Principal Investigator
B.Sc. (Queen’s University), Ph.D. [Neuroscience] (University of Alberta), Post-Doctoral Fellowship (University of Zurich)
Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia
Research Interests
Exercise; Functional recovery; Genitourinary function; Locomotor control and adaptability; Locomotor training; Muscle training; Pelvic Floor; Plasticity; Robotics; Urinary control; walkingDr. Lam’s research focuses on the use of exercise and rehabilitation strategies to improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury. She has established a unique locomotion robotics laboratory employing a range of neurophysiological and biomechanical techniques to understand the neural control of human movement. Her research has included the development of innovative robotic-based protocols for gait training (using robotic-applied force fields) and assessments of sensory (proprioceptive) function in people with SCI. More recently, her lab has shifted focus to investigate the effects of overground exoskeleton gait training and other exercise-based interventions on pelvic floor muscle function, with potential benefits to genitourinary function in people with spinal cord injury.
Dr. Lam is a Principal Investigator at ICORD and a Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia. She completed her B.Sc. in Physical Therapy at Queen’s University and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Alberta. Her Post-Doctoral Fellowship was at the University of Zurich.
Currently recruiting for:
Recent collaborations:
In collaboration with urologist Dr. Lynn Stothers, Dr. Lam is conducting clinical research to investigate the role of exercise on pelvic floor muscle activation in people with spinal cord injury, and whether exercise-based interventions can improve urinary function.
Dr. Lam is also collaborating with researchers at SFU (Drs. Ed Park and Siamak Arzanpour) to evaluate the functional performance and biomechanics of a novel exoskeleton.
Major Findings:
The Lokomat is being used to apply various forces — associated with different velocities — against hip and knee movements during treadmill training. Recent research shows that individuals who underwent training with these force fields showed even greater improvements in functional ambulation skills, such as obstacle crossing and stair climbing. This novel finding suggests that therapeutic strategies which target motor learning and locomotor adaptations could enable improved outcomes. The findings also highlight that outcomes of rehabilitation studies should not be focused on one-dimensional measures of walking, but take into account the diverse demands and requirements of community ambulation.
Techniques employed in the lab:
- Exoskeletons (Ekso and Lokomat)
- Neural and biomechanical measures of gait including: electromyography, peripheral nerve stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, 3D motion analysis, force plates
- Robotic tools for developing novel rehabilitation therapies and clinical assessment tools
Affiliation with organizations and societies:
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
- School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia
Awards
Some of Dr. Tania Lam’s recent major awards and accomplishments include:
- City of Vancouver Accessible City Award for PARC
- CIHR New Investigator Award (2009-2015)
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship (Canadian Institute of Health Research, 2003-2005)
Current Lab Members
| Undergraduate Students | Masters Students | Ph.D. Students | Research Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya Sato-Klemm | Sharisse Lin | Raza Malik | Alison Williams |
| Patricia Melgar | Xueqing Zhou | Calvin Wong | |
| Ivana Truong | Emily Deegan | ||
| Oscar Ortiz Angulo |
Trainee Awards
| Year | Name | Award |
| 2023 | Alison Williams | 2nd Place Poster Award, ICORD Annual Research Meeting |
| 2023 | Xueqing Zhou | Four-Year Doctoral Fellowship, UBC |
| 2023 | Xueqing Zhou | Faculty of Education Graduate Award, UBC |
| 2023 | Xueqing Zhou | Faculty of Education PhD Award, UBC |
| 2022 | Xueqing Zhou | Rising Star Award, VCHRI |
| 2022 | Maya Sato-Klemm | Undergraduate Poster Prize, ICORD Annual Research Meeting, |
| 2021 | Sharisse Lin | UBC Faculty of Education Graduate Award |
| 2021 | Xueqing Zhou | UBC Faculty of Education Graduate Award |
| 2021 | Xueqing Zhou | UBC Kinesiology Graduate Student Research Grant |
| 2021 | Xueqing Zhou | ICORD Trainee Symposium Poster Presentation Award, Master’s Category, 3rd Place |
| 2021 | Maya Sato-Klemm | ICORD Trainee Symposium Poster Presentation Award, Undergraduate Category, 1st Place |
| 2020 | Gevorg Eginyan | CIHR CGSM (Masters Award) |
| 2019 | Raza Malik | VCHRI Top Doctoral Student |
| 2017 | Alison Williams | CIHR CGSM (Masters Award) |
| 2016 | Taha Qaiser | CIHR CGSM (Masters Award) |
| 2013 | Matthew Crombeen | Medal of Bravery by Governor General David Johnston |
| 2012 | Raza Malik | Best poster in the clinical category (Brain Research Centre) |
| 2009 | Adina Houldin | Canada Graduate Scholarship (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) |
Current opportunities in the Lab
While the lab has no specific openings, Dr. Lam is always willing to work with new researchers who are interested in the field. She also accepts undergraduate directed studies students and volunteers in her research lab. Please contact Dr. Lam with inquiries.
Recent publications
- Hodgkiss, DD et al.. 2024. Ergogenic effects of spinal cord stimulation on exercise performance following spinal cord injury.. Front Neurosci. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1435716.
- Williams, AMM et al.. 2024. Methodologies to elicit and record pudendal somatosensory evoked potentials in adult humans: A systematic review.. Clin Neurophysiol. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.07.019.
- Shackleton, C et al.. 2023. Motor and autonomic concomitant health improvements with neuromodulation and exercise (MACHINE) training: a randomised controlled trial in individuals with spinal cord injury.. BMJ Open. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070544.
- Eginyan, G, Zhou, X, Williams, AMM, Lam, T. 2022. Effects of motor stimulation of the tibial nerve on corticospinal excitability of abductor hallucis and pelvic floor muscles.. Front Rehabil Sci. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2022.1089223.
- Malik, RN, Marigold, DS, Chow, M, Lam, T. 2022. Probing the deployment of peripheral visual attention during obstacle-crossing planning.. Front Hum Neurosci. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1039201.
