Pietrosimone Lab Group
Brian Pietrosimone, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Exercise and Sport Science
Adjunct Professor, Department of Orthopedics
Adjunct Professor, Department of Allied Health
Contact Information:
Email: brian@unc.edu
Twitter: @BPietrosimone
Dr. Pietrosimone’s research focuses on understanding the multifaceted development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis following knee injuries. He is particularly interested in developing multimodal treatment strategies to prevent posttraumatic osteoarthritis in those who have sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
PubMed Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1-UxabBDh5oAg/bibliography/public/
Previous Education
Ph.D., University of Virginia, 2009
M.Ed., University of Virginia, 2006
B.S., Springfield College, 2005
Awards and Honors
Mid-Career Award. Biomechanics Interest Group. American College of Sports Medicine. 2022
Freddie Fu New Investigator Award. National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research and Education Foundation. 2015
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2015
Lab Video: https://www.unc.edu/discover/stopping-arthritis-before-it-starts/
The Team
Natalia Favoreto, MS, CCRC
Research Program Manager
Education:
B.S. East Carolina University, 2012
M.S. East Carolina University, 2015
Contact Information:
Email: favoreto@med.unc.edu
Natalia is a research program manager responsible for overseeing multiple longitudinal studies that seek to understand the development of post-traumatic knee arthritis. Natalia assists with research study design, implementation and evaluation including regulatory document development and maintenance, coordination of patient recruitment and retention as well as managing various aspects of the studies. She has more than 10 years of clinical research experience and is well-versed in various aspects of clinical trial recruitment and operations.
Post-Doctoral Research Associates
Hyunwook Lee, Ph.D, ATC
Education:
B.S. Kyung Hee University, 2016
M.S. Bridgewater State University, 2018
M.S. & Ph.D. Brigham Young University, 2023
Contact Information:
Email: hyunl@unc.edu
Hyun’s primary research interests are to understand potential relationships between gait biomechanics and knee joint cartilage health in individuals with ACLR. He is further interested in how researchers and clinicians manipulate/improve biomechanical characteristics to prevent the onset or progression of post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hyunwook-Lee-3/research
Hayley P Smitheman, DPT, ATC, PhD
Education:
BA University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, 2014
DPT East Carolina University, 2017
PhD University of Delaware, 2024
Contact Information:
Email: Hayley.smitheman@unc.edu
Hayley is a postdoctoral research associate with primary research interests in understanding recovery variability among patients with lower extremity injuries. She is interested in understanding modifiable factors associated with poor recovery to improve targeted treatment interventions for all patients.
PubMed Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/hayley.smitheman.1/bibliography/public/
Doctoral Students
Ashley Buck, M.S.
3rd Year Doctoral Student
Education:
B.S. Pepperdine University, 2020
M.S. Seattle University, 2022
Contact Information:
Email: anbuck@unc.edu
Twitter: @Ashley__Buck
Ashley’s research interests include seeking to understand how gait biomechanics and body composition influence knee osteoarthritis (OA) development in at-risk populations such as those with obesity and those with ACL injury. She also seeks to implement novel machine learning methodology in biomechanics to further progress precision medicine interventions to prevent or mitigate knee OA. Lastly, she is the co-chair of the Weight Management Task Group in the OA Action Alliance and helps to develop evidence-based resources for patients to help manage their OA and weight.
PubMed Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/10WWtmkoBpjgcI/bibliography/public/
Chrisitn Buttner, M.S.
PhD Visiting Scholar
Education:
B.S. Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany, 2015
M.S. Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany, 2017
Christin is a visiting PhD from Germany. Her research focuses on the impact of daily movement and physical activity on knee joint health after ACL injury. She is especially interested in changes of daily knee loading and its relationship to the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. With her research, she hopes to contribute to the establishment of adequate daily loading doses to prevent the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis after ACL injury.
PubMed Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/christin.buttner.1/bibliography/public/
Sean Klyber
1st Year Doctoral Student
Education:
B.S. Illinois State University, 2022
M.S. Illinois State University 2024
Contact Information:
Email: sklyber@unc.edu
Current research interests include understanding the influence of quadriceps muscle strength on gait biomechanics and its impact on the development of osteoarthritis in the knee. He is also interested in understanding these impacts in populations with amputations concerning the intact limb and its development of osteoarthritis.
Madison Franek
1st Year Doctoral Student
Education:
B.S. University of South Florida, 2015
D.PT. Duke University, 2018
CSOMT. Institute for Athlete Regeneration, 2020
Contact Information:
Email: Madison.Franek@unchealth.unc.edu
Madi’s research interest includes better understanding the relationship between isolated capacities, task ability and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) development after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). He is specifically interested in identifying clinically relevant (capacity) thresholds throughout rehabilitation to guide patient trajectories and management including the introduction of varying tasks after ACLR to mitigate the development and progression of PTOA.
Research Staff and Affiliates
Abby Pitcairn
Research Assistant
Education:
B.S. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2022
Contact Information:
Email: pitcairn@live.unc.edu
During her undergraduate degree, Abby was a member of the UNC Field Hockey Team, which has contributed to her interest in Sports Medicine Research. Prior to working in the lab, Abby was working in the Marsico Lung Institute as a research technician focusing on respiratory illnesses, such as cystic fibrosis. Abby is in the process of applying to medical schools and Physician Assistant Programs for the 2025 cycle.
Chris Ingersoll, PhD, LAT, ATC, FACSM, FNATA, FASAHP, FNAP
Lab Research Advisor
Education and Training:
BS, Sports Medicine, Marietta College
MA, Athletic Training, Indiana State University
PhD, Biomechanics, The University of Toledo
Contact Information:
Email: christopher_ingersoll@med.unc.edu
Christopher D. Ingersoll currently serves as Senior Associate Dean in the UNC-CH School of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences. His research has focused on the neurophysiological and neuromechanical consequences of injury, particularly relating to muscle activation, and the neurophysiological mechanisms of rehabilitation interventions.
Undergraduate/Graduate Volunteer Research Assistants:
Jenna Kim
Master’s Research Assistant
Year: 1st Year Master’s Student
Major: Master of Public Health, Concentration in Nutrition and Dietetics
Education: B.S., University of Mississippi, 2024
Research Interests: My primary research interest is in understanding ACL injury mechanisms to reduce injury risk and prevent post-traumatic osteoarthritis in youth through physiology and sports medicine. I am on the registered dietitian track and plan to pursue a PhD, aiming to contribute to the health and performance of youth athletes by supporting injury prevention and recovery strategies.
Annika Kullstam
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Year: Sophomore
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests:I am primarily interested in gait mechanics and loading at different joints following lower extremity injuries, and plan on going into rehabilitation devices.
Grace Vallone
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Year: Junior
Major: Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in Chemistry
Research Interests:Grace is an undergraduate research assistant who is majoring in Exercise and Sport Science. She played sports growing up and had many injuries, which sparked her interest in sports medicine and research. Grace helped with the ACL TarHeal study in her freshman year. She really enjoyed collecting data and learning how to process it. Her goal is to go to medical school, and she hopes to apply the knowledge learned while being a research assistant into the medical professions.
Kelly Kang
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Year: Junior
Major: Biomedical Engineering B.A, Exercise and Sports Science minor
Research Interests: Kelly has been an undergraduate research assistant in the Pietrosimone Lab since Spring 2023. She became interested in knee biomechanics after tearing her ACL and plans to focus further on rehabilitation engineering during her undergraduate time. She plans on going into the industry after graduating.
Claire Heetderks
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Year: Junior
Major: Exercise and Sports Science B.A., Medical Anthropology B.A.
Research Interests: Claire works as an undergraduate research assistant in the Pietrosimone Lab Group studying ACL gait retraining post reconstruction. Her primary research interest is analyzing gait biomechanics of the lower extremities and their relationship to the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Claire plans to attend PA school after graduation and hopes to apply the knowledge she has learned in future clinical practices.
Lab Group Alumni
Brittney Luc-Harkey PhD, Clinical Research Manager, Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital. Graduated 2017.
Matthew Harkey PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University. Graduated 2017.
Kyle Wallace, Medical Student, Georgetown University School of Medicine. Former Research Technician. Graduated 2019.
Hope Davis-Wilson PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Interdisciplinary Movement Science Lab, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Graduated 2020.
Steven Pfeiffer PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Applied Health and Wellness, Ohio University. Graduated 2020.
Alyssa Evans-Pickett PhD. Graduated 2022.
Elizabeth Bjornsen PhD. Post-Doctoral Fellow, Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Graduated 2024.
Current Grant Funding & Research Projects
Establishing a FastOA-Focused Cohort Following Revision ACL Reconstruction (Principal Investigator), Awarded by the Arthritis Foundation. 2022-2026
Quadriceps Muscle Quality: A Post-Injury Determinant of Knee Function and Health (Principal Investigator), Awarded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). 2023-2025
Gait Rehabilitation to Treat FastOA (Principal Investigator), Awarded by the Arthritis Foundation. 2023-2026
UNC-Chapel Hill Biomechanics and Functional Outcomes Core (Principal Investigator), Awarded by the Arthritis Foundation. 2023-2028
MRI: Acquisition of a High-Speed Biplanar Fluoroscopy System for Non-Invasive
Quantitative Imaging of Human Movement (Co-Principal Investigator), Awarded by National Science Foundation. 2022-2024
UNC-Chapel Hill collaborative CRU for musculoskeletal health (Co-Principal Investigator), Awarded by the Arthritis Foundation. 2022-2024
Wearable sensing and machine learning to optimize knee joint health (Co-Principal Investigator), Awarded by NC Biotech. 2024-2026.
PACE: Pediatric ACL Combined Evaluation of Biomechanics and Neurocognition (Co-Principal Investigator), Awarded by the American College of Sports Medicine Foundation. 2022-2024
Studies in Data Analysis
Biomechanical Changes Following ACL Injury that Influence the Development of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis (Principal Investigator), Awarded by the Arthritis Foundation. 2020-2024
Limb Underloading post ACL Reconstruction and Increased Cartilage Strain: Identifying Biomechanics Phenotypes at Risk for Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis and the Potential for Precision Gait Retraining in Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis Prevention (Principal Investigator), Awarded by Thurston Arthritis Research Center. 2021-2023
Development of a Portable Gait Biofeedback System for Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Conditions (Principal Investigator), Awarded by Eshelman Innovation Institute. 2021-2023
Effect of ZILRETTA Injection on neuromuscular function, gait biomechanics and physical performance (Principal Investigator), Investigator Initiated Clinical Study Grant Awarded by Flexion Therapeutics. 2020-2023
Effect of Knee Bracing on Improving Pain & Disability, Physical Performance, Physical Activity and Femoral Cartilage Deformation in Individuals with Medial Compartment Knee Osteoarthritis (Principal Investigator), Awarded by American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association. 2018-2020
In Vivo Manipulation of Mechanical Loading: Using Real-Time Biofeedback to Strategically Understand the Acute Biomechanical, Biochemical and Structural Changes induced by Lower Extremity Joint Loading (Co-Principal Investigator), Awarded by National Institutes of Health. 2020-2023
Effect of Skeletal Maturity on Biomarkers for Post- traumatic OA after ACL Injury (Co-Principal Investigator), Awarded by North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute. 2020-2022