Brecca Gaffney, PhD
Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Denver
Center for Bioengineering, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus
CV
Previous Appointments:
Postdoctoral Research Scholar, 2017-2020 (Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University in St. Louis)
PhD, 2017 (Mechanical Engineering, University of Denver)
MS, 2013 (Mechanical Engineering, University of Denver)
BS, 2011 (Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines)
Brecca Gaffney, PhD, is a mechanical engineer and uses musculoskeletal biomechanics to study movement, muscle, and joint mechanics. The primary goal of her research is to better understand the mechanisms of overuse injuries (e.g. osteoarthritis) in populations with lower extremity movement pathology.
Professor Gaffney’s research career began in her Master’s Thesis, that developed a real-time biofeedback interface using high-density surface electromyography for postural correction and treatment of chronic neck pain due to prolonged computer use. Her doctoral research identified low back and hip movement compensations adopted by patients with transtibial dysvascular amputation during activities of daily living. She then was a postdoctoral research scholar in the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. Her postdoc research focused on studying the effects of surgical and non-surgical interventions on joint mechanics in patients with hip dysplasia. Dr. Gaffney is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F32) from NIH/NIAMS and was a 2018 L'Oréal USA For Women in Science fellow.
Brecca is a Colorado native and former NCAA Division II collegiate athlete (women’s basketball). Outside of her research, Brecca enjoys everything Colorado has to offer (snowboarding, hiking, camping, craft beer) as well as anything with her dog, Gryff.
