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Dr. Dunning's primary research interests are in the areas of human biomechanics and biomedical engineering.

Dr. Dunning is interested in the study of joint kinematics, and how kinematics are altered by injury or disease. She has designed testing fixtures to allow joint kinematics to be simulated in the laboratory, and then used motion tracking systems to measure the resulting motions. Changes in joint motion pathways resulting from injury can be quantified, and with the help of orthopaedic surgeons, the efficacy of new surgical procedures for correcting joint instability can be assessed.

Quantifying load transfer through the wrist and elbow while performing simple motions is another area of research for Dr. Dunning. Little is known about the magnitudes of load which act at these joints during simple activities of daily living (e.g. combing your hair, or opening a doorknob). A better understanding of these loads will lead to improvements in joint implant design, another area of interest for Dr. Dunning.

Replacing diseased or damaged joints with an artificial joint implant can lead to significant improvements in the quality of patients' lives. However, failure of these joint replacements is often the result of implant loosening over time. New research in the area of implant fixation may extend the lifetime of these implants.

In addition to biomechanics, Dr. Dunning is also interested in the mechanical testing of materials used in both biomedical components and sports equipment. Studying the load transfer patterns and performance of these engineered materials is of particular interest.

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