Graduate Student
Syracuse University
Zahra Pourhatami, BPT, is a master’s student in the Department of Exercise Science at Syracuse University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Iran University of Medical Sciences and is currently pursuing her graduate studies with a focus on neuromuscular rehabilitation and aging. Her research explores neuromuscular adaptations—including muscle strength, quality, quantity, and corticospinal excitability—in response to therapeutic interventions such as strength training, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and action observation, particularly during disuse. She is also involved in aging-related studies focused on functional resistance training and fall risk.
Zahra serves as a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses in exercise science and is actively involved in research using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), EMG, ultrasound, and isokinetic dynamometry. She is passionate about bridging clinical and home-based rehabilitation techniques with neuroscience, and her long-term goal is to develop low-cost, evidence-based strategies to preserve neuromuscular function across clinical and aging populations.