11/20/2025
By Oshin Wilson

The Francis College of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, invites you to attend a doctoral qualifying exam by Oshin Wilson on: "Investigating the Effects of Concussion on Balance Performance and Sensory Reweighting in Athletes."

Date: Monday, December 8, 2025
Time: Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: Falmouth 302 Conference Room and via Teams

Committee:

  • Lara Thompson, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, UMass Lowell (Advisor and Chair)
  • Walfre Franco, Associate Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering, UMass Lowell
  • PeiChun Kao, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology, UMass Lowell

Abstract
Sports-related concussions remain a significant public health concern, particularly among collegiate athletes participating in high-impact sports. While many athletes appear to recover, subtle impairments in balance, gait, and sensorimotor integration may remain, elevating their risk of re-injury and long-term dysfunction. An overarching goal of my proposed thesis research is to investigate the effects of concussion on balance and sensory reweighting in athletes that participate in high impact sports, such as ice hockey and soccer. We will accomplish our research goal through investigating standing balance and postural control (Aim 1), gait and dynamic stability during walking and dual-task conditions (Aim 2), and sensorimotor integration in response to controlled sensory (visual) perturbations (Aim 3) in athletes with or without a history of concussion. We hypothesize that concussed individuals will exhibit greater postural sway, reduced adaptability, slower gait speed, and altered spatiotemporal gait parameters (e.g., shorter stride length, increased step time variability) and increased reliance on visual input– particularly under challenging or dual-task conditions. 

Our central research question (to determine how standing, walking and sensorimotor integration are affected in athletes with a history of concussion, compared to those without) will be elucidated. Here, we will recruit at least 30 collegiate participants (ages 18-30 years old) with and without a history of concussion, from ice hockey and soccer varsity teams at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Participants will be assessed using the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), force-plate analysis, Timed Up and Go (TUG), a modified Sensory Organization Test (SOT), motion capture, Y Balance Test and virtual reality (VR)-based visual perturbations. Tasks will include quiet standing, firm and foam walking with and without head turns and dual-task gait. The expected outcomes include quantifiable differences in balance stability, gait variability, and sensory reweighting strategies between concussed and non-concussed athletes. By quantifying, sport-relevant deficits that traditional tests may overlook, this project may inform safer return-to-play decisions, improve injury prevention strategies, and contribute to evidence-based concussion management protocols. This research has broad implications for athletes, clinicians, and rehabilitation specialists. Further, these findings may extend beyond athletes to benefit other active populations, such as older adults, military personnel, and individuals involved in physically demanding occupations, who have experienced concussions.