Susanne M. Morton, PT, Ph.D.

Portrait: Susanne Morton

Assistant Professor

Graduate Program in Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science

 

The University of Iowa
1-240 Medical Education Building
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1190
Tel.: (319) 335-6842
susanne-morton@uiowa.edu

Education & Training

  • 1994: BS, Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
  • 1998: MS, Physical Therapy, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
  • 2003: PhD, Movement Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
  • 2004: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Neurology / Movement Disorders, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Research Activities

  • Director, NEURAL CONTROL OF MOVEMENT LAB
  • Major Projects
    • Interlimb Coordination and Locomotor Impairments Following Stroke
      • Effects of corticospinal tract lesions on human lower extremity coordination
      • Spinal versus supraspinal contributions to interlimb coordination during locomotion
    • Mechanisms of Motor Adaptation and Motor Learning
      • Motor cortical versus cerebral contributions to motor learning
      • Using motor adaptation to enhance long-term recovery of walking post-stroke
    • Motor cortical interhemipheric effects in health and disease

Teaching Responsibilities

  • DPT: Neuromuscular Therapeutics (101:225)

Academic & Professional Activities

  • Member: Society for Neuroscience, American Physical Therapy Association, Foundation for Physical Therapy Scientific Advisory Committee
  • Manuscript Reviewer for: Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Experimental Brain Research, Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, Journal of Neurophysiology, Physical Therapy, Somatosensory & Motor Research, Stroke

Recent Publications

  • Morton SM, Bastian AJ. Cerebellum: Effects of lesions in humans on posture, locomotion and limb movement. In: Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, Squire LR, ed. 2008.
  • Savin DN, Morton SM. Asymmetric generalization between the arm and leg following prism-induced visuomotor adaptation. Exp Brain Res 186(1): 175-182, 2008.
  • Morton SM, Bastian AJ. Mechanisms of cerebellar gait ataxia. Cerebellum 6(1): 79-86, 2007.
  • Morton SM, Bastian AJ. Cerebellar contributions to locomotor adaptations during splitbelt treadmill walking. J Neurosci 26(36): 9107-9116, 2006.
  • Morton SM, Bastian AJ. Cerebellar control of balance and locomotion. Neuroscientist 10(3): 247-259, 2004.
  • Morton SM, Bastian AJ. Prism adaptation during walking generalizes to reaching and requires the cerebellum. J Neurophysiol 92(4): 2497-2509, 2004.
  • Morton SM, Dordevic GS, Bastian AJ. Cerebellar damage produces context-dependent deficits in control of leg dynamics during obstacle avoidance. Exp Brain Res 156(2): 149-163, 2004.
  • Morton SM, Bastian AJ. Relative contributions of balance and voluntary leg coordination deficits to cerebellar gait ataxia. J Neurophysiol 89(4): 1844-1856, 2003.
  • Full CV available here.