Education:
- Postdoctoral Scholar, Physical Therapy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 2021
- PhD, Biokinesiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 2019
- MS, Exercise & Sport Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, 2010
- BS, Physical Therapy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, 2004
Teaching:
- PHTH 8172: Measurement in Clinical Practice
- OCTH 7143/ PHTH 8034: Principles of Human Movement
Clinical/Research Interests:
My research program investigates how sensorimotor integration, neuromuscular control, and underlying neural mechanisms influence gait, posture, and functional movement across individuals with and without movement impairment. Specifically, my work seeks to identify how sensory contributions, motor coordination strategies, and cortical or corticospinal mechanisms contribute to movement dysfunction and balance deficits. To address these questions, I integrate biomechanical and neurophysiological methodologies, along with mobile neural imaging, to characterize human movement with a mechanistic understanding that guides the advancement of targeted rehabilitation interventions.
Currently, I am investigating 1) how enhanced arm swing during walking can facilitate walking in people with lower extremity amputation, and 2) how balance training with sensory manipulation (i.e. restricted vision) can improve the balance function in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment. My research has been supported by the Presbyterian Health Foundation, the Mountain West Clinical Translational Research Infrastructure Network, the Foundation of Physical Therapy Research, and the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources.
The long term objective of my research is to advance rehabilitation interventions by elucidating the factors that facilitate efficient sensorimotor integration during motor control and motor learning. By establishing a mechanistic foundation for how individuals coordinate movement under varying sensory, cognitive, and physical demands, my work aims to support the development of targeted, scalable rehabilitation strategies that improve real-world function and reduce the risk of injury and falls in diverse clinical populations.
Select Publications:
- Shih Y, Powers CM, Fisher BE. Reliability of a method to assess corticomotor excitability of lower limb muscles using a normalized EMG motor thresholding procedure. Scientific Reports, 2024, 10.1038/s41598-024-51622-6.
- Shih Y, Ho KY. Lower Extremity Support Moment and Distribution of Joint Moments during Sloped Running. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2023; 22, 111-116
- Shih Y, Fisher BE, Kutch JJ, Powers CM. Corticomotor excitability of gluteus maximus and hip extensor strength: The influence of sex. Human Movement Science. 2021 Aug; 78:102830.
- Shih Y, Fisher BE, Smith JA, Powers CM. Corticomotor Excitability of Gluteus Maximus Is Associated with Hip Biomechanics During a Single-Leg Drop-Jump. Journal of Motor Behavior; 2021;53(1):40-46.
- Shih Y, Teng HL, Powers CM. Leg Stiffness Predicts Ground Reaction Force Loading Rate in Heel-strike Runners. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2019 Aug;51(8):1692-1697.
- Shih Y, Chen YC, Lee YS, Chan MS, Shiang TY. Walking beyond preferred transition speed increases muscle activations with a shift from inverted pendulum to spring mass model in lower extremity. Gait Posture. 2016 May;46:5-10