Gregory A Youdan Jr.

Hello! My name is Gregory and I am a human movement scientist and data scientist specializing in gait neuromechanics.

Greg the Scientist

Gregory Youdan is Dance Faulty teaching Anatomy/Kineseology for Dancers at The Juilliard School.  He was formerly the Dance Anatomy Teaching Fellow assisting Irene Downs. He is an adjunct lecturer at NYU, CUNY Lehman College and Hollins University. As a dancer, Greg performed with the NY Baroque Dance Company, Sokolow Theatre/Dance and Heidi Latsky dance, where he now serves as a board member. Other company credits have included David Parker and the Bang Group, HT Chen and Dancers, Catherine Gallant/DANCE, Gloria Mclean and Dancers among others. Greg is a Wertheimer Fellow through Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for PD® program and is a teaching artist in their Dance for PD en Español program. Greg is also a member of the Latinx Dance Educators Alliance (LXDEA) and Project Breakalign. He is a frequent guest faculty member at Ballet Hispanico.

In addition to his dancing, Greg is a human movement scientist specializing in dance science and dance for health and has published in several academic journals, including Clinical Biomechanics, Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation and Human Movement Science. Greg frequently lectures on dance science at several universities, including Columbia University, New York University and the University of Rochester, and has presented scientific research at various academic conferences, including American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and International Society for Posture and Gait Research. He previously held a research fellowship at Brown University and worked as the research and advocacy coordinator for Dance/NYC. Currently, Greg serves on the development committee for the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), the research committee for the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH), the advisory council for Dance Data Project (DDP) and the review board for the Journal of Dance Education. He was a 2021 National Association for Latino Arts and Cultures Advocacy Fellow and 2021 Latin Impact Honoree. Greg has also served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Dance/NYC.

Gregory Youdan earned his BA in Dance from Hofstra University and dual Masters from Teachers College, Columbia University in Motor Learning and Applied Statistics.

Education

  • PhD In Process

    PhD in Kinesiology

    Columbia University

  • MS In Process

    MS in Applied Statistics

    Teachers College, Columbia University

  • MA 2017

    MA in Motor Learning and Control

    Teachers College, Columbia University

  • BA 2007

    BA in Dance

    Hofstra University

Honors

  • 2018
    Provost’s Grant for Professional Development
    Teachers College, Columbia University
  • 2016 - 2017
    Ann Gentile Memorial Scholarship
    Teachers College, Columbia University
  • 2016
    International Society for Posture and Gait Research Travel Fellow
    International Society for Posture and Gait
  • 2015 - 2016
    Teachers College Scholarship
    Teachers College, Columbia University
  • 2004 - 2007
    Mildred Elizabeth McGinnis Endowed Scholarship
    Hofstra University
  • 2003 - 2007
    Hofstra Presidential Scholarship
    Hofstra University

Greg is fascinated with the neuromechanics of human walking, with a specific interest in people with neurological disorders or diseases. The important topics he researches are 1) improving the way that people with neurological disorders (e.g. Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease) walk, 2) interactions between musculoskeletal biomechanics and sensorimotor control of lower extremity function with particular emphasis on walking, 3) the neurological control of human walking, and 4) the application of data science approaches to human movement research.

Grants and Funding

  • 2018

    Co-Investigator. Implementing a health screening app to match people with lower limb loss at high risk for low function to personalized physiotherapy and injury prevention education. $100,000.

    sample location

Gregory also collaborates on projects funded through the Huntington Study Group, Gossweiller Foundation, CHDI Foundation, American Society of Neurorehabilitation and the Academy of Hand & Upper Extremity PT, APTA.

Teaching Experience

  • Present2017

    Instructor / Lecturer -- Motor Learning Laboratory

    Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY

  • Spring2018

    Guest Lecturer -- Using Dance as a Rehab Strategy in Patient Populations

    Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY

  • Spring2018

    Guest Lecturer -- Quantitative and Qualitive Approaches to Dance Research in Impaired Populations

    New York University, New York, NY

Current Courses

Invited Presentations

  • April2017

    Speaker at Conference -- Academic Festival

    Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY

  • Nov2016

    Speaker at Conference -- International Society for Posture and Gait Research

    University of North Texas, Fort Worth, TX

Selected Student Evaluation Comments

Greg’s enthusiasm is undeniable, his love of the motor learning field makes for an absolutely enjoyable class experience. His knowledge is broad and his ability to communicate the course material is effective. He answers questions with thoughtfulness and respect for students and takes time to explain material when students have questions.

The course [Motor Learning Laboratory] is well structured. It really helped me understand what we learned in theory and it was great to see what we were learning in motor learning class applied practically. Greg was a great instructor!

Greg is well versed in many different techniques to study human movement including inertial sensors, physical activity monitors, two-dimensional and three-dimensional motion capture as well as cognitive testing and clinical examination.

Memberships

  • Huntington’s Disease Study Group, 2018
  • Society for Neuroscience, 2018
  • European Huntington’s Disease Network, 2018
  • International Society of Motor Control, 2016
  • International Society of Posture & Gait Research, 2015

Relevant Links

Neurorehabilitation Research Lab

Teachers College Instructor Profile

Media

Contact Information

gay2104@tc.columbia.edu

Teachers College, Columbia University
525 West 120th Street, Thorndike 1051
New York, NY 10027