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Craig McGowan

Associate Professor of Clinical Integrative Anatomical Sciences

Director of the PhD Program in Integrative Anatomical Sciences

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Overview

Dr. McGowan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Prior to joining USC, he spent ten years in the Department of Biological Sciences and the WWAMI Medical Education Program at the University of Idaho. He received his PhD in Biology from Harvard University and was an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Integrated Physiology at the University of Colorado, Boulder and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin.

Dr. McGowan’s research program seeks to understand the relationships between musculoskeletal morphology and the biomechanics of locomotor performance. His research team addresses questions geared towards understanding the in-vivo dynamics of individual muscles, the influence of musculoskeletal architecture on muscle function, and the links between limb morphology, whole body locomotor performance and habitat utilization. Using a comparative approach, he integrates a number of research techniques including in-vivo muscle-tendon measurements, musculoskeletal modeling and computer simulation, whole body physiology and biomechanics, and measurements of performance and habitat use in the field to examine how humans and other animals maneuver through their natural environments.

Awards

  • University of Idaho: Award for Teaching Excellence, 2020
  • University of Idaho: University Mid-Career Award, 2018-2020
  • University of Idaho: Award for Teaching Excellence, 2015
  • University of Idaho: Alumni Award for Excellence in Mentoring, 2014
  • National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research: Outstanding Researcher Award, 2012
  • American Society of Biomechanics: Young Scientist Post-doctoral Award, 2010

Publications

  • Effects of a Total Motion Release (TMR®) Protocol for the Single Leg Squat on Asymmetrical Movement Patterns Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2024; 19(1):1473-1483. . View in PubMed
  • Examining movement asymmetries during three single leg tasks using interlimb and single subject approaches Phys Ther Sport. 2023 Sep; 63:24-30. . View in PubMed
  • Differences in lower extremity joint stiffness during drop jump between healthy males and females J Biomech. 2023 07; 156:111667. . View in PubMed
  • Effect of instrument type and one-handed versus two-handed grips on force application during simulated instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilisation BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023; 9(2):e001483. . View in PubMed
  • Comparison between the kinematics for kangaroo rat hopping on a solid versus sand surface R Soc Open Sci. 2022 Feb; 9(2):211491. . View in PubMed
  • Comparative analysis of Dipodomys species indicates that kangaroo rat hindlimb anatomy is adapted for rapid evasive leaping J Anat. 2022 03; 240(3):466-474. . View in PubMed
  • Elastic energy storage across speeds during steady-state hopping of desert kangaroo rats (Dipodomys deserti) J Exp Biol. 2022 01 15; 225(2). . View in PubMed
  • Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Forces Applied by Trained Clinicians During a Simulated Treatment J Sport Rehabil. 2022 01 01; 31(1):120-124. . View in PubMed
  • Vegetation and vantage point influence across diverse ecosystems: Implications for animal ecology Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 2022; (10:911051). . View in PubMed
  • Clinician Reliability of One-Handed Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Forces During a Simulated Treatment J Sport Rehabil. 2022 05 01; 31(4):505-510. . View in PubMed
  • Clinician Reliability of One-Handed Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Forces During a Simulated Treatment Journal of Sports Rehabilitation. 2022; (31):505-510. . View in PubMed
  • Descriptive Analysis of Forces Applied by Trained Clinicians During Two-Handed Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization J Athl Train. 2021 Nov 18. . View in PubMed
  • Plantar flexor muscles of kangaroo rats (Dipodomys deserti) shorten at a velocity to produce optimal power during jumping J Exp Biol. 2021 12 15; 224(24). . View in PubMed
  • Future Tail Tales: A Forward-Looking, Integrative Perspective on Tail Research Integrative and Comparative Biology. 2021; 2(61):521-537. . View in PubMed
  • How to Stick the Landing: Kangaroo Rats Use Their Tails to Reorient during Evasive Jumps Away from Predators Integr Comp Biol. 2021 09 08; 61(2):442-454. . View in PubMed
  • Descriptive Analysis of Forces Applied by Trained Clinicians During Two-Handed Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Journal of Athletic Training. 2021. . View in PubMed
  • An Evolutionary Tail: EvoDevo, Structure, and Function of Post-anal Appendages Integrative and Comparative Biology. 2021; 2(61):352-357. . View in PubMed
  • Functional morphology of the ankle extensor muscle-tendon units in the springhare Pedetes capensis shows convergent evolution with macropods for bipedal hopping locomotion J Anat. 2020 09; 237(3):568-578. . View in PubMed
  • Associations of early-life growth with health using an allostatic load score in young, urban African adults: Birth to Twenty Plus Cohort J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2020 08; 11(4):360-368. . View in PubMed
  • Lighten up! Postural instructions affect static and dynamic balance in healthy older adults Innovation in Aging. 2020; 2(4). . View in PubMed
  • Estimation of the force-velocity properties of individual muscles from measurement of the combined plantarflexor properties J Exp Biol. 2020 09 18; 223(Pt 18). . View in PubMed
  • The Contributions of Individual Muscle-Tendon Units to the Plantarflexor Group Force-Length Properties Ann Biomed Eng. 2019 Nov; 47(11):2168-2177. . View in PubMed
  • Yank: the time derivative of force is an important biomechanical variable in sensorimotor systems J Exp Biol. 2019 09 12; 222(Pt 18). . View in PubMed
  • Tendons from kangaroo rats are exceptionally strong and tough Sci Rep. 2019 06 03; 9(1):8196. . View in PubMed
  • Exploring Bipedal Hopping through Computational Evolution Artif Life. 2019; 25(3):236-249. . View in PubMed
  • Functional capacity of kangaroo rat hindlimbs: adaptations for locomotor performance J R Soc Interface. 2018 07; 15(144). . View in PubMed
  • Jumping mechanics of desert kangaroo rats J Exp Biol. 2018 11 12; 221(Pt 22). . View in PubMed
  • J Exp Biol. 2018 06 15; 221(Pt 12). . View in PubMed
  • Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) locomotion: forelimb joint mechanics across speed in the sagittal and frontal planes J Exp Biol. 2017 04 01; 220(Pt 7):1322-1329. . View in PubMed
  • Impact Accelerations of Barefoot and Shod Running Int J Sports Med. 2016 May; 37(5):364-8. . View in PubMed
  • Muscle contributions to frontal plane angular momentum during walking J Biomech. 2016 09 06; 49(13):2975-2981. . View in PubMed
  • Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) locomotion: gaits and ground reaction forces J Exp Biol. 2015 Oct; 218(Pt 19):3102-9. . View in PubMed
  • Kinematic and kinetic comparison of barefoot and shod running in mid/forefoot and rearfoot strike runners Gait Posture. 2015 May; 41(4):957-9. . View in PubMed
  • Evaluating the Effect of a Flexible Spine on the Evolution of Quadrupedal Gaits Proceedings of the European Conference on
    Artificial Life. 2015; 166-173. . View in PubMed
  • Scaling of the spring in the leg during bouncing gaits of mammals Integr Comp Biol. 2014 Dec; 54(6):1099-108. . View in PubMed
  • The effect of stride length on the dynamics of barefoot and shod running J Biomech. 2014 Aug 22; 47(11):2745-50. . View in PubMed
  • Muscle activation patterns and patellofemoral pain in cyclists Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014 Apr; 46(4):753-61. . View in PubMed
  • Collision-based mechanics of bipedal hopping Biol Lett. 2013 Aug 23; 9(4):20130418. . View in PubMed
  • A phenomenological muscle model to assess history dependent effects in human movement J Biomech. 2013 Jan 04; 46(1):151-7. . View in PubMed
  • Exploring the Role of the Tail in Bipedal Hopping through Computational Evolution Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL). 2013; 11-18. . View in PubMed
  • Leg stiffness of sprinters using running-specific prostheses J R Soc Interface. 2012 Aug 07; 9(73):1975-82. . View in PubMed
  • Muscle contributions to whole-body sagittal plane angular momentum during walking J Biomech. 2011 Jan 04; 44(1):6-12. . View in PubMed
  • Running-specific prostheses limit ground-force during sprinting Biol Lett. 2010 Apr 23; 6(2):201-4. . View in PubMed
  • A phenomenological model and validation of shortening-induced force depression during muscle contractions J Biomech. 2010 Feb 10; 43(3):449-54. . View in PubMed
  • Modular control of human walking: Adaptations to altered mechanical demands J Biomech. 2010 Feb 10; 43(3):412-9. . View in PubMed
  • Obesity does not increase external mechanical work per kilogram body mass during walking J Biomech. 2009 Oct 16; 42(14):2273-8. . View in PubMed
  • Forward dynamics simulations provide insight into muscle mechanical work during human locomotion Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2009 Oct; 37(4):203-10. . View in PubMed
  • Modulation of leg muscle function in response to altered demand for body support and forward propulsion during walking J Biomech. 2009 May 11; 42(7):850-6. . View in PubMed
  • The influence of muscle physiology and advanced technology on sports performance Annu Rev Biomed Eng. 2009; 11:81-107. . View in PubMed
  • Differential design for hopping in two species of wallabies Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2008 Jun; 150(2):151-8. . View in PubMed
  • Hind limb scaling of kangaroos and wallabies (superfamily Macropodoidea): implications for hopping performance, safety factor and elastic savings J Anat. 2008 Feb; 212(2):153-63. . View in PubMed
  • Modulation of proximal muscle function during level versus incline hopping in tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) J Exp Biol. 2007 Apr; 210(Pt 7):1255-65. . View in PubMed
  • The mechanics of jumping versus steady hopping in yellow-footed rock wallabies J Exp Biol. 2005 Jul; 208(Pt 14):2741-51. . View in PubMed
  • Dynamic pressure maps for wings and tails of pigeons in slow, flapping flight, and their energetic implications J Exp Biol. 2005 Jan; 208(Pt 2):355-69. . View in PubMed
  • Joint work and power associated with acceleration and deceleration in tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) J Exp Biol. 2005 Jan; 208(Pt 1):41-53. . View in PubMed
  • Dynamics of leg muscle function in tammar wallabies (Meugenii) during level versus incline hopping. Journal of Experimental Biology. 2004; (207):211-223. . View in PubMed
  • Effects of load carrying on metabolic cost and hindlimb muscle dynamics in guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) J Appl Physiol (1985). 2006 Oct; 101(4):1060-9. . View in PubMed
  • The fastest runner on artificial legs: different limbs, similar function? J Appl Physiol (1985). 2009 Sep; 107(3):903-11.. View in PubMed
  • Counterpoint: Artificial legs do not make artificially fast running speeds possible J Appl Physiol (1985). 2010 Apr; 108(4):1012-4; discussion 1014; author reply 1020. . View in PubMed
  • Independent effects of weight and mass on plantar flexor activity during walking: implications for their contributions to body support and forward propulsion J Appl Physiol (1985). 2008 Aug; 105(2):486-94. . View in PubMed

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