Robert Catena

Teaching / Professional interests

• Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, teaches courses in Biomechanics
• Affiliate Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
• Graduate faculty in Neuroscience
• Director of the Gait and Posture Biomechanics Laboratory
• Executive board member (Communications Committee Chair) of the American Society of Biomechanics
• Member of the Washington Center for Muscle Biology
• Member of the WSU Health Sciences STEM Education Research Center

Research interests

The National Safety Council classifies”falls” as the 2nd leading cause of unintentional death in homes and communities. Robert Catena’s research has been focused on how balance control and gait performance are modified due to injury, illness, or due to our environment. He has examined balance and gait following concussions, when attention is divided, in the elderly, in runners, during asymmetric gait, and during manual material handling. Ultimately, his goal is to apply knowledge about balance and gait to reduce the incidence of slips, trips, and falls in community dwellers.

Educational background

• Postdoctoral, Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics, Harvard School of Public Health (2009)
• Ph.D., Biomechanics, University of Oregon (2008)
• M.S., Biomechanics, University of Oregon (2005)
• B.S., Biological Sciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks (2003)