Kathleen Carolyn "Kacey" Suvada. Members of the Biomechanics and Clinical Outcomes Lab. From left to right: Craig Hensley, Oiza Peters, Ava Haghnaji, Gabrielle Kindy and Kacey Suvada. Photos: Jenny Fontaine/UIC Listen to story summary

As a UIC postdoctoral researcher, Kacey Suvada has presented projects from her undergraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral training to countless audiences. But the toughest presentation thus far was for an improv show.

Suvada guest-starred in Uncontrolled Variables, a comedy show at Chicago's Lincoln Lodge where comedians and scientists partner up to verbally dissect a research topic. A long-time audience member and fan, Suvada said her passion for science communication pushed her to take the stage.

"When it comes to explaining research to the general public, sometimes scientists fall flat," said Suvada, who studies kinesiology and nutrition in the College of Applied Health Sciences. "Scientists need to express research in a way that everyone can relate to and get excited about."

Capturing participants in motion

Off stage, at UIC, Suvada works with professor Dr. Kharma Foucher to study altered movement patterns in adults diagnosed with osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. Understanding how a movement signal is sent from the brain down the spinal cord and out to the muscles in the body can inform rehabilitation strategies and improve hip and knee function.

"Think of all the ways you might pick up a coffee cup," Suvada said. "People who have osteoarthritis, have experienced a stroke," which Kacey studied during her PhD at Northwestern University, "or any other clinical condition are more limited in what their body can do and may be constrained to a few movement strategies as a result."

Suvada uses motion-capture technology to track and quantify how the body moves in space. Research in the lab studies how principles of physics and engineering apply to human movement, a discipline known as biomechanics. She attaches quarter-sized sensors to study participants' feet, ankles, arms, legs and hips while high-precision cameras pick up the signal from the markers to locate them in space during the task. The sensors measure stride length, joint angles, velocities, ground reaction forces and quantifies the overall movement pattern to create a skeletal model of the participant on Suvada's computer.

Next, the sensored-up participants take a five- to 10-minute stroll. They use a special two-belt treadmill with forces plates underneath to compute the joint angles and forces of each footstep all while oxygen masks track breathing.

With these measurements, Suvada can understand the patient's movement patterns to better inform clinicians and the development of treatment and recovery plans.

Suvada attaches small sensors to participants' bodies to create a skeletal model. Suvada uses a computer to track participants' movements as they walk on a two-belt treadmill. Ph.D. candidate Oiza Peters is calibrating the motion capture analysis cameras before participants walk. Sensors attached to a participant's arm. Photos: Jenny Fontaine/UIC

Beyond physical health

Suvada said each participant comes to the lab with their own unique story.

"It's a privileged position to be in to hear patients' stories and understand what they're going through," Suvada said. "Both of my parents have underlying movement conditions, and witnessing that has made me more attuned and empathetic to patients."

To holistically capture each participant's situation, Suvada collects data on physical and psychological health - both of which can affect recovery.

"What is driving someone's lack of function?" Suvada said. "Is it physical weakness, low energy levels or a fear of reinjury? The intention of our work is to improve accessibility and reduce pain in real people's lives. The more we understand the individual person, the more we can move toward specialized approaches in rehabilitation medicine."

Suvada is passionate about mental health outside of her research as well. While pursuing her PhD in neuroscience at Northwestern University, she volunteered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness's Ending the silence program, which aimed to normalize discussions about mental health.

"I went to schools around Chicago to educate the younger generation about mental health and help to end stigma surrounding mental health conditions. A student came up to me after my presentation once and stated that they appreciated hearing me talk and having access to this workshop, which was so meaningful," she said.

Skating toward science communication

With one year of postdoctoral training under her belt, Suvada looks for opportunities to share science with her community - through comedy or in the classroom.

Kacey Suvada ice skating. (Image courtesy of Kacey Suvada)

"I feel like I've learned so much in a year," she said. "I've had meaningful research experiences my whole life, but I didn't realize I wanted to run my own lab until the last few years."

As a postdoc, Suvada has had the opportunity to mentor undergraduate students and PhD students in diverse programs - from exercise science and engineering to physical therapy and medicine.

"I'm passionate about continuing to get the next generation of scientists access to research experiences," she said.

She compares her momentum in academia to her former life as a figure skater, which she still relives as a frequenter of the Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon in downtown Chicago.

"Skating cemented that sense of relentless pursuit of a passion. Dealing with the ebbs and flows of discovery, research, rejection, and acceptance. Having to hurdle yourself in the air and face potentially falling has prepared me for academia in accepting that sometimes you will fail. However, I'm excited to prepare others for their own pursuits of science and show them it's about getting up again and again."