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Testing and Rehabilitation for Athlete Injury and Longevity

TRAIL Lab

TRAIL Lab

The Testing and Rehabilitation for Athlete Injury and Longevity (TRAIL) Lab aims to optimize the post-injury recovery following orthopedic injury through scientific research on muscle function and its application in clinical rehabilitation settings.

About the Lab

Our commitment to excellence in sports medicine integrates kinesiology, rehabilitation sciences, orthopedic surgery, and biomechanics. By fostering a fun, collaborative, and intellectually open research environment, we aim to develop world-class sports medicine scientists.

Active individuals unfortunately get injured. At the TRAIL Lab, we do not believe that these injuries should keep you from engaging in the activities you are passionate about.

TRAIL Lab Icon

Our Mission

Our mission is to safely and effectively guide individuals back to their desired levels of activity following orthopedic injury.

We will achieve this by:

  1. Advancing the scientific knowledge of skeletal muscle function following injury
  2. Translating our findings into clinical practice for patients, physicians, and rehabilitation specialists

Research Projects

COOR Program

The Clinical Outcomes of Orthopaedic Research (COOR) Program administers laboratory grade assessments of muscle strength and function in patients following ACL injury and surgical reconstruction. The study aims to provide objective measures of function to the patient, surgeon, and the rehabilitation team. Referrals for the COOR program should be made from the patient’s medical team.

Learn More About the COOR Program

Skeletal Muscle Remodeling

Skeletal muscle strength is often impaired following sports related injury, challenging the recovery process. We aim to identify mechanistic contributors to skeletal muscle weakness following joint injury and surgical procedures. Our long-term goals are to provide clinical interventions to aid in strength recovery following traumatic joint injuries.

Biomechanics Following Sport Injury

Sport related injury may cause subtle changes to movement pattens that are often undetectable to observation. Our lab aims to identify functional deficits that may present following injury and identify movement patterns that may predict recovery. By doing so, our goal is to safely return patients back to their desired level of activity.

Lab Members

Megan Pales Taylor

PhD Student

Hailey Calkins

Masters of Athletic Training Student

Audrey Cannon

Masters of Athletic Training Student

Alison Granger

Masters of Athletic Training Student

Francisca Moreira

Undergraduate Student

Teagan Safranek

Undergraduate Student

Join Our Research Team

We are always recruiting trainees of all levels (undergraduate, graduate students, and postdocs) from various scientific backgrounds. Interested candidates should email Dr. Bodkin with an updated CV and brief description of your interests.

Undergraduate students are encouraged to commit at least 5 hours per week.

Graduate students are encouraged to apply to the Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training.

Contact Us

Stephan Bodkin, PhD, ATC

Assistant Professor, TRAIL Lab Director

stephan.bodkin@utah.edu

TRAIL Lab