechanics in the wild.”
Undergraduate applicationPh.D. positions depend on funding and are considered case by case. Most students sit in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; Biomedical Engineering and Applied Physiology & Kinesiology are also possible. Email Dr. Costello with research interests, a CV, and a writing sample if you have one. Engineering Ph.D. applications are typically due December 5 for fall priority. M.S. thesis students are considered individually; unpaid M.S. work sometimes leads to a funded Ph.D.
Email Dr. CostelloMeet the people already here on the team page. Lab members use the handbook (sign-in required) as the operating manual.
