Alaa A. Ahmed Alaa A. Ahmed, Ph.D. Department of Integrative Physiology 354 UCB University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309-0354 phone: 303-492-6063 fax: 303-492-4009 e-mail: alaa.ahmed@colorado.edu

Research Interests

• Biomechanical and sensorimotor processes underlying human movement control and decision-making in uncertain or unstable environments.


• Neuromechanics of postural control, loss of balance detection, and falls in young and older adults.


• Investigating the stimulus for muscle hypertrophy using multi-scale biomechanical models of lengthening contractions during progressive resistance training.


• Neuromechanics Laboratory

Education

• 1995-1999, B.S., Department of Mechanical Engineering, American University of Cairo, Egypt.


• 1999-2000, M.S., Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.


• 1999-2001, M.S.E., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.


• 1999-2005, Ph.D., Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Professional Experience

• 2005-2006, NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biomechanics Research Lab, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.


• 2006-2007, Whitaker Foundation International Scholar, Sensorimotor Control Group, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, U.K.


• 2007-2008, Research Associate, Sensorimotor Control Group, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, U.K.


• August 2008, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado at Boulder.

Honors and Awards

• 2001-2004, NIH Predoctoral Fellowship .


• 2003, American Society of Biomechanics, Clinical Biomechanics Award.


• 2005-2006, NIH Postdoctoral Fellow.


• 2006-2007, Whitaker Foundation International Scholar Award,


• 2007, Royal Society, Conference Grant.

Recent Publications

• Ahmed AA, Ashton-Miller JA. Is loss of balance a control error signal anomaly? Evidence for three-signal failure detection in young adults. Gait and Posture 19: 252-262, 2004.


• Ahmed AA, Ashton-Miller JA. Effect of age on detecting a loss of balance in a seated, whole-body balancing task. Clinical Biomechanics 20: 767-775, 2005.


• Ahmed AA, Ashton-Miller JA. On use of a nominal internal model to detect a loss of balance in a maximal forward reach. Journal of Neurophysiology 97: 2439-2447, 2007.