August 18th, 2026
We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 Live in Motion Foundation Early Career Research Grants, recognizing emerging investigators whose work has the potential to shape the future of orthotics, prosthetics, and pedorthics.
The Early Career Research Grant provides $30,000 in support to researchers within ten years of completing their terminal degree, helping them establish promising lines of investigation and build the preliminary evidence needed to pursue larger-scale funding from agencies such as the NIH, PCORI, and Department of Defense.
Through this investment, Live in Motion Foundation is not only supporting important research today, we are helping develop the investigators who will lead discovery, strengthen the evidence base, and advance mobility care for years to come.
Congratulations to our 2026 Early Career Research Grant recipients. We are proud to invest in your ideas, your leadership, and the impact your work can have on the future of patient care.
Kierra Falbo, PhD, MPO, CPO is a postdoctoral researcher working in the Rehab Neural Engineering Labs at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Falbo completed her PhD in Rehabilitation Science with the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis VA. She is a Certified Prosthetist Orthotist with a master’s degree from Northwestern University, and she also holds an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Falbo’s research work focuses on expanding our understanding of phantom limb pain after amputation to improve assessment and treatment strategies. She aims to conduct patient-centered research with the goal of improving engagement and quality of life for individuals with disability, and she strives to bridge the gap between research and practice, ensuring that advancements are accessible and translated to clinical care.
Assessing Patient-Specific Phantom Limb Pain Factors to Inform Personalized Treatment
“With this support from the Live in Motion Foundation, our team will work to better understand phantom limb pain after amputation through innovative methods including the use of wearable devices, neuroimaging, and qualitative assessments. I am honored to receive this award, and I look forward to conducting this pilot research to inform larger studies and clinical implementation efforts focused on improving health outcomes for individuals with amputation.“
Alexis Sidiropoulos PhD. is a Health Science Specialist in the Biomechanics Research for the Advancement of Veteran Outcomes (BRAVO) Laboratory at the Department of Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System.
She uses her expertise in non-traditional biomechanics and motor control to lead research studies focused on whole body dynamics of individuals with lower limb loss. During her tenure at the BRAVO Laboratory, she has successfully used novel methodologies, such as Relative Phase analysis, to identify deficits and improvements in continuous coordination and stability post-rehabilitation in the lower limb loss population.
Her technical background in biomechanics, kinesiology, and movement analysis reinforces her execution, analysis, and interpretation of these outcome measures. Her specialized proficiency in both kinesiology and biomechanics in mobility-challenged populations has supported prosperous research collaborations with a diverse group of interdisciplinary professionals. The goal of her research endeavors is to improve clinical care for individuals with limb loss within a shared-decision making model while keeping biomechanical evaluation of movement the foundation of the process.
Emulation-based Prosthetic Ankle-Foot Prescription for Veterans with Transtibial Limb Loss
“It is an honor to be selected for the Early Career Research Grant from the Live in Motion Foundation. I am grateful for the opportunity to perform this research study which will be the first formal evaluation of emulation-based prescription in a clinical setting, with implications for improving patient satisfaction, functional outcomes, and the standard of limb loss care. I am eager to contribute to improved clinical care for individuals with limb loss in a patient-centered, shared decision-making process with elite biomechanical evaluation of movement at its core.“