The Center for Integrative Movement Sciences
The Center for Integrative Movement Sciences (CIMS), directed by Professor Monica Daley, is an interdisciplinary collective of faculty at UC Irvine who engage in integrative movement sciences research. Dr. Daley directs the Human Performance Lab as a shared research facility for CIMS activities, and affiliate faculty direct labs engaging in research spanning scales of study from molecular biology to whole-organism movement, and across disciplines including biological sciences, medicine, engineering, social sciences, arts, and athletics.
CIMS serves as the UC Irvine-based hub and administrative center for the Integrative Movement Sciences Institute (IMSI).
Collaborate
We foster collaborative, team-based scientific partnerships and educational initiatives that promote integration across multiple scales, from molecular biology and physiology to whole-organism movement and behavior.
Integrate
The goal of IMSI is to integrate understanding of muscular control of movement across scales from molecular to ecological. Our initiatives foster interdisciplinary integration through collaborative faculty partnerships that span biological sciences, engineering, biophysics, medicine, social sciences, and the arts, advancing innovative research and discovery.
Train and Innovate
Our supportive team-based scientific approach provides outstanding training and mentorship for the next generation of scientists, enabling them to address fundamental questions of significant societal importance. IMSI research has important implications for human health and well-being, addressing changes in movement with age, and technology innovations for wearable devices, bio-sensing, mobility assistance and rehabilitation.
The Integrative Movement Sciences Institute
The Integrative Movement Sciences Institute (IMSI), supported by a National Science Foundation Biology Integration Institute grant, is a nexus for cross-institutional research, training, and outreach in interdisciplinary movement sciences and muscular control of movement, connecting a nationwide network of faculty affiliates from over 20 institutions and bringing together leading minds in biomechanics, muscle physiology, biophysics, neuroscience, rehabilitation sciences, and rehabilitation engineering.
Muscle is the active tissue that powers the agility of animals, enabling feats of speed, endurance, and maneuverability in challenging environments. Understanding how muscle controls movement is crucial both for understanding diversity of sensorimotor systems and athletic performance among animal, and for maintaining human health across the lifespan. However, current models fall short of accurately predicting muscle function and control during fast, unsteady motions in complex environments. This limitation arises from the fragmentation between fields, creating gaps in knowledge between bottom-up reductionist approaches (focusing on molecules and tissues) and top-down organismal approaches (focusing on animal behavior).
IMSI aims to bridge these gaps by connecting bottom-up and top-down approaches to integrate the contributions of mechanical, neural, and sensory systems to movement control. Our activities drive innovation across biophysics, physiology, biomechanics, neuroscience, and engineering. Understanding the muscular controls of agile movement has broad applications in biotechnology and the bio-economy, particularly in the design of movement therapies, rehabilitation programs, and mobility assistance devices.
Partnership Opportunities
CIMS regularly partners with academic, fitness, athletic, and health organizations. Please get in touch if you are interested in partnership opportunities.