https://simplecast.com Behind the Breakthroughs Behind the Breakthroughs is a podcast powered by the Woodruff Health Science Center Library at Emory University. We sit down with Emory researchers to talk about the work they do, why it matters, and how it connects to real people and real lives. Each series is a collection of episodes related to one specific topic. en Wed, 13 May 2026 15:46:16 +0000 Wed, 13 May 2026 15:46:27 +0000 https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com Behind the Breakthroughs https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/481db9c2-08ab-458b-a66a-a6a8485b91c7/a4b18b34-c3f9-44d2-a78a-b42ddb5837e7/3000x3000/btb-20logo-20-1.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com episodic Behind the Breakthroughs is a podcast powered by the Woodruff Health Science Center Library at Emory University. We sit down with Emory researchers to talk about the work they do, why it matters, and how it connects to real people and real lives. Each series is a collection of episodes related to one specific topic. Melissa Deuber false https://feeds.simplecast.com/uqk34jDC academic library,biomedical research,clinical research,emory university,health sciences,medical research,public health,research explained,research for the public,science communication,science literacy,translational research,university research Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library melissa.deuber@emory.edu 6aabaf11-8ed8-4b74-ae9e-f3f8931216d2 The Mind in Motion: How Brain Imaging is Revolutionizing Physical Therapy Media/Articles Referenced:

Check out our video of the MRI machine at SPARC. It features a tennis ball filled with paper clips to show you the power of the magnet!

Hagen, A. C., Tracy, B. L., & Stephens, J. A. (2024). Altered neural recruitment during single and dual tasks in athletes with repeat concussion. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 18, 1515514.

 

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]]> Wed, 13 May 2026 15:46:16 +0000 melissa.deuber@emory.edu (Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library) https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com/episodes/the-mind-in-motion-m_ZyRcrj Media/Articles Referenced:

Check out our video of the MRI machine at SPARC. It features a tennis ball filled with paper clips to show you the power of the magnet!

Hagen, A. C., Tracy, B. L., & Stephens, J. A. (2024). Altered neural recruitment during single and dual tasks in athletes with repeat concussion. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 18, 1515514.

 

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]]> The Mind in Motion: How Brain Imaging is Revolutionizing Physical Therapy Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library 00:07:25 Dr. Andrew Hagen joins the "Off the Field" series to discuss how his lab uses unique functional MRI techniques to study how the brain controls physical movement. The conversation explores how understanding brain activity during exercise can lead to more effective rehabilitation strategies and reduced injury risks for athletes. Dr. Andrew Hagen joins the "Off the Field" series to discuss how his lab uses unique functional MRI techniques to study how the brain controls physical movement. The conversation explores how understanding brain activity during exercise can lead to more effective rehabilitation strategies and reduced injury risks for athletes. mri safety, sports medicine, magnetic resonance imaging, biomechanics, mri magnet, physics, science experiment, emory university false full 8 1 bdcc6056-9941-4929-ac66-1e638bcbd44e After the Dark Room: How Modern Imaging is Changing Concussion Care Relevant Articles/Media:

Gonzales, R. (2017, November 9). Researcher Says Aaron Hernandez's Brain Showed Signs Of Severe CTE. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/11/09/563194252/researcher-says-aaron-hernandez-s-brain-showed-signs-of-severe-cte

Zuleger, T. M., Slutsky-Ganesh, A. B., Kim, H., Anand, M., Warren, S. M., Grooms, D. R., Yuan, W., Riley, M. A., Gore, R. K., Myer, G. D., & Diekfuss, J. A. (2024). Differential neural mechanisms for movement adaptations following neuromuscular training in young female athletes with a history of sports-related concussion. Neuroscience, 558, 70–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.08.014

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]]> Tue, 12 May 2026 19:39:58 +0000 melissa.deuber@emory.edu (Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library) https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com/episodes/after-the-dark-room-cgUhexvt Relevant Articles/Media:

Gonzales, R. (2017, November 9). Researcher Says Aaron Hernandez's Brain Showed Signs Of Severe CTE. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/11/09/563194252/researcher-says-aaron-hernandez-s-brain-showed-signs-of-severe-cte

Zuleger, T. M., Slutsky-Ganesh, A. B., Kim, H., Anand, M., Warren, S. M., Grooms, D. R., Yuan, W., Riley, M. A., Gore, R. K., Myer, G. D., & Diekfuss, J. A. (2024). Differential neural mechanisms for movement adaptations following neuromuscular training in young female athletes with a history of sports-related concussion. Neuroscience, 558, 70–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.08.014

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]]> After the Dark Room: How Modern Imaging is Changing Concussion Care Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library 00:06:35 In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs, Dr. Taylor Zuleger joins Melissa Deuber to discuss his innovative research using MRI technology to track brain changes in youth athletes. He shares how his personal history with sports injuries drives his quest to develop personalized rehabilitation strategies and better safety equipment for the next generation. In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs, Dr. Taylor Zuleger joins Melissa Deuber to discuss his innovative research using MRI technology to track brain changes in youth athletes. He shares how his personal history with sports injuries drives his quest to develop personalized rehabilitation strategies and better safety equipment for the next generation. traumatic brain injury, sports medicine, youth sports, cte, emory university, mri, neuroimaging, concussion, brain health, rehabilitation, emory sparc, neuroscience, athlete wellness, football safety false full 7 1 c3ed1d00-f491-4994-a66e-870f7dabcd00 From Sidelines to Science: Translational Research in Athletic Training Relevant Articles/Media:

Foss, K. D. B., Khoury, J. C., Eisenmann, J. C., & Cappaert, T. A. (2023). Descriptive Epidemiology of Game-Related Youth Flag Football Injuries. Journal of athletic training, 58(11-12), 1004–1009. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0427.22

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]]> Tue, 12 May 2026 18:39:06 +0000 melissa.deuber@emory.edu (Athletic training, injury prevention, translational research, sports medicine, ACL injury, biomechanics, epidemiology, Emory University, Dr. Kim Barber Foss, athlete health, sports science, clinical care, innovation) https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com/episodes/from-sidelines-to-science-DBo_Ia5s Relevant Articles/Media:

Foss, K. D. B., Khoury, J. C., Eisenmann, J. C., & Cappaert, T. A. (2023). Descriptive Epidemiology of Game-Related Youth Flag Football Injuries. Journal of athletic training, 58(11-12), 1004–1009. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0427.22

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]]> From Sidelines to Science: Translational Research in Athletic Training Athletic training, injury prevention, translational research, sports medicine, ACL injury, biomechanics, epidemiology, Emory University, Dr. Kim Barber Foss, athlete health, sports science, clinical care, innovation 00:06:38 This episode features Dr. Kim Barber Foss, an athletic trainer and researcher, who discusses her work in "translational research" to improve athlete health. She explores how scientific findings from the lab can be directly applied to clinical care to predict and prevent serious injuries like ACL tears. This episode features Dr. Kim Barber Foss, an athletic trainer and researcher, who discusses her work in "translational research" to improve athlete health. She explores how scientific findings from the lab can be directly applied to clinical care to predict and prevent serious injuries like ACL tears. false full 6 1 dfcf44f1-5a6f-435a-bd8c-70da7081e2d8 Beyond the Screen: Using VR to Assess Brain Health and Concussion Articles/Media mentioned in the episode:

1. Emory SPARC. Dynamic Assessment of Sensorimotor Health (DASH). Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://emorysparc.com/elementor-page-992/

2. Riehm, C. D., Bonnette, S., Riley, M. A., Diekfuss, J. A., DiCesare, C. A., Schille, A., Kiefer, A. W., Jayanthi, N. A., Kliethermes, S., Lloyd, R. S., Pombo, M. W., & Myer, G. D. (2022). Movement Regularity Differentiates Specialized and Nonspecialized Athletes in a Virtual Reality Soccer Header Task. Journal of sport rehabilitation, 32(3), 248–255. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2021-0432

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]]> Tue, 12 May 2026 16:16:33 +0000 melissa.deuber@emory.edu (Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library) https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com/episodes/beyond-the-screen-N4coA4vU Articles/Media mentioned in the episode:

1. Emory SPARC. Dynamic Assessment of Sensorimotor Health (DASH). Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://emorysparc.com/elementor-page-992/

2. Riehm, C. D., Bonnette, S., Riley, M. A., Diekfuss, J. A., DiCesare, C. A., Schille, A., Kiefer, A. W., Jayanthi, N. A., Kliethermes, S., Lloyd, R. S., Pombo, M. W., & Myer, G. D. (2022). Movement Regularity Differentiates Specialized and Nonspecialized Athletes in a Virtual Reality Soccer Header Task. Journal of sport rehabilitation, 32(3), 248–255. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2021-0432

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]]> Beyond the Screen: Using VR to Assess Brain Health and Concussion Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library 00:17:22 Dr. Chris Riehm explains how his team uses commercial VR headsets to develop advanced diagnostic tools for assessing concussions and preventing secondary athletic injuries. The conversation explores the transition of this technology from specialized labs to clinical and home settings, offering new possibilities for remote patient monitoring and personalized rehabilitation. Dr. Chris Riehm explains how his team uses commercial VR headsets to develop advanced diagnostic tools for assessing concussions and preventing secondary athletic injuries. The conversation explores the transition of this technology from specialized labs to clinical and home settings, offering new possibilities for remote patient monitoring and personalized rehabilitation. vr in healthcare, sports medicine, home-based rehab, biomechanics, emory university, concussion assessment, human perception, athletic injury prevention, neurocognitive testing, remote patient monitoring., virtual reality, telerehabilitation, sensory motor health false full 5 1 4ab7e5e7-1bc2-4f7c-83b3-88edf9d58697 From Sméagol to Sports: The Evolution of Motion Capture to Prevent Sports Injuries Articles/media referred to in the episode:

nature video. (2013, December 11). Creating Gollum [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Z7YUyCEGE

Kwak, S. T., Riehm, C. D., Anand, M., Raphael, N., DiCesare, C. A., Schille, A., Hulburt, T. C., Zendler, J. M., Hybart, R. L., Buria, K. N., Trotter, N., & Myer, G. D. (2026). Assessing agreement and usability of kinematic measures between markerless and marker-based motion capture systems during jumping activities. Journal of Biomechanics, 194, 113065.

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]]> Fri, 8 May 2026 15:12:11 +0000 melissa.deuber@emory.edu (Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library) https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com/episodes/from-smeagol-to-sports-99f70FGK Articles/media referred to in the episode:

nature video. (2013, December 11). Creating Gollum [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Z7YUyCEGE

Kwak, S. T., Riehm, C. D., Anand, M., Raphael, N., DiCesare, C. A., Schille, A., Hulburt, T. C., Zendler, J. M., Hybart, R. L., Buria, K. N., Trotter, N., & Myer, G. D. (2026). Assessing agreement and usability of kinematic measures between markerless and marker-based motion capture systems during jumping activities. Journal of Biomechanics, 194, 113065.

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]]> From Sméagol to Sports: The Evolution of Motion Capture to Prevent Sports Injuries Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library 00:09:35 In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs, host Melissa Deuber sits down with Dr. Sam Kwak to discuss his journey into injury research and the impact of motion capture technology on the world of sports. From his early interest in prosthetic research to his current work at Emory, Dr. Kwak shares his insights into the science of human performance and the commitment to keeping athletes on the field and at their best. In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs, host Melissa Deuber sits down with Dr. Sam Kwak to discuss his journey into injury research and the impact of motion capture technology on the world of sports. From his early interest in prosthetic research to his current work at Emory, Dr. Kwak shares his insights into the science of human performance and the commitment to keeping athletes on the field and at their best. sports medicine, markerless motion capture, injury prevention, biomechanics, emory university, high-performance athletics, human movement analysis, motion capture, sports science, clinical research false full 4 1 be4147d0-4185-4cc9-b8b0-65383e829c46 The Unseen Connection: Linking Concussions to Future Leg Injuries Articles mentioned in this episode:

Herman, D. C., & Barth, J. T. (2016). Drop-Jump Landing Varies With Baseline Neurocognition: Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk and Prevention. The American journal of sports medicine, 44(9), 2347–2353. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546516657338

McPherson, A. L., Zuleger, T. M., Barber Foss, K. D., Warren, S. M., Hogg, J. A., Diekfuss, J. A., & Myer, G. D. (2024). Does Neuromuscular Training Reduce the Risk of Lower-Extremity Musculoskeletal Injury in High School Female Athletes With a History of Sport-Related Concussion?. Journal of sport rehabilitation, 33(7), 506–514. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2023-0403

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]]> Fri, 8 May 2026 14:03:51 +0000 melissa.deuber@emory.edu (Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library) https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com/episodes/the-unseen-connection-lHSqvEzM Articles mentioned in this episode:

Herman, D. C., & Barth, J. T. (2016). Drop-Jump Landing Varies With Baseline Neurocognition: Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk and Prevention. The American journal of sports medicine, 44(9), 2347–2353. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546516657338

McPherson, A. L., Zuleger, T. M., Barber Foss, K. D., Warren, S. M., Hogg, J. A., Diekfuss, J. A., & Myer, G. D. (2024). Does Neuromuscular Training Reduce the Risk of Lower-Extremity Musculoskeletal Injury in High School Female Athletes With a History of Sport-Related Concussion?. Journal of sport rehabilitation, 33(7), 506–514. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2023-0403

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]]> The Unseen Connection: Linking Concussions to Future Leg Injuries Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library 00:06:32 In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs: Off the Field, Melissa sits down with Dr. April McPherson, an associate research scientist at the Emory Sports Performance and Research Center. Dr. McPherson shares her journey from being a student athlete and biomedical engineer to researching the fascinating, yet often overlooked, link between previous concussions and the increased risk of future lower-extremity injuries. In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs: Off the Field, Melissa sits down with Dr. April McPherson, an associate research scientist at the Emory Sports Performance and Research Center. Dr. McPherson shares her journey from being a student athlete and biomedical engineer to researching the fascinating, yet often overlooked, link between previous concussions and the increased risk of future lower-extremity injuries. injury prevention, emory university, acl tear, concussion, lower extremity injury, neuromuscular training, emory sparc, sports performance, athlete safety false full 3 1 9dcf203a-e15b-4a34-9c87-5ed9d9ea7213 More Than Just Flexible: When Hyper-Flexibility Leads to Chronic Pain Here's the article referenced in the episode:

Hulburt, T. C., Black, W. R., Bonnette, S., Thomas, S., Schille, A., DiCesare, C., Briggs, M. S., Ounpuu, S., Kashikar-Zuck, S., & Myer, G. D. (2025). Does joint hypermobility exacerbate altered landing and jumping strategies in adolescents with fibromyalgia syndrome compared to controls?. Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon), 124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2025.10646.

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]]> Fri, 8 May 2026 14:03:40 +0000 melissa.deuber@emory.edu (Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library) https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com/episodes/more-than-just-flexible-nLM4LSY1 Here's the article referenced in the episode:

Hulburt, T. C., Black, W. R., Bonnette, S., Thomas, S., Schille, A., DiCesare, C., Briggs, M. S., Ounpuu, S., Kashikar-Zuck, S., & Myer, G. D. (2025). Does joint hypermobility exacerbate altered landing and jumping strategies in adolescents with fibromyalgia syndrome compared to controls?. Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon), 124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2025.10646.

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]]> More Than Just Flexible: When Hyper-Flexibility Leads to Chronic Pain Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library 00:11:06 In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs: Off The Field, we dive into the world of joint hypermobility with postdoctoral researcher Dr. Tessa Hulburt. While being "double-jointed" might seem like a simple quirk, for a significant portion of the population, it is linked to chronic, widespread pain. Dr. Hulburt discusses the unique biomechanical challenges faced by those with hypermobile joints, from increased risks of dislocations to the chronic fatigue caused by muscles working overtime to stabilize the body. We explore how her latest research, involving complex neuromuscular tasks like jumping and landing, is working to bridge the gap. In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs: Off The Field, we dive into the world of joint hypermobility with postdoctoral researcher Dr. Tessa Hulburt. While being "double-jointed" might seem like a simple quirk, for a significant portion of the population, it is linked to chronic, widespread pain. Dr. Hulburt discusses the unique biomechanical challenges faced by those with hypermobile joints, from increased risks of dislocations to the chronic fatigue caused by muscles working overtime to stabilize the body. We explore how her latest research, involving complex neuromuscular tasks like jumping and landing, is working to bridge the gap. movement-based therapy, emory university, pain management, gjh, joint hypermobility, emory sparc, chronic pain false full 2 1 4cc00a81-bbdb-487d-a324-8cb8e8857929 The Road to Return: Understanding the 12-Month Recovery Timeline for ACL Injuries Article discussed in the show:

Smith, D. R., Anderson, K. D., Champagne, A. A., Warren, S. M., Zuleger, T. M., Slutsky-Ganesh, A. B., Hsiao, H. I., Lamplot, J. D., Slone, H. S., Xerogeanes, J. W., Myer, G. D., & Diekfuss, J. A. (2026). Twelve-Month Maturation Timeline of Quadriceps Tendon Autograft Signal Intensity Ratio After ACL Reconstruction Surgery Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 14(1), 23259671251397650. https://doi.org/10.1177/23259671251397650

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]]> Fri, 8 May 2026 14:03:26 +0000 melissa.deuber@emory.edu (Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library) https://behind-the-breakthroughs-859d7b39.simplecast.com/episodes/the-road-to-return-understanding-the-12-month-recovery-timeline-for-acl-injuries-XnA_xbiy Article discussed in the show:

Smith, D. R., Anderson, K. D., Champagne, A. A., Warren, S. M., Zuleger, T. M., Slutsky-Ganesh, A. B., Hsiao, H. I., Lamplot, J. D., Slone, H. S., Xerogeanes, J. W., Myer, G. D., & Diekfuss, J. A. (2026). Twelve-Month Maturation Timeline of Quadriceps Tendon Autograft Signal Intensity Ratio After ACL Reconstruction Surgery Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 14(1), 23259671251397650. https://doi.org/10.1177/23259671251397650

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]]> The Road to Return: Understanding the 12-Month Recovery Timeline for ACL Injuries Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library 00:07:09 In this installment of the Off the Field series, host Melissa Deuber connects with Dr. Jed Diekfuss, an assistant professor at Emory and lead researcher at the Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (Emory SPARC). This episode dives into the biological complexities of recovering from an ACL reconstruction. Dr. Diekfuss discusses a groundbreaking study that utilizes advanced knee MRI technology to track how a quadriceps tendon autograft evolves into a functional ligament, a process known as ligamentization. In this installment of the Off the Field series, host Melissa Deuber connects with Dr. Jed Diekfuss, an assistant professor at Emory and lead researcher at the Emory Sports Performance and Research Center (Emory SPARC). This episode dives into the biological complexities of recovering from an ACL reconstruction. Dr. Diekfuss discusses a groundbreaking study that utilizes advanced knee MRI technology to track how a quadriceps tendon autograft evolves into a functional ligament, a process known as ligamentization. false full 1 1