Van Emmerik to Deliver Distinguished Faculty Lecture
He will also receive the Chancellor's Medal, the highest recognition bestowed upon faculty by the campus.
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Professor and Chair of Kinesiology Richard van Emmerik has been announced as a speaker in the 2023-2024 Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series and a recipient of the Chancellor's Medal. He will deliver a talk titled “Understanding the Movement Challenges in People with Multiple Sclerosis” on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system and the most common neurological disease that affects people between ages 20 and 50. Although people living with MS consistently rate walking and balance impairment as one of the greatest negative impacts on their quality of life, our understanding of the cause of movement instability in these individuals remains limited. In this lecture, Richard van Emmerik will give an overview of the history, etiology and symptoms of MS, explain the different subtypes of the disease and discuss the specific movement sensory functions that are impacted in MS. Rounding out the lecture will be a discussion of how the latest research in MS may help in developing innovative treatments for balance and gait dysfunction, and how adaptive physical activity programs may be beneficial for overall well-being in people with MS.
Established in 1974, the annual Distinguished Faculty Lecture is dedicated to acknowledging the work of the university’s most esteemed and accomplished faculty members. The lecture series not only honors individual faculty members and their achievements, but also celebrates the values of academic excellence that we share as a community. Each honoree is presented with the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest recognition bestowed upon faculty by the campus.
All lectures will be held at 4 p.m. in the Great Hall of Old Chapel. Event details are available on the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series website prior to each lecture.