People

Claudio Luis Ferre, PhD
Principal Investigator

Claudio Ferre, PhD, is the director of the DEMR Lab and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Boston University and the BU Neurophotonics Center. He received his B.S. in Psychology from DePaul University, M.A. in Developmental Psychology from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Columbia University. Prior to joining BU, he completed his postdoctoral training in Clinical Neuroscience at the Burke Neurological Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr. Ferre’s research focuses on the importance of sensorimotor experiences for development of manual skills and the role of activity in adaptation to developmental brain injury.

When Dr. Ferre is not doing science, he loves to spend his time biking over bridges, making homemade pasta, dancing salsa and tango, playing fútbol, and supporting La Celeste.

Please contact clferre@bu.edu for more information or visit PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences to learn about our interdisciplinary PhD program. 

Marie Kelly, MPH
Lab Manager

Marie received her master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis on Epidemiology for the University of Nevada, Reno in the spring of 2021. Her masters work focused on patients with Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and differences in gait mechanics of these patients over time. Marie received her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Nevada, Reno in the spring of 2019. Her neuroscience background helped her pursue her goals of research in the Neuromechanics laboratory (UN Reno) where she expanded her knowledge in concussion research while assisting with collegiate concussion testing. When not in the lab, Marie enjoys working with youth lacrosse programs and spending time with friends!

HyunJoon Kim, MA
PhD Student

HyunJoon Kim is an incoming Ph.D. student in Rehabilitation Science at Boston University. He received his B.S in Sports Science and M.A in Human Movement Science from Incheon National University. During his master’s program, HyunJoon focused on meta-analyses, bimanual force control in individuals with neurological impairments (i.e., aging, stroke, and substance use disorder), and non-invasive brain stimulation.

His current goals are to develop activity-based rehabilitation protocols and to explore optimal brain stimulation protocols to improve the quality of life in children with neurological disease. In his extra time, he enjoys football, swimming, working out at the gym, going to famous restaurants, and reading books at cafés. 

Xiwen Su, MS
PhD Student

Xiwen Su received her MS in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota and BS in Biological Sciences from Beijing Normal University. She will join the DEMR Lab as a PhD student in the Fall 2021. Her previous research focused on physical activity and health promotion in children and college students using emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality and active video games. In her free time, she likes to practice guitar, write stories and watch soccer games. 

Evan Yarnall
PhD Student

Evan is a Ph.D. student with a B.S. in Kinesiology and a minor in neuroscience research from Temple University in Philadelphia. He previously worked as a clinical research coordinator and research technician and conducted outcomes research on treatments for a variety of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions, as well as evaluated digital medicine tools for sleep quality. His goal is to develop more effective therapies for people with motor impairments. Outside academia, he enjoys distance running and playing basketball.