Abbie Ferris PhD

Abbie E. Ferris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Dietetics at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, United States. Abbie’s research motivation is to better understand amputee gait and improve functional ability. Currently, she is investigating the biomechanical effects of various socket suspension techniques in individuals with lower limb amputation. Specifically, she is interested in the functional outcomes of these devices and how they may alter loading and gait.

Recently, Dr. Ferris has begun investigating the use of cannabis and its possible effects on gait, balance, and functional ability in adults. As cannabis has been fairly recently legalized, it has opened opportunities for investigation previously closed to researchers. While the majority of research has been focused on the physiologic changes, little research has been performed on the biomechanical effects use may trigger. The primary focus is to identify if acute Cannabis usage affects gait in users vs non-users. In particular, she is investigating kinematics and kinetics of gait in both groups as well as dynamic and static balance changes.