UMOVE Initiative Could Have Far-Reaching Impact on Health
05/31/2017
By Karen Angelo
鈥淲hen people have musculoskeletal problems, quality of life diminishes and health care costs rise,鈥� says Assoc. Prof. of Chemistry Matthew Gage. 鈥淢ovement is a central part of our lives, and yet we know little about how it occurs naturally and how to treat it from all levels.鈥澛�
That鈥檚 where the study of biomechanics comes in. A new UMass systemwide research center, launched with a $25,000 grant by the UMass President鈥檚 Science & Technology Initiatives Fund, will study the science of how bone and muscle systems work under different conditions, with a focus on how these systems change as we age. The UMass Movement Research Center (UMOVE), led by Gage, includes a research team of scientists, chemists, biologists, clinicians, physical therapists and public health experts from across 51视频, UMass Amherst and UMass Medical School.聽
鈥淲e are collaborating with each other to develop research projects that advance our knowledge of the process of movement from all levels of biological organization,鈥� says Gage. The work could have far-reaching impact, he says: 鈥淭he potential of this combined expertise could lead to new discoveries in biomechanics, advances in rehabilitation medicine and designs of robotic devices.鈥澛�
Gage, who researches functional relationships in proteins, is already expanding the scope of his work. 鈥淭hrough discussions with team members, I have started to think about broader aspects of the proteins we are studying,鈥� Gage says. 鈥淎s a result, I鈥檝e begun developing a project with several of the faculty associated with this center to explore the relationship between diet and muscle protein function.鈥澛�
Improving the health of the older population is a key focus of the Center, but the majority of the discoveries could impact all ages.聽
鈥淔or some research questions, the ideal system to study might be of a young adult, but the discoveries from that work could provide valuable insights into conditions observed in older populations,鈥� says Gage. 鈥淚n other cases, discoveries from a study involving older subjects could lead to new assistive devices or physical therapy techniques that have the potential to benefit younger individuals.鈥�