Melissa (Missy) Morrow, PhD
Associate Director, Center for Health Promotion, Performance, and Rehabilitation Research (CHPPRR); A. Russell Shearn Moody Distinguished Chair in Neurological Rehabilitation; Professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences

Curriculum Vitae PubMed Google Scholar ResearchGate

Teaching Areas of Interest

Biomechanics, Clinical Research Study Design, Grant Writing, Career Development

Research Interests

Daily function of wheelchair users, secondary conditions of spinal cord injury (shoulder pathology and seating pressure injuries), personal mHealth tech development, motion capture with wearable sensors

Biography

Melissa (Missy) Morrow, PhD, is the Associate Director for the Center for Health Promotion, Performance, and Rehabilitation Research (CHPPRR). She is also the A. Russell Shearn Moody Distinguished Chair in Neurological Rehabilitation and a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (PTRS) in the School of Health Professions (SHP) at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Dr. Morrow received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Tulane University, a Master of Clinical and Translational Science from Mayo Clinic, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering from Mayo Clinic. Dr. Morrow completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship on an NIH T32 Training Program in Rehabilitation and was an NIH K12 Scholar on the Mayo Clinic Building Interdisciplinary Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Program.

Dr. Morrow is a biomechanist and rehabilitation scientist with an interest in understanding and improving physical function during daily life. She utilizes technology (wearable sensors, mHealth, motion capture, imaging, etc.), survey-based, and qualitative methods to better understand how disability impacts the lived experience.

Grants & Funding

• Grant# R01 HD84423-609/2021 - 06/2026
  • Title: Natural History of Shoulder Pathology in Wheelchair Users
  • Source: NIH/NICHD
  • Role: Principal Investigator

• Grant# U54 AG044170-809/2018 - 05/2023
  • Title: Sex-Specific Effects of Endocrine Disruption on Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease – Career Enhancement Core
  • Source: NIH/NIA
  • Role: Principal Investigator of CEC

• Grant# R01 AG056255-509/2017 - 04/2023
  • Title: Development of Technologies to Increase In-Seat Movement to Prevent Sitting-Acquired Pressure Injuries in Wheelchair Users
  • Source: NIH/NIA
  • Role: Principal Investigator

• Grant# R01 AG056255-5 S109/2017 - 04/2023
  • Title: Development of Technologies to Increase In-Seat Movement to Prevent Sitting-Acquired Pressure Injuries in Wheelchair Users – Administrative Supplement
  • Major Goals: The goal of this administrative supplement is to test the utility of our seating pressure injury prevention systems in patients with Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias.
  • Source: NIH/NIA
  • Role: Principal Investigator

• Grant# I01RX003222-01A105/2020- 05/2025
  • Title: Refinement of the Comprehensive Mobile Assessment of Pressure (CMAP) System for Prevention of Pressure Injuries
  • Source: Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Role: Co-Investigator (PI - Christine Olney, RN, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System)

Notable Publications

• Olney CM, Vos-Draper T, Egginton J, Ferguson J, Goldish G, Eddy B, Hansen AH, Carroll K, Morrow M. Development of a comprehensive mobile assessment of pressure (CMAP) system for pressure injury prevention for veterans with spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 2019 Jan 31; 1-10 PMID: 30702395 PMCID: 6830274 DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2019.1570437
• Meltzer AJ, Hallbeck MS, Morrow MM, Lowndes BR, Davila VJ, Stone WM, Money SR. Measuring Ergonomic Risk in Operating Surgeons by Using Wearable Technology. JAMA Surg 2020 May 1; 155 (5):444-446 PMID: 32159745 PMCID: 7066524 DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.6384
• Jahanian O, Van Straaten MG, Goodwin BM, Lennon RJ, Barlow JD, Murthy NS, Morrow MMB. Shoulder magnetic resonance imaging findings in manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 2020 Nov 9; 1-11 Epub 2020 Nov 09 PMID: 33166207 DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2020.1834774
• Jahanian O, Van Straaten MG, Goodwin BM, Cain SM, Lennon RJ, Barlow JD, Murthy NS, Morrow MMB. Inertial Measurement Unit-Derived Ergonomic Metrics for Assessing Arm Use in Manual Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury: A Preliminary Report. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil. 2021 Fall; 27 (3):12-25 Epub 2021 Aug 13 PMID: 34456543 PMCID: 8370702 DOI: 10.46292/sci20-00059

Note: A complete list of all publications can be found on the abbreviated CV.