People
Research Interests
My research interest is in identifying biomechanical and neurological changes of adults and older adults due to cardiometabolic disease. Work undertaken by my lab integrates traditional behavioral approaches in biomechanics and motor control with techniques from imaging technologies and blood-based biomarkers to better understand how diseases such as Type II Diabetes (along with its common comorbidities: obesity, neuropathy, cognitive impairment, disordered sleep, and hypertension) impact how individuals perceive and interact with their environments across the lifespan.
Recent Publications and Research Activity
Gulley-Cox, L.I., Dias, N., Zhang, C., Zhang, Y., Gorniak, S.L. (2025). Effects of Type II Diabetes on upper extremity muscle characteristics in older adults. Neuroscience Letters. 844: 138039. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.13803. PMID: 39549828
Hibino, H., Gorniak, S.L. (2024). Reduced Hand Sensory and Motor Function in Persons Living with Heart Failure. PLoS One. 19(11):e0312468. PMID: 39546439
Gorniak, S.L., Meng, H., Yazdekhasti, S., Pollonini, L. (2024). Correlation between subcutaneous adipose tissue of the head and body mass index in children and young adults aged 8-19 years: Implications for functional neuroimaging. Experimental Biology & Medicine Feb 8:249:10030. doi: 10.3389/ebm.2024.10030. PMID: 38496331
Gulley-Cox, L.I., Dias, N., Zhang, C., Zhang, Y., Gorniak, S.L. (2023). Effects of Type II Diabetes on proprioception during a reach to pinch task to a virtual target in older adults. Journal of Motor Behavior. 56(3):263-274. PMID: 37997260
Gorniak, S.L., Wagner, V., Vaughn, K., Perry, J., Gulley Cox, L.I., Hibino, H., Hernandez-Montero, S.A., Hernandez, A., Pollonini, L., (2023). Use of Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy to Detect Cortical Activation Changes Concurrent with Memory Loss in Postmenopausal Women with Type II Diabetes. Experimental Brain Research. 241(6): 1555-1567. PMID: 37127798.
Gorniak, S.L., Meng, H., Pollonini, L. (2022). Correlation between subcutaneous adipose tissue of the head and body mass index: Implications for functional neuroimaging. Human Movement Science. 85: 102997. PMID: 36041254.
Meng, H., Gorniak, S.L. (2022). Obesity is associated with gait alterations and gait asymmetry in older adults. Motor Control. 27(1): 6-19. PMID: 35393368.
Education
B.S. in Physics at the Pennsylvania State University - Erie, The Behrend College, Erie, PA , 2004
M.S. in Kinesiology at the Pennsylvania State University - University Park, PA, 2006
Ph.D. in Kinesiology at the Pennsylvania State University - University Park, PA, 2009
Post-doc in Biomedical Engineering at the Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH, 2011