Victoria Chester

Full Professor

Kinesiology, Faculty of

Currie 204

Fredericton

vchester@unb.ca
1 506 458 7589



Research interests

  • Clinical Gait Analysis
  • Motion Capture
  • Multisegment Foot Biomechanics
  • Clinical Biomechanics
  • Orthopaedic Biomechanics
  • Prosthetic Biomechanics
  • Wearable Sensors

Biography

Dr. Chester received a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick in 2004. Dr. Chester has an undergraduate (Guelph) and Master’s degree (Laurentian) in Human Kinetics. Dr. Chester is currently Professor and Co-Director of the Andrew and Marjorie McCain Human Performance Laboratory in the Richard J. CURRIE CENTER in the Faculty of Kinesiology. Dr. Chester is also co-founder of the UNB/Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation Paediatric Gait Team.

Current research projects

Dr. Chester’s research interests are mainly focused on clinical biomechanics and motion capture research in children and adults. Our team conducts research in four main areas:

  • Typical and clinical lower and upper extremity mechanics across the lifespan
  • Improved mechanical models of the foot and ankle
  • Assessment and development of treatment, rehabilitative and preventative strategies for improving mobility and quality of life
  • Development of wearable sensors for assessing mobility in aging populations

Research projects in these areas include:

  • Paediatric and adult multisegment foot kinematics and kinetics
  • Multisegment foot motion in children with Autism during gait
  • Biomechanics of ankle fusion
  • Strength training and balance in persons with Parkinson’s disease
  • Wearable sensor technology for mobility assessment
  • Upper extremity prosthetic biomechanics

Dr. Chester’s research programs are currently funded by NSERC Discovery Grant, CFI Leader Opportunities Fund, MITACS, and NBIF.

Andrew and Marjorie McCain Human Performance Laboratory

The Andrew and Marjorie McCain Human Performance Laboratory is a state of the art biomechanics and neuromuscular physiology lab. The lab is housed within a 190m jogging track, which facilitates the analysis of various motor tasks including walking, running, and wheeling. The facility is extensively equipped with a 12 T160 Vicon motion capture system, 6 Kistler force plates, HD EMG, Cybex Dynamometer, and Tekscan pressure mats. Our research team consists of undergraduate (USRA, Honours, work study) and graduate students from the Faculty of Kinesiology, and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Departments.

Publications

Beauchet, O., Barden, J., Liu-Ambrose, T., Chester, V., Szturm, T., Allali, G. (2016). The relationship between hippocampal volume and static postural sway: results from the GAIT study. Age, 38(1),1-8.

Grant, J. & Chester, V. (2015). The Effects of Walking Speed on Adult Multi-segment Foot Kinematics. Journal of Bioengineering & Biomedical Science, 5(2), 156-164.

Novo, C.M., Alharbi, S., Fox, M., Ouelette, E., Biden, E., Tingley, M., Chester, V. (2014). The impact of technical parameters such as video sensor technology, system configuration, marker size and speed on the accuracy of motion analysis systems. Ingenieria Mecanica, 5(1), 265-271.

MacDonald, M., Losier, D., Chester, V., Kuruganti, U. (2014). Comparison of Bilateral and Unilateral Contractions Between Swimmers and Non-Athletes during Leg Press and Hand Grip Exercises. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(11), 1245-9.

Beaudette, B. & Chester, V. (2014). Upper extremity kinematics during activities of daily living in children. Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering, 34(5), 448-454.

Harrison, M.F, Neary, J.P., Albert, W.J., Chester, V.L., & Croll, J.C. (2013). Differentiation of Physiological Measures of Neck Myalgia by Principal Component Analysis. In: Beyond the Line. Military and Veteran Health Research. Canadian Institute for Military & Veteran Health Research. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Kingston, Ontario.

Roy, K., Chester, V., & McGibbon, C. (2013). Examining Gait Patterns After Total Knee Arthroplasty Using Parameterization and Principal Component Analysis. Open Journal of Orthopaedics, 3, 156-163.

Legault-Moore, D., Chester, V., & de Vries, G. (2012). Multisegment foot kinematics during walking in younger and older adults. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, 4(4), 259-266.

Chester, V. & Calhoun, M. (2012). Gait symmetry in children with Autism. Autism Research and Treatment, 2012, 1-5.