Research Overview:

Dr. Pouran Faghri is Professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences with an emphasis on Health Promotion Disease and Disability Prevention. Dr. Faghri also has joint appointments as Professor with the Biomedical Engineering Program, School of engineering and the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care (MPH and PhD Programs) at the University of Connecticut Health Center. As a medical doctor and an exercise physiologist, professor Faghri has expertise in health promotion, wellness, disease, and disability prevention for healthy individuals as well as neurologically impaired and those with chronic conditions and elderly. Dr. Faghri’s areas of interest are: work-site health promotion programs (design/intervention/evaluation), community health promotion programs (design/intervention/evaluation), health related behavior, intervention strategies for health promotion and secondary disability prevention (neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and physiological) in disabled and elderly populations. She has knowledge in evaluation of social determinant of health, self-care, self awareness, and decision making strategies under uncertain or distributed environments.

Dr. Faghri’s research has been continuously funded by federal and private organizations. She has more than 100 publications in archival journals and conference proceedings, and she has presented her research at national and international conferences. She has served or serving on the editorial boards of many prestigious journals including Clinical Kinesiology, Clinical Rehabilitation, IEEE Transaction in Biology and Medicine, and Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation. She is also a primary grant reviewer for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Paralyze Veteran of America, Spinal Cord Injury Foundation, Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), and U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), as well as many prestigious archival journals. Presently she is the Team Leader for Health Promotion Methodology and Co-investigator of the NIOSH/CDC funded Center of Excellence: Center for Promoting Health in the New England Workplace-CPH-NEW.

Education 
M.S., Wright State University, 1987 
Postdoctoral study, Wright State University, 1983 
M.D., University of Isfahan, 1981

Patents:Faghri, PD. Electronic Muscle Pump (EMP) (sole inventor).  US 6,959,216 B2 Oct. 25, 2005 

Featured Publications

Books and Book Chapters:

Faghri PD: Functional Electrical Stimulation, (pp 407-430); In: Spinal Cord Injuries: Management and Rehabilitation by Sue Ann Sisto,  Eric Druin and, Martha Macht Sliwinski; Elsevier Publications, 2008.

Faghri, PD.  Research Methodology for Health Professionals: An Interdisciplinary Approach  (sole author, Textbook), 2003 ISBN# [1-58692-513-X], Erudition Books, Boston, Massachusetts.

Faghri, PD, Glaser, RM, Figoni, SF,  “Functional electrical stimulation cycle ergometer exercise: Training effects on cardiorespiratory responses of spinal cord injured subjects at rest and during submaximal exercise.” Yearbook of Sports Medicine, Edited by RJ Shephard; Mosby-Yearbook Inc. 439-441,1993. 

Selcted Publications

1. Haapala, S. A., Faghri, P. D., Adams, D. J. (2008). Identifying an Effective Paradigm for FES-Induced Cycle Ergometry in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury. Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 14(1). (accepted for publication)

2. Sisto, S. A., Forrest, G. F., Faghri, P. D. (2008). Technology for mobility and quality of life in spinal cord injury. IEEE, Transaction on Medicine and Biology, 27(2), 56-68.

3. Faghri, P. D., Omokaro, C., Parker, C., Nichols, E., Gustavesen, S., Blozie, E. (2008). E-Technology and Pedometer Walking Program to Increase Physical Activity at Work. Journal of Primary Prevention, [Epub ahead of print]

4. Haapala, S. A., Faghri, P. D., Adams, D. J. (2008). Leg joint power output during progressive resistance FES-LCE cycling in SCI subjects: developing an index of fatigue. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 5(14).

5. Faghri, P. D., Haapala, S. A., Adams, D. J. (2007). Lower leg joint power output during progressive resistance cycling in SCI subjects: the influence of stimulation intensity, IFESS, 8, 1-3.

6. Faghri, P. D., & Trumbower, R. (2006). Identifying offline muscle strength profile sufficient for short-duration FES-LCE: A PAC learning model approach. Journal of Clinical Monitoring DOI:10.1007/s10877-006-9023-2.

7. Faghri, P. D., & Du, Q. Y. (2006). Calf volume changes as a predictor of intensity of lower limb muscle contractions. Journal of Assistive Technology, 18(1), 46-55.

8. Trumbower, R., & Faghri, P. D. (2005). Software application for assessing real-time patient responsiveness to functional electrical stimulation devices. Proceedings of Materials & Processes for Medical Devices.

9. Faghri, P. D., & Trumbower, R. (2006). Clinical applications of electrical stimulation for individuals with spinal cord injury. Journal of Clinical Kinesiology, 59(4), 48-62.

10. Faghri, P. D., & Trumbower, R. (2005). Short-duration FES-induced leg cycling dynamics at different stimulation intensities and flywheel resistances. International Functional Electrical Stimulation, 10 (8), 241-243.

11. Trumbower, R., & Faghri, P. D. (2005). Relationship between isometric pedal force generation and stimulation intensity of individual leg muscles involved in FES-induced leg cycling. International Functional Electrical Stimulation, 10 (8), 238-240.

12. Trumbower, R., & Faghri, P. D. (2005). Kinematic analysis of recumbent leg cycling in able-bodied and spinal cord injured individuals. Spinal Cord, 43, 543-549.

13. Trumbower, R., & Faghri, P.D. (2004). Rigid link-segment models as predictors of semi-reclined leg cycling kinematics. Rehabilitation Engineering and Assertive Technology publications, 4, 344-347.

14. Devan, M. R., Pescatello, L. S., Faghri, P. D., Anderson, J. (2004). A prospective study of overuse knee injuries among female athletes with muscle imbalances and structural abnormalities. Journal of Athletic Training, 39(3), 263–267.

15. Trumbower R., & Faghri, P. D. (2004). Improving pedal power during semi-reclined leg cycling. IEEE Transaction in Medicine and Biology Magazine, 23(2), 62-71.

Related Websites:

http://www.uml.edu/centers/cph-new/Our_Team/UConn_Faculty/UConnFaculty.html

http://www.connectifit.uconn.edu/