Mariusz Furmanek

  • Assistant Professor, Ryan Research Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Affiliate Member of the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program (INP)
  • PhD, PT, DPT
  • Phone: 401.874.5733
  • Email: mariusz.furmanek@uri.edu
  • Office Location: Independence Square, Room 108
  • Website

Biography

Mariusz P. Furmanek, PhD, PT, DPT is a new Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Department at the University of Rhode Island. He graduated from the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Poland, in Physical Therapy, Physical Education, and Kinesiology. Dr. Furmanek completed Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Movement Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, where he received his DPT. He has clinical experience in outpatient orthopedics and neurorehabilitation. Dr. Furmanek’s research and academic focus are on Motor Control and Neuroscience in rehabilitation, athletic training, and virtual engagement.

Research

Dr. Furmanek’s research focuses on neurophysiological motor control mechanisms in healthy and clinical populations. He is interested in understanding how humans integrate multisensory information (visual, auditory, proprioception) to produce coordinated movements. Specifically, he is interested in neural processes involved in upper extremity coordination during reach-to-grasp actions and postural control. His area of interest is also related to the validity and reliability of functional measures of human performance in both physical and virtual environments. His long-term goal is to translate scientific findings into practical applications (evidence-based practice) and make diagnostics and corrective technologies more suitable for clinical applications.

Dr. Furmanek’s is a PI of the Motor Control and Rehabilitation Laboratory (MCR Lab) at the Physical Therapy Department. Dr. Furmanek’s field of research is motor control and its clinical significance. He is interested in understanding how the nervous system integrates multisensory information to produce coordinated movements. His research projects include:

  • Sensory-motor behaviors (multisensory integration) in virtual reality
  • Stability of reach-to-grasp action both in physical and virtual environments
  • Motor variability in clinical populations
  • Mechanism of action of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM).

Education

  • PostDoc, Neuroscience, Northeastern University, Boston, 2017-2022
  • DPT, Northeastern University, Boston, 2021
  • Visiting Scholar, Motor Control, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 2016
  • Ph.D., Kinesiology, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Poland, 2013
  • M.Sc., Physical Education, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Poland, 2007
  • M.Sc., Physical Therapy, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Poland, 2006

Selected Publications

PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/mariusz.furmanek.1/bibliography/public/

  • Furmanek M.P, Mangalam M, Yarossi M, Tunik E. A kinematic and EMG dataset of online adjustment of reach-to-grasp movements to visual perturbations. Nature Sci Data. 2022, 9(1):23, 10.1038/s41597-021-01107-2
  • Furmanek M.P, Mangalam M, Lockwood K, Smith A., Yarossi M, Tunik E. Effects of sensory feedback and collider size on reach-to-grasp coordination in haptic-free virtual reality, Frontiers in Virtual Reality. 2021, doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.648529.
  • Mangalam M, Yarossi M, Furmanek M.P, Tunik E. Control of aperture closure during reach-to-grasp movements in immersive haptic-free virtual reality. Experimental Brain Research. 2021, 10.1007/s00221-021-06079-8.
  • Furmanek M.P, Mangalam M, Kelty-Stephen DG, Juras G. Postural constraints recruit shorter-timescale processes into the non-Gaussian cascade processes. Neuroscience Letters. 2021,741:135508, 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135508.
  • Liang D, Yarossi M, Jacob-Skolik S.L, Furmanek M.P, Brooks D, Erdogmus D, Tunik E. Synergistic activation patterns of hand muscles in left- and right-hand dominant individuals. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2021, 29(76), 89-100, 10.2478/hukin-2021-0002
  • Pawłowski M, Furmanek M.P, Sobota G, Marszałek W, Słomka KJ, Bacik B, Juras G. Number of Trials Necessary to Apply Analysis Within the Framework of the Uncontrolled Manifold Hypothesis at Different Levels of Hierarchical Synergy Control. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2021, 29(76), 131-143, 10.2478/hukin-2021-0005.
  • Kelty-Stephen D.G, Furmanek M.P, Mangalam M. Multifractality distinguishes reactive from proactive cascades in postural control. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals. In Press, 2020, 110471, doi.org/10.1016/j.chaos. 2020.110471.
  • Solnik S, Furmanek M.P, Piscitelli D. Movement quality: a novel biomarker based on principles of neuroscience. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. 2020, 34(12), 1067-1077. doi.org/10.1177/1545968320969936.
  • Ravizzotti E, Vercelli S, Pellicciari L, Furmanek M.P, Zagnoni G, Piscitelli D. Reliability and Validity of the Trunk Control Measurement Scale Among Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy in Tanzania. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2020, 10.1177/0031512520983701.
  • Furmanek M.P, Schettino L.F, Yarossi M, Kirkman S, Adamovich S.V. Tunik E. Coordination of reach-to-grasp movement in physical and haptic-free virtual environments. Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation. 2019, 16(78), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-019-0525-9
  • Piscitelli D, Furmanek M.P, Meroni R, De Caro W, Pellicciari L. Direct access in physical therapy: a systematic review. La Clinica Terapeutica. 2018, 30(5), e249-e260.
    doi: 10.7417/ct.2018.2087
  • Furmanek M.P, Słomka K, Sobiesiak A., Rzepko M, Juras G. The effects of cryotherapy on knee joint position sense and force sense in healthy individuals. Journal of Human Kinetics, 2018, 61(1), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0106
  • Furmanek M.P, Solnik S, Piscitelli D, Rasouli O, Ali Falaki A, Latash M.L. Synergies and Motor Equivalence in Voluntary Sway Tasks: The Effects of Visual and Mechanical Constraints. Journal of Motor Behavior. 2018, 50(5), 492-509. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222895.2017.1367642
  • Cieślińska-Świder J, Furmanek M.P, Błaszczyk J.W. The influence of adipose tissue location on postural control. Journal of Biomechanics. 2017, 60, 162–169. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021929017303275?via%3Dihub
  • Rasouli O, Solnik S, Furmanek M.P, Piscitelli D, Falaki A, Latash M.L. Unintentional drifts during quiet stance and voluntary body sway. Experimental Brain Research. 2017, 235(7), 2301-2316. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00221-017-4972-x
  • Teasdale N, Furmanek M.P, Germain Robitaille M., de Oliveira F.C.L, and Simoneau M. Sensory Integration during Vibration of Postural Muscle Tendons When Pointing to a Memorized Target. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2017, 10(682), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00682. This article has been published in the Contribution of Postural Adjustments to Body Balance and Motor Performance, Yiou, E., Hamaoui, A., Allali, G., eds. (2019). Lausanne: Frontiers Media. ISBN 978-2-88945-752-6, 10.3389/978-2-88945-752-6.
  • Słomka K, Juras G, Sobota G, Furmanek M, Rzepko M., Latash ML. Intra-Personal and Inter-Personal Kinetic Synergies During Jumping. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2015, 49(1), 75-88. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2015-0110
  • Mustafa K, Furmanek M.P, Knapik A, Bacik B, Juras G. The impact of the Swedish massage on the kinesthetic differentiation in healthy individuals. International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. 2015, 8(1), 2-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.3822/ijtmb.v8i1.252
  • Furmanek M.P, Słomka K. Juras G. The effects of cryotherapy on proprioception system – a systematic review. BioMed Research International, 2014, 1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/696397