Ana Maria Acosta

Ana Maria Acosta, PhD, a distinguished Medicine faculty member at Northwestern University, is Professor and Associate Chair for Post Professional Education and Graduate Research Education in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine. She obtained her PhD from Case Western Reserve University in 2002 and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University in 2003, joining the faculty that same year. Throughout her career, she advanced from research assistant professor to associate professor, and in 2021, she was appointed Director of the Clinical Research Career Pathway Programs at the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS). In this leadership role, she focuses on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion among graduate students and in the biomedical research community, creating initiatives to support individuals from marginalized backgrounds.

Acosta's academic interests include biomechanics, motor control, neural engineering, musculoskeletal and neural imaging, rehabilitation interventions, implementation, and outcomes, and sensorimotor systems. Her research lab characterizes mechanisms underlying movement impairments of the arm, leg, and trunk following stroke, while developing robotics-based interventions. Notable publications comprise "Pilot Study to Test Effectiveness of Video Game on Reaching Movements in Patients with Chronic Stroke" (2011), "A Method for Quantification of Stretch Reflex Excitability During Ballistic Reaching" (2023), "Test-Retest Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change of Body Function Impairment and Activity Limitation Outcomes Using a Mechatronic Evaluation Designed for Inpatient Stroke Research" (2024), and "The Role of the Deep Cervical Extensor Muscles in Multi-Directional Isometric Neck Strength" (2024). With 727 citations from 52 publications, her scholarship has shaped neurorehabilitation and stroke recovery research. She earned the Daniel I. Linzer Award in 2021, serves on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Student Affairs Committee, and contributes to program admissions committees including Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience.

Professional Email: a-acosta@northwestern.edu