About me
I am a Postdoctoral Associate in the Bioengineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh. At Pitt, I work under the supervision of Dr. Gelsy Torres-Oviedo at the Sensorimotor Learning Lab
I did my undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering at the Universidad del Turabo (now, Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Recinto de Gurabo) in Puerto Rico. But don’t get deceived I am Venezuelan; I was able to do my undergrad studies in “La Isla del Encanto” thanks an athletic scholarship with the Tubabo swimming team.
Research
My dissertation focuses on understanding how we move and adjust our gait to different environmental demands. Specifically, my work focuses on evaluating how factors, such as child development, healthy aging, and cognitive state, affect our ability to adjust our movements to the environmental demands from a biomechanics and neural engineering perspective. Additionally, I developed a model that characterizes the changes that occur at the muscular level providing us with a better understanding of the motor commands that motors systems send to control our movements.
Publications
Mariscal DM, Vasudevan E.V., Malone L.,Torres-Oviedo G., Bastian A.J., (2022) Context-specificity of locomotor learning is developed during childhood. eNeuro. [Journal Page] (https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0369-21.2022)
Mariscal DM, Iturralde PA, Torres-Oviedo G., (2020) Altering attention to split-belt walking increases the generalization of motor memories across walking contexts. J Neurophysiol. [Journal Page] (https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00509.2019) [Preprint version] (https://doi.org/10.1101/470930)
Montoya J.A, Mariscal D.M., Romero E. (2016). Energy harvesting from human walking to power biomedical devices using oscillating generation. 38th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) pp. 4951-4954. doi:10.1109/EMBC.2016.7591838
Romero E., Espinoza A., Castillo E., Mariscal D.M, Montoya J., Restrepo, B. (2017). Pendulum Generators to Power Wearable Devices from Human Motion. 15th LACCEI International Multi-Conference for Engineering, Education, and Technology: “Global Partnerships for Development and Engineering Education”, 19-21 July 2017, Boca Raton Fl, United States.
Oral Presentations
Mariscal, D, Gonzalez-Rubio, M (2022). Uso de la cinta de marcha con correa dividida (Split-belt treadmill) para el estudio de la adaptación sensoriomotora. II Jornadas de la Marcha Humana. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, España
Mariscal, D.M, Iturralde P., Torres-Oviedo G. (2015). Perturbation awareness cannot change the generalization of treadmill-learning to overground walking. Biomedical Engineering Society. Tampa, FL.
Sombric C.J., Mariscal D.M, Calver J., Iturralde P., Torres-Oviedo G. (2015) It’s all uphill from here: Incline split-belt walking increases locomotor adaptation in unimpaired subjects and post-stroke patients. Society of Neuroscience. Chicago, IL. (Sombric as presenter)
Poster Presentations
Mariscal, DM, Sombric C., Torres-Oviedo G. (2019). Interaction between aging and walking speed on the generalization of locomotor adaptation. Society of Neuroscience. Chicago, IL.
Mariscal, DM, Salatiello A., Torres-Oviedo G. (2018). Interference in Locomotor Adaptation. CMU/Pitt Neuro-Learning Workshop, Pittsburgh, PA
Mariscal, D.M, Iturralde P., Torres-Oviedo G. (2015). Conscious awareness of perturbations causing walking adaptation does not modulate the transfer of adapted movements to different walking situations. Society for Neuroscience. Chicago, IL.
Sombric C.J., Mariscal D.M, Calver J., Iturralde P., Torres-Oviedo G. (2015). It’s all uphill from here: Incline split-belt walking increases locomotor adaptation in unimpaired subjects and post-stroke patients. Society of Neuroscience. Chicago, IL.
Mariscal, D.M., Iturralde P., Torres-Oviedo G. (2015). Conscious awareness of perturbations causing walking adaptation does not modulate the transfer of adapted movements to different walking situations. Rehabilitation Institute Day. Pittsburgh, PA
Mariscal, D.M, Vargas E., Pantoja M. (2013). Effects of Electromagnetic Heating in Nanoparticles of Aluminum. Frontiers of Fluid Dynamics A Legacy. San Juan, PR.
Awards and Honors
2022 CNBC travel awards
2022 Provost Dissertation Year Fellowship for Historically Underrepresented Doctoral Students
2019 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow
2018 Behavioral Brain (B2) T-32 training program
2017 PITT STRIVE fellow
Interuniversity Athletic League (LAI), PR, Most Valued Swimmer, 2013
Honor Society of Engineering – Tau Alpha Omega, 2013
Full Athletic Scholarship, Swimming team, Universidad del Turabo, 2009 – 2014
Venezuelan National Swimming Team, 2005 – 2013