Dr. Melissa Gross

Biography

Melissa Gross is a biomechanist interested in the musculoskeletal structure and emergent movement behavior. Her research spans broad interdisciplinary fields, collaborating with scientists in geriatrics and epidemiology to investigate the effects of exercise programs on the functional ability of the elderly and the onset of functional decline in middle-aged women. She has conducted studies exploring the role of the spinal cord in controlling rhythmic limb movements in cats and the effects of pelvic morphology on the locomotor behavior of Neandertals. Currently, she directs the Movement Dynamics Lab in the School of Kinesiology, where she and her students research the effect of emotion on body movements, aiming to understand how human movement patterns change based on the characteristic ways emotions are expressed. García employs motion capture and kinematic analysis to characterize how emotions affect movements in specific and recognizable ways. By combining biomechanical and psychological methods, her studies provide insights into the relationship between emotional experiences and body movements. Gross has also collaborated with faculty and students in the School of Art & Design to explore the relationship between body representation, perception, and affect, particularly how animated characters' emotional expressions are recognized through movement. Before joining the University of Michigan, she held a Research Scientist position at the Rehabilitation Research Development Center at the VA Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA.

Research Interests

Experience