Stephanie Jones

Stephanie Jones is an Assistant Professor of Exercise & Sport Studies at Smith College. Her research focuses on understanding how habitual movements may increase injury susceptibility and how pain and neuromuscular dysfunction impact locomotion and balance. She employs motion tracking techniques as well as force and myoelectric sensors to assess human motion, with applications to clinical populations, aging individuals, and athletes.

Dr. Jones completed her Ph.D. at McGill University, her M.S. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and her B.Sc. at the University of Guelph in Canada. Prior to her current position, she was a research staff member at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and held research and lecture appointments at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and the University of Vermont. Her doctoral research investigated the relationship between altered movement patterns and low back pain, and her postdoctoral work at the University of Massachusetts examined sensory dysfunction and fatigue on balance in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Her research interests center on biomechanics, motor control, and rehabilitation science, with specific focus on postural control, low back pain mechanisms, and movement adaptations in neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis. Dr. Jones employs sophisticated motion analysis techniques to understand how sensory feedback impacts movement in athletic performance and among individuals with pain or balance impairment. Her current projects include assessing movement characteristics that may predispose collegiate rowers to back pain and investigating the link between impaired proprioception and balance dysfunction among those with multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Jones' publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on movement science, with recent work examining dual goals of trunk restriction in chronic low back pain (2021), sensorimotor function in progressive multiple sclerosis (2020), and post-fatigue recovery in older women (2017). Her research spans biomechanics, rehabilitation science, and motor control, with particular emphasis on understanding movement adaptations in pain and neurological conditions.

Her scientific contributions include numerous publications in reputable journals such as Gait & Posture, Experimental Brain Research, and Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. Her work has advanced understanding of movement strategies in low back pain, balance control in multiple sclerosis, and neuromuscular adaptations to various conditions.

Dr. Jones has established herself as a movement scientist with expertise in biomechanical analysis of human movement, particularly in clinical populations. Her research bridges basic movement science with clinical applications, contributing to better understanding and potential interventions for movement disorders.