Have you met … Dave Collins?

What is your current role in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation (KSR)?

I am a professor in KSR. I have a human neurophysiology research lab, where we study how the human nervous system controls movement. I also teach in the undergraduate program and contribute to some committees in the faculty. 

What was the academic path that brought you to this role?

I did a fourth-year undergraduate project that I enjoyed with a professor at the University of Guelph and I didn’t have any plans after my undergrad, so I decided to do an MSc with him to see where that led me. After my MSc I went backpacking with my brother for a year, then did a PhD at the University of Alberta followed by a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Sydney, Australia. I was there during the 2000 Olympic Games, which was quite an experience. While I was in Australia I was hired by KSR, so I moved back from Sydney to Edmonton in 2002 and have been here ever since.

What drew you to the U of A for your doctoral studies?

The U of A was, and still is, a world-renowned hub for researchers interested in how the nervous system controls movement. I was keen to learn from this group. I was guaranteed funding to come to the U of A and with no similar offers from other institutions, that was also a big factor in the decision. 

What do you love most about teaching?

I love to be the spark that lights the fire of curiosity. When I’m talking about neurons and I get going I can get pretty fired up, and I know that can be infectious. That’s it! That is a moment! 

What is the focus of your research?

I have two main avenues of research under the umbrella of the neural control of human movement. The first involves using electrical stimulation for rehabilitation for people who are paralyzed. We deliver electrical stimulation over muscles to make them contract and help restore movement, so people can exercise or perform activities of daily living. We also investigate ways to restore movement by applying stimulation through the skin over the spinal cord to boost weak signals from the brain and strengthen the pathways to paralyzed muscles. 

The second avenue of research involves kinesthesia, which is our ability to know where our limbs are in space without having to look at them. We use electrical stimulation and vibration to make people think they are moving when they are not (movement illusions) to answer questions about the mechanisms that underlie this sense of movement. We plan to take these experiments into virtual reality so we can explore how vision interacts with kinesthesia.  

What’s something your KSR colleagues and students might be surprised to learn about you?

I’m a winter sailor. A few years after moving to Edmonton I bought something called a Windski. It’s basically a long, parabolic snowboard that you add a windsurfing sail to. I take it out and rip it up on the fields around Edmonton. It’s fun and a good workout if nothing else. I’ve had it going up to more than 40 kilometres per hour! Sadly, I don’t think they make them anymore.