Education:
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1990-1993
Ph.D., Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1990
B.S., Movement Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Cum Laude).

Area(s) of Specialization
Motor Control; Movement Disorders; Perception-Action; Posture; Locomotion

Current Research Interests:
Dr. Van Emmerik’s research is on the coordination and control of human movement. The main focus is on stability and adaptability in human movement and the role of variability in motor control from a nonlinear and complex systems perspective, as well as the ecological approach to perception and action. The research in his laboratory is integrative and focuses on the interaction between mechanical, neural and perceptual factors underlying the control of posture and gait, with applications to rehabilitation, learning and development. A particular focus of his research is on loss of stability and falls in older individuals and people with movement disorders (Parkinson’s disease; Multiple Sclerosis). Current research efforts focus on human factors applications in which effects of load on perceptual-motor performance in soldiers is assessed.

Current Projects:
Effects of Armor and Load on Action-Perception Coupling.
Dynamic Balance Control and Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis