Biography
Dr. Ahyoung Song is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Texas State University and a licensed physical therapist (Republic of Korea). She earned her Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University, following an M.S. in Rehabilitation Science and a B.H.S. in Physical Therapy from Korea University. Prior to joining Texas State, she completed postdoctoral training in applied neuromechanics at the University of South Carolina, where she investigated the neural mechanisms underlying movement impairments in musculoskeletal pain. Her academic and clinical background integrates biomechanics, neuroscience, and rehabilitation practice.
Research Interests
Dr. Song’s research focuses on neuromuscular control during complex functional tasks and how these control strategies are altered by aging, fall risk, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. She examines how the organization of muscle synergies adapts to varying task demands, and how these patterns differ between older adults with a history of falls and individuals with pain. By combining advanced EMG analysis and motion capture, her research seeks to identify mechanistic markers of movement dysfunction and to inform task-specific, evidence-based rehabilitation strategies.