Marjorie Woollacott’s teaching and research focus is primarily in the area of motor control and development. Her areas of expertise include the development of balance control in normal children and in children with motor problems such as cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome. She is also exploring the factors leading to loss of balance function in the older adult, and in patients with motor disorders such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease, in order to improve the quality of life and independence of adults well into old age. With her colleagues, she is currently designing new assessment and treatment strategies to improve balance function in the child with motor problems, in patients with stroke and in the older adult who is prone to losses of balance and falls. She also performs research on the efficacy of alternative forms of medicine, including Tai Chi and meditation, and on music performance.

Dr. Woollacott received her Ph.D. at USC in neuroscience. She is co-author of the textbook, “Motor Control: Translating Research into Clinical Practice”, now in its 3rd edition. She is a grant recipient of the National Institutes of Health for research on balance function in children with cerebral palsy and in older adults, and the National Science Foundation, for research on motor development.