Erik Wikstrom

Erik Wikstrom is an Associate Professor and the Katherine Smith Gunter Scholar in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science. Prior to joining the UNC faculty in 2015, he was the Co-Director of the Biodynamics Research Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2008-2014). Dr. Wikstrom graduated with his B.S. in Athletic Training from Roanoke College in 2001. He completed his Masters in Exercise Science and his Doctorate in Health & Human Performance, both with specializations in Athletic Training, from the University of Florida in 2003 and 2007, respectively.

Dr. Wikstrom’s primary research interest is on the impact of musculoskeletal injury on sensorimotor control of the lower extremity with particular emphasis on the coordination of balance following ankle joint injury. His current research focuses on evaluating how ankle joint injury alters sensorimotor function, developing interventions to restore post-injury impairments, and understanding mechanisms that could slow the progression from ankle joint injury to ankle osteoarthritis. Dr. Wikstrom’s research has been funded by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research and Education Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense among others. He was the recipient of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research and Education Foundation David H. Perrin Outstanding Dissertation Award (2010) and is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainer’s Association.