The Center for Applied Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Research seeks to increase knowledge about basic neurological, muscular, and skeletal capabilities, and to define the causal links between impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, and societal limitations. The Center's immediate goal is to understand better the mechanisms of injury, disabilities, and the process of functional recovery.
CABRR was officially designated the fourth scientific center within MedStar National Rehabiliation Network (MedStar NRH) Research Division on July 1, 2004. Directed by Dr. Joseph Hidler and made up of MedStar NRH physical therapists, Catholic University graduate students, and full-time staff, CABRR represents an expansion of the work done in the Christoph Ruesch Applied Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory (ANBL) that was established in 2001.
ANBL, better known as the "Lokomat Lab" had been awarded grants totaling more than $1.5 million from funding agencies including the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Whitaker Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Department of Defense. These grants funded diverse projects comparing robotic-assisted walking therapy with conventional walking therapy, studying strength and coordination in the legs of individuals following stroke, and developing fiber-optic sensors for measuring tendon forces.