Melissa Morrow

Melissa (Missy) Morrow, PhD is a Professor and Associate Director at the Center for Health Promotion, Performance, and Rehabilitation Research (CHPPRR) within the School of Health Professions at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She holds the prestigious A. Russell Shearn Moody Distinguished Chair in Neurological Rehabilitation, reflecting her leadership in spinal cord injury research.

• Education: BS in Engineering (Tulane University), MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering (Mayo Clinic)
• Training: Post-Doctoral Fellowship on NIH T32 Program in Rehabilitation, NIH K12 BIRCWH Scholar

Her research focuses on improving physical function for wheelchair users through technology integration, addressing secondary conditions of spinal cord injury like shoulder pathology and pressure injuries. She employs wearable sensors, motion capture, and mixed-methods approaches to understand real-world disability experiences.

Recent publications highlight her work in ARM algorithm development for musculoskeletal risk quantification, mHealth pressure mapping systems, and ergonomic assessments for wheelchair biomechanics. Her NIH-funded projects include shoulder injury natural history studies and technologies to prevent sitting-acquired pressure injuries.

• NIH R01 HD84423-6 (2021-2026): Shoulder Pathology in Wheelchair Users
• NIH U54 AG044170-8 (2018-2023): Endocrine Disruption in Aging
• NIH R01 AG056255-5 (2017-2023): Pressure Injury Prevention Technologies
• VA I01RX003222-01A1 (2020-2025): CMAP System for Pressure Injuries

She has pioneered inertial measurement unit (IMU) applications for real-world arm use assessment and developed CMAP system for veterans with spinal cord injury. Her work bridges biomechanics, clinical research, and technology development in rehabilitation science.