TEAM | FALL PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION GROUP

Feng Yang, PhD, Associate Professor

Email: fyang@gsu.edu | Curriculum Vita | Google Scholar

Dr. Yang received his doctoral degree in Human-machine and Environment Engineering (Ergonomics) from Beihang University. Prior to joining Georgia State University, he was an assistant professor in the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Yang and his research team conduct research related to fall prevention, motor disorders and rehabilitation. Currently, his research mainly concerns fall prevention among older adults and individuals with movement disorders (like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.). Specifically, they are trying to investigate the underlying mechanisms of falls from the perspectives of biomechanics and motor control among healthy and pathological populations. They also work to develop novel yet cost-effective training paradigms, like vibration training, perturbation training, dance-based therapy, etc., to prevent falls from happening among individuals with elevated falling risk. Dr. Yang has published more than eighty articles in prestigious journals and his work has been funded by various agencies.

Chiwhan Choi, PT, PhD, MPH, Postdoctoral Research Associate

Email: cchoi20@gsu.edu

Chiwhan is a postdoctoral researcher, and licensed physical therapist in South Korea, the UAE, and the United States, with over 17 years of experience in human movement science, clinical rehabilitation, and gait biomechanics research. Chiwhan received his Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences with a concentration in Movement Science from Boston University. Chiwhan is passionate about addressing complex challenges in human movement by integrating biomechanical principles, wearable technology, and machine learning techniques to better understand underlying mechanisms in individuals with movement disorders. Chiwhan has extensive experience using motion capture systems, force plates, surface EMG, wearable IMUs, and musculoskeletal simulations to investigate functional biomechanics in human movement. and is skilled in designing and executing human subjects’ research. Chiwhan is adept at integrating biomechanical and statistical tools to generate critical insights that support health research, digital rehabilitation tools, and multidisciplinary collaborations across clinical and academic settings. As a Postdoctoral Research Associate, he currently works with Dr. Yang and other lab members on research projects focused on preventing falls in healthy aging individuals and people with movement disorders.

Sara Mahmoudzadeh Khalili, MS, Doctoral Student

Email: smahmoudzadehkhalil1@student.gsu.edu

Sara Mahmoudzadeh Khalili joined the research group in Fall 2022 as a doctoral student with a concentration in Biomechanics and Rehabilitation. Sara is a Dean’s Doctoral Research Fellow awarded by the College of Education and Human Development at Georgia State University. She earned her M.S. degree in Sport Injuries and Corrective Exercises- Athletic Training at Shahid Beheshti University in 2018. Sara graduated from Urmia University with a B.S. in Physical Education and Sport Sciences. As a graduate Research Assistant, she works with Dr. Yang and other lab members on various research projects. Her recent research focuses on fall prevention, specifically examining how different types of insoles can help both healthy and clinical populations maintain postural balance and dynamic stability.

Rebekah Buehler, MS, OTR/L, Doctoral Student

Email: rbuehler2@student.gsu.edu

Rebekah earned her master degree in Allied Health Sciences in Occupational Therapy from the Medical College of Georgia in 2008. Rebekah is an experienced Occupational Therapist with a demonstrated history of working in hospitals, school systems, long-term and sub-acute rehabilitation, and home care settings. Over the course of her career, regardless of clinical setting or disease process, a primary focus as a geriatric rehabilitation practitioner has been fall prevention and safe performance of Activities of Daily Living. Rebekah entered Georgia State University doctoral program in 2018 to pursue her PhD in Kinesiology with a concentration in Biomechanics. As a Graduate Research Assistant in the Biomechanics Lab, Rebekah assists with data collection, manuscript and poster presentation preparation, and collaborates on research projects. Under the guidance of Dr. Yang, Rebekah is interested in emerging paradigms for prevention of falls; specifically, interventions which proactively engage at-risk older adult populations and simultaneously provide real-world implementation of evidence-based rehabilitation interventions.

Diané Brown, PT, MS, Doctoral Student

Email: dbrown201@student.gsu.edu

Diané joined the Master’s program in Exercise Science at Georgia State University in Fall 2020. She graduated from the University of the West Indies, Mona in Kingston, Jamaica with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2015. Following the completion of her internship at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, Jamaica, she received her Physical Therapy license and started her own mobile practice. Growing up in a country where access to and knowledge about Physical Therapy was not readily available, the goal of her practice was to market her profession so that individuals with few options may be enlightened by new health choices they could potentially gain. She worked with numerous high school soccer teams helping rehabilitate and reduce injuries in young athletes. She also assisted a local clinic with walk-in patients who would benefit from effective rehabilitation plans and improve their overall function during activities of daily living. She started to work as a graduate research assistant in the lab in Summer of 2021 and was admitted to the Kinesiology doctoral program in Spring 2023. Diané is the other Brains & Behavior Neuroscience Fellow in the Department of Kinesiology and Health.

Mohammad Salsali, BS, Doctoral Student

Email: msalsali1@student.gsu.edu | Google Scholar

Mohammad is a Dean’s Doctoral Research Fellow awarded by College of Education and Human Development at Georgia State University. He began his doctoral study and working as a Graduate Research Assistant in the research group in Fall 2025, focusing on Biomechanics and Rehabilitation. He graduated from Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran, with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Sciences in 2024. In his role as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Biomechanics Laboratory, Mohammad engages in collecting data, drafting manuscripts and posters for presentations, and actively participates in team-based research projects. Mohammad’s research interests primarily focus on fall prevention, balance, and human movement, with an emphasis on exploring these topics from the perspective of cognitive function.

Shilin Wang, MS, Doctoral Student

Email: swang91@student.gsu.edu

Shilin Wang is a doctoral student in Kinesiology with a concentration in Biomechanics and Rehabilitation. He began his doctoral study as a Graduate Research Assistant in Fall 2025. He graduated with a Master of Science in Sports Rehabilitation from Xi’an Physical Education University in 2024. With a background that includes clinical practice and rehabilitation research involving cell culture and biomechanical testing, Shilin assists with experimental data collection, manuscript drafting, and movement analysis in the lab. His research interests focus on understanding the mechanisms of sports injuries and designing effective rehabilitation training programs.

Susmita Bhandari, PT, Master’s Student

Email: sbhandari13@student.gsu.edu

Susmita Bhandari is from Nepal and joined the master’s program in Exercise Science at Georgia State University in Fall 2025. She graduated with a Bachelor of Physical Therapy from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India (2019–2024). Growing up in a family passionate about physical fitness and yoga, Susmita developed an early interest in health, movement, and human performance, which naturally guided her toward this field. During her undergraduate studies, she completed internships in hospitals and clinics, gaining experience in rehabilitation, ICU, and orthopedic settings. She also worked as an assistant in a local physical therapy clinic in her hometown. Susmita believes in evidence-based practice and has actively participated in workshops, conferences, and community programs to continue her professional growth. She started her role as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Biomechanics Lab at GSU in August 2025, where she works with Dr. Feng Yang and fellow lab members on research projects pertaining to fall prevention and rehabilitation.

GROUP ALUMNI

Graduate Students

Margaret Underdahl (2018) – Master’s Program in Biomedical Engineering, Mercer University, Georgia
Caroline Simpkins (2019) – Doctoral Program in Kinesiology, Georgia State University, Georgia
Wendy Ahn (2020) – Doctoral Program in Kinesiology, Georgia State University, Georgia
Meredith Wells (2022) – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Emory University, Georgia (2022-2024); Research Scientist, Superfeet, Seattle, Washington (2024-)
Diané Brown (2022) – Doctoral Program in Kinesiology, Georgia State University, Georgia
Sangwon Shin (2023) – Doctoral Program in Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Nebraska
Caroline Simpkins (2024) – Postdoctoral Research Associate, Georgia State University, Georgia
Rebecca Ban (2024) – Industry
Jiyun (Wendy) Ahn (2025) – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Arizona State University, Arizona

Undergraduate Students

Jennifer Lees (2019) – Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, Husson University, Maine
Tiyara Benny (2020) – Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, University of St. Augustine, Florida
Kelsey Clark (2020) – Master’s Program in Exercise Sciences, Brigham Young University, Utah
Phum Tuntiansin (2020) – Health industry, GA.
Laura Wentworth (2023) – Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, Georgia State University, Georgia