Danielle Reitsma

Biography

Danielle Reitsma, Ph.D., is an interdisciplinary neuroscientist specializing in the neural underpinnings of sensation, perception, behavior, and disorders of the nervous system. Her previous research focused on using human brain imaging (fMRI, MRI, DTI) in patients with disorders of the central nervous system (e.g., tumor, stroke, and surgically induced damage) to investigate neuroplasticity, with the goal of directing therapeutic approaches. As an assistant professor at Azusa Pacific, Reitsma is a faculty advisor in the Spatial Orientation and Awareness Research (SOAR) lab, which focuses on understanding how the central nervous system resolves ambiguous sensory cues regarding orientation and motion in order to maintain accurate spatial awareness and optimize human performance. The lab’s principal research goal is to improve diagnostic tests and rehabilitation strategies for sensory processing disorders that arise from neuropathology, aging, or environmental challenges such as spaceflight or aviation. Reitsma is committed to excellence in teaching and mentoring students, with particular emphasis on depth and breadth of subject matter, analytical thinking, experimental design, and effective communication through writing, oral presentation, and interpersonal discourse.

Research Interest

The lab’s principal research goal is to improve diagnostic tests and rehabilitation strategies for sensory processing disorders that arise from neuropathology, aging, or environmental challenges such as spaceflight or aviation