A champion for stroke patients

EDITOR'S NOTE: Every year, hundreds of undergraduates at the University of Delaware pursue research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Such experiences provided by UD - a nationally recognized research university - can be life-changing, introducing young scholars to a new field, perhaps even the path to a future career, as they uncover new knowledge. These spotlights offer a glimpse into their world.

If you or anyone close to you is among the world's estimated 100 million people who have survived a stroke - a disease that causes blood clots or ruptured blood vessels, disrupting blood flow in the brain - you probably already know that strategic, effective rehabilitative care is critical for the best possible recovery.

Logan Schlag, a senior kinesiology major from Newark, Delaware, spent much of his summer studying the mechanics of "locomotor learning" - how the body re-learns how to move - after a stroke. The work has significantly shaped his future plans, he said.

Schlag's research has been done under the supervision of Prof. Darcy Reisman, chair of the University of Delaware's Department of Physical Therapy, and Clinical Research Manager Elizabeth Thompson in the Neuromotor Behavior Lab at the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus. The lab has a split-belt treadmill, which is used in the research.

Q: Why did you want to pursue this? What intrigues you about this topic?

Schlag: I want to create a future for myself within the discipline of physical therapy. I thought these opportunities within these labs would be unique in my undergrad career. This would give me opportunities to explore possible areas of focus I may want to pursue inside physical therapy. During this time, I got extremely interested in the neurological side of movement disorders. This led to me taking the Neuroscience of Movement Disorders class, which I felt really helped give a better foundation that I can now expand further.

Q: Why does research like this matter?

Schlag: Locomotor research is important because most individuals with stroke have an impaired gait. After the stroke, most patients reduce their walking due to lack of trust of their own balance and the fear of falling, which further negatively impacts their walking, gait and generally their overall locomotor activity. Moreover, this reduces their overall health. This research is important because as researchers we need to create methods that help individuals with stroke learn better walking patterns that will give them the best outcome while they are in physical therapy rehabilitation. This will create a better quality of life for these individuals and can help them return to relatively normal activities of daily living.

Q: What's the coolest thing about being involved in this project? Have you had any surprising or especially memorable experiences?

Schlag: To me, the best and memorable aspect of the project are the participants. I have thoroughly enjoyed every interaction I have with the participants. Their personal stories and developing a relationship with each and every participant is what I truly enjoy. There is never a dull moment within these times when I get to interact with each participant.

Q: Is there anything you've discovered about yourself and your career goals as you've worked on the project?

Schlag: This is a great question! I feel my time within this lab and this project has started to solidify what I may want to pursue in the future. I really got into understanding the subject and the content related to this project. I have dug deeper into research articles and reached out to associated authors for better clarity and how it may relate to what we are doing on our project. I started to enjoy the statistical aspect and the relation to the data that may be significant. As well as finding other potentially significant data we were not expecting during the project. I have clearly found a passion within neuroscience that I would like to pursue further in my career from the lab.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Schlag: I am really into whitewater kayaking, as people who know me will tell you. I usually nonstop talk about kayaking-related stuff. It is a very strong passion for me, I truly love anything outdoor-related, especially anything water-related.