R. Tyler Richardson

Biography

R. Tyler Richardson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at Penn State Harrisburg. Dr. Richardson received his undergraduate training in Mechanical Engineering before completing his master’s and doctoral degrees in Biomechanics and Movement Science all from the University of Delaware. His research aims to advance the understanding of shoulder function and to collaborate with clinicians to improve treatment of underlying functional deficits associated with specific pathologies. His research takes a multi-pronged approach towards filling the fundamental gaps in upper extremity knowledge and has applied these findings to address relevant clinical questions. During his doctoral and post-doctoral work at the University of Delaware, Dr. Richardson’s lab group developed and validated a motion capture-based method to measure scapular motion. He also conducted research on muscle activity underlying shoulder motion during functional arm tasks and utilized this data to explore the potential of musculoskeletal modeling in the upper extremity. He is currently investigating shoulder function in patients with brachial plexus birth palsy and idiopathic scoliosis through partnerships with Philadelphia Shriners Hospital for Children, A.I. du Pont Hospital for Children, and the University of Delaware. Through these collaborations he is evaluating the effect of various surgical interventions on shoulder motion and upper extremity function. Finally, Dr. Richardson is beginning to apply his work to athletic populations, such as baseball pitchers, to better understand the relationships between shoulder mechanics, risks of injury, efficacy of rehabilitation regimens, and performance.

Research Interest

Upper extremity function of patients with brachial plexus birth palsy and idiopathic scoliosis, Shoulder mechanics of baseball pitchers, Development and refinement of methods to measure, scapular motion, Musculoskeletal modeling