Our Team
Our team brings together researchers and professionals with expertise spanning biomechanics, cognitive science, clinical practice, and dance studies. This interdisciplinary collaboration enables a comprehensive investigation of movement, performance, and health in professional dance.
dr Adrianna Banio-Krajnik
Assistant Professor, Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, University of Szczecin, Poland
Adrianna Banio-Krajnik is a scientist in the field of physical culture and a kinesiologist specializing in human gait analysis and motor characteristics of dancers. Her research focuses on locomotor patterns, motor control, and functional movement variability in dance, with particular attention to biomechanical determinants of performance and injury risk.
In her work, she also draws on her training in physiotherapy to support the development of preventive approaches in dance medicine and performing arts health. She is the initiator and principal investigator of this research initiative and the founder of the Dance Medicine Clinic. Dr Banio-Krajnik is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA), and the International Dance Council CID UNESCO.
Selected publications
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dr Lauren Borowski
Associate Professor (Clinical), Division of Primary Care Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Associate Director, Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, NYU, USA
Lauren Borowski, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician with additional qualification in sports medicine. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts before pursuing a medical career specializing in sports and performing arts medicine.
Dr Borowski has been affiliated with the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries since 2017 and was appointed Associate Medical Director in 2023. In addition to her work in dance medicine, she has served as head team physician for the USA Men’s Ski Jumping Team since 2020 and currently acts as medical director for athletics at several colleges and universities in New York City.
She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.
Selected publications
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dr Annabelle Couillandre
Assistant professor and dean of the physiotherapy school at the university of Orléans, France
Annabelle Couillandre is an associate professor in rehabilitation sciences and dean of the physiotherapy school at the University of Orléans. A former physiotherapist, her research focuses on movement analysis, gait initiation, postural control, and sensory-motor adaptations related to human movement.
She has a strong interest in the relationship between arts and health, particularly in the context of dance and performing artists’ health. She is an active member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), where she has contributed to the research, program, and dance-for-health committees.
Selected publications
Couillandre A, Brenière Y, Maton B (2000) Is human gait initiation program affected by a reduction of the postural basis? Neurosci Lett 285: 150-154.
Feron* M, Couillandre A*, Mseddi E, Termoz N, Abidi M, Bardinet E, Delgadillo D, Lenglet T, Querin G, Welter ML, Le Forestier N, Salachas F, Bruneteau G, Del Mar Amador M, Debs R, Lacomblez L, Meininger V, Pélégrini-Issac M, Bede P, Pradat PF, de Marco G (2018) Extrapyramidal deficits in ALS: a combined biomechanical and neuroimaging study. J Neurol. 265(9):2125-2136.* contribution égale des auteurs.
Atsawakaewmongkhon S, Couillandre A, Hamaoui A. Effect of forward and backward sloped support surfaces on postural equilibrium and ankle muscles activity. PLoS One. 2024 Jun 27;19(6).
Dumont A, Kadel N, Brunet N, Colombié J.B., Lewton Brain P, Couillandre A (2016) Danse et Santé. Science & Sports 31(4) :236-244.
Elias Kaj Wallnöfer
PhD student at University of Vienna, Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, Austria
Elias Wallnöfer holds an MSc in Sports Technology and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Vienna. His research investigates heel-raise biomechanics in dancers and sprinters using musculoskeletal simulations personalized with EMG and ultrasound data.
His work aims to better understand subject-specific neuromuscular control and tendon mechanics in order to support targeted approaches to tendinopathy prevention and rehabilitation. In addition to his academic work, he is an amateur musician and dancer (Latin and contemporary) and is interested in connecting artistic practice with biomechanical research.
Selected publications
ORCID:0009-0007-9195-3323
2021 Winner of ISEA Student Project Competition with his Project on “Quantification of Training Volume in Ballet” https://www.sportsengineering.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2021_1.jpg
2024 ISBS Conference Paper: “Triceps Surae Muscle Forces During Walking and Dancing Across Varied Footwear” https://commons.nmu.edu/isbs/vol42/iss1/231/
Clara Egner
Researcher – Neuromechanics Research Group, Department for Sports and Human Movement Science, University of Vienna, Austria
Clara Egner is a biomedical engineer and researcher in the Neuromechanics Research Group at the University of Vienna. She received her BSc in Technical Physics (2017) and MSc in Biomedical Engineering (2022) from the Technical University of Vienna.
Her research focuses on the relationship between movement, joint loading, and bone development in children and adolescents. Alongside her scientific work, she is a state-certified sports instructor, competitive dancesport athlete, and active science communicator.
Selected publications
Egner, C. S. (2022). The Influence of shoe type and performance level on joint kinematics and loading in Latin American dancesport specific movements [Diploma Thesis, Technische Universität Wien]. reposiTUm. https://doi.org/10.34726/hss.2022.83175
Wallnöfer, Elias; Egner, Clara; Csapo, Robert; Baca, Arnold; and Kainz, Hans (2024) „TRICEPS SURAE MUSCLE FORCES DURING WALKING AND DANCING ACROSS VARIED FOOTWEAR,” ISBS Proceedings Archive: Vol. 42: Iss. 1, Article 231. Available at: https://commons.nmu.edu/isbs/vol42/iss1/231
mgr Joanna Szwak
Head of the Science Section of the Institute of Physical Culture Sciences, University of Szczecin, Poland
Joanna Szwak serves as Head of the Science Section at the Institute of Physical Culture Sciences at the University of Szczecin. She supports the development and coordination of the Institute’s scientific activities and collaborates closely with university authorities to ensure the effective organization of research-related processes.
Her responsibilities include monitoring the scientific activity of academic staff, preparing materials for periodic evaluations, and supporting academic promotion procedures and recruitment processes. She also assists researchers in navigating key scientific databases and information systems and contributes to the organization of international meetings and collaborations.
She coordinates and supports the development of the Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine, contributing to its presence in international scientific databases.