Connecting Movement Science to Everyday Life
IMSI outreach extends movement science beyond the laboratory to classrooms, communities, and public dialogue. Our goal is to engage the broader scientific community and general public in meaningful ways that strengthen connections between muscle and movement, STEM, and quality of life.
Mobility is foundational to human health. Advancing treatments for neuromuscular conditions — including stroke, nerve injury, amputation, diabetic neuropathy, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, neurodegenerative disease, and age-related decline — requires an integrated understanding of musculoskeletal mechanics and sensorimotor control. Our work also informs technological development, including bio-inspired mobility assistance, rehabilitation technologies, and robotics grounded in neuromechanical models of movement control. IMSI research advances this integrative framework while translating scientific insight into education, innovation, and community engagement.
IMSI outreach is conducted in partnership with educational institutions, community organizations, libraries, and research collaborators. Together, we design learner-centered and community-based programming delivered through in-person, recorded, and live-streamed formats.
We support pathways into STEM by fostering:
- Positive self-discovery
- Skill development through hands-on learning
- Connections with scientific mentors
- Awareness of multiple STEM career pathways
Through the IMSI YouTube Channel and social media accounts, learners and faculty share research, practices, and outcomes to broaden dissemination and support collaborative scholarship in movement science.
Programs and Initiatives
I Can Code! Workshop Series
This hands-on workshop series, led by Dr. Christian Hubicki, introduces integrated movement science through coding and simulation. Participants explore principles of control and dynamics in human, animal, and robotic movement.
Community Science Collaboratory
Developed with community and institutional partners, these experiential programs translate movement science research into everyday health and wellness practice. Initiatives include:
- Let’s Dance Together, a cross-generational movement program supported by interactive learning arenas developed through IMSI Summer Institute projects.
- The Biomechanics of Motion Special Collection, a video library hosted by USC Library (initiated with National Science Foundation support) where contributors share videos illustrating how forces generate movement.
Biomechanics Initiative (K–12 Engagement)
In partnership with primary and secondary schools, this initiative supports project-based biomechanics learning opportunities, including bioengineering capstone experiences. Current collaborators include Sato High School (Long Beach Unified School District) and Westview High School (Poway Unified School District).
Cultural-Inspired Movement Workshops
Learn-by-doing programs developed with community collaborators that connect movement traditions with principles of biomechanics and neuromechanics.
Movement is Medicine
Virtual seminars with live public discussion, paired with in-person “Walk and Talk” events led by IMSI student ambassadors in collaboration with local partners.