Dr. Andrew Shelton received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University where he was a National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Fellow. He also holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio Northern University. Dr. Shelton’s research focused on human gait biomechanics, specifically balance and falls risk in older adults.

Prior to joining Rimkus, Dr. Shelton led human participant research projects that totaled over 190 sessions of human participant data collection. This work included overseeing all participant recruitment and enrollment efforts, data acquisition and analysis, and multi-site data sharing. Dr. Shelton has become an expert in the collection and analysis of participant biomechanical data including three-dimensional motion capture, electromyography, and ultrasound data as well as predictive musculoskeletal modeling. He has also been the project lead on an industry-sponsored research project with a footwear company targeting key factors that affect comfort and performance in orthopedic footwear.

Dr. Shelton has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Gait & Posture and Human Movement Science. He has also presented his research at both domestic and international conferences including the American Society of Biomechanics, the North American Congress on Biomechanics, and the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. He is professionally affiliated with the American Society of Biomechanics.

• Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D.: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University (2024)

• Mechanical Engineering, B.S.: Ohio Northern University (2020)

• American Society of Biomechanics: Member (2020-Present)

• Shelton A, (2024). “The Ecological Viability of Balance Perturbations for Real-World Diagnostic Testing”, Doctoral Dissertation.

• Shelton A, Mercer V, Saul K, Troung K, Franz J, (2024). “The Effects of Gluteus Medius Fatigue on Gait Instability in Older Adults”, Journal of Applied Physiology (In-review).

• Lima K, Shelton A, Allen J, Mercer V, Franz J, (2024). “Older Adults Exhibit Diminished Stability Despite Increased Caution than Younger Adults when Navigating Turns during Walking”, Human Movement Science (In-review).

• Franz J, Shelton A, Takahashi K, Allen J, (2024). “Plantar Sensation Associates with Gait Instability in Older Adults”. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation (In-review).

• Shelton A, Allen J, Mercer V, Crenshaw J, Franz J, (2024). “Questionnaire of Self-Perception Poorly Correlate with Instability Elicited by Walking Balance Perturbations”, PLoS one (In-review).

• Katugam-Dechne K, Cook A, Nguyen A, Smith R, Shelton A, Franz J, (2024). “The Effects of Shoe Structural Features on Agility and Stability Tasks During Walking”, Footwear Science (In-review).

• Smith R, Shelton A, Sawicki G, Franz J, (2024). “The Effects of Plantarflexor Weakness and Reduced Tendon Stiffness with Aging on Gait Stability”, PLoS one. 19.4.

• Shelton A, McTaggart E, Allen J, Mercer V, Crenshaw J, Franz J, (2024). “Does Vulnerability to Walking Balance Perturbations Generalize Across Contexts”, Human Movement Science. 93, 103158.

• Shelton A, McTaggart E, Allen J, Mercer V, Franz J, (2022). “Slowing Down to Preserve Balance in the Presence of Optical Flow Perturbations”, Gait & Posture. 96, 365-370.