Jodie M. Plumert, PhD

Associate Director, University Transportation Center (SAFER-SIM)
Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Biography

I study the development of perceptual-motor skills in neurotypical and non-neurotypical children (e.g., ADHD, DCD). I also co-direct the Hank Virtual Environments Lab with my colleague in Computer Science, Prof. Joe Kearney. We are particularly interested in how deficits in executive functioning and motor skills impact children's ability to synchronize self and object movement in dynamic perception-action tasks with important implications for real-world functioning. In the Hank Lab, we use sophisticated virtual environment technology to study how children perform dynamic perception-action tasks such as crossing a virtual road with continuous traffic. We also use computerized executive functioning tasks and movement assessment batteries to quantify individual differences in executive functioning and motor skills in children. We would be very interested in collaborating with researchers and clinicians in the Hawk-IDDRC to bring together multiple techniques (e.g., VR, imaging) to further study perceptual-motor development in children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders.

Photo of Jodie Plumert
Education
BA, Psychology, Kalamazoo College,
PhD, Child Psychology, University of Minnesota