Kaylena Ehgoetz MartensView profile
Associate Professor
Kaylena Ehgoetz Martens serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, where she directs the Neurocognition and Mobility Lab. Her research program integrates movement kinematics, functional neuroimaging, psychophysiology, and cognitive neuroscience to investigate the neural basis of gait control and its disruption in neurodegenerative conditions, with particular emphasis on Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and isolated REM sleep behavior disorder. She focuses on the complex interplay between cognition, emotion, and motor function to develop translational approaches for early diagnosis and intervention in mobility disorders. Dr. Martens' academic training includes a BSc in Kinesiology & Physical Education from Wilfrid Laurier University, an MA in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Waterloo, and postdoctoral training at the Medicine, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia. Her educational background established the foundation for her multidisciplinary approach to movement neuroscience. Her research program centers on three interconnected aims: (1) investigating cognitive-emotional interactions in gait and balance control; (2) leveraging gait complexity to identify subclinical predictors of neurodegeneration; and (3) developing technology-enhanced diagnostic and intervention tools using virtual reality and mobile recording devices. This work addresses critical gaps in understanding how anxiety, threat processing, and autonomic dysfunction contribute to movement impairments in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Analysis of her recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong trajectory in subtype-specific characterization of freezing of gait, identification of sex-specific neurodegeneration patterns, and development of AI-driven detection methods. Her work increasingly incorporates machine learning for gait analysis while maintaining clinical relevance through biomarker discovery and therapeutic innovation, particularly in the prodromal phases of synucleinopathies. Scientific Awards: No specific awards were documented in the provided source material. Dr. Martens actively supervises graduate students across all levels including undergraduate theses, MSc, PhD, and postdoctoral fellows within her Neurocognition and Mobility Lab. She provides research opportunities for volunteers, coursework interns, and research coordinators, with a focus on translating laboratory findings to clinical applications. While specific grant details weren't provided, her extensive use of advanced neuroimaging, wearable sensors, and virtual reality technologies indicates substantial research funding supporting her program. The Neurocognition and Mobility Lab operates as a collaborative hub bridging basic neuroscience with clinical practice, working closely with healthcare providers to develop practical tools for early mobility impairment detection. Current projects emphasize translating gait complexity metrics into clinical biomarkers and developing anxiety-targeted interventions to prevent falls in neurodegenerative populations, with particular attention to preserving functional independence throughout the lifespan.
