Evangelos Christou, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Applied Physiologyt & Kinesiology
Meet Evangelos Christou, Ph.D.
Professor
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Neurophysiology, University of Colorado Boulder (2000-2006)
- Ph.D. Kinesiology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana (2000)
- M.S. Kinesiology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana (1996)
- B.S. Human Potential and Performance, Truman State University (1994)
Mailing Address
FLG 137 | FLG 1
P.O. Box 118205
Gainesville, FL 32611-8205
Dr. Christou’s Lab
Biography
Evangelos A Christou, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida. He directs the Human Motor Neuroscience Laboratory and teaches courses in neuromuscular control and motor learning.
Before joining the University of Florida, Dr. Christou served as an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University (2006-2010) and as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Colorado Boulder (2004-2006).
Dr. Christou’s research examines the neural control of movement variability across aging and neurological disease. His laboratory investigates how changes in neural activation and sensorimotor coordination impair the speed, consistency, and adaptability of movement; how these impairments contribute to reduced mobility and independence; and how targeted, goal-directed interventions can restore motor function.
Dr. Christou has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, and his research has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health since 2004. His honors include induction as a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology in 2025, the University of Florida Dissertation Mentor Award in 2018, a University of Florida Research Foundation Research Professorship (2016–2019), a University of Florida Term Professorship (2018–2021), and the 2014 Teacher of the Year Award from the College of Health and Human Performance.
Dr. Christou is deeply committed to mentorship and academic development. He has mentored four faculty members, seven postdoctoral fellows, three visiting professors, nine professional research assistants, more than 15 doctoral students, more than 15 master’s students, and more than 50 undergraduate students.
From 2013 to 2015, he served as Graduate Coordinator and Vice Chair of the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Physiology, the Journal of Human Kinetics, and Scientific Reports. He is also an ad hoc reviewer for more than 25 scientific journals and regularly reviews grant proposals for the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and American Society of Biomechanics.
Research Interests
- Neural control of movement across aging and neurological disease
- Motor variability, movement consistency, accuracy, smoothness, and coordination
- Neural mechanisms underlying impaired mobility, balance, gait, and functional independence
- Movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, cerebellar ataxia, and dystonia
- Early and objective identification of neurological dysfunction using digital motor and voice biomarkers
- Multidomain assessment of limb movement, gait, balance, tremor, voice, and cognition
- Motor-unit behavior, muscle activation, and intermuscular coordination during movement and fatigue
- Neural mechanisms of fatigability and their relationship to functional endurance
- Motor learning, adaptation, and retention in aging and movement disorders
- Effects of deep-brain stimulation on tremor, coordination, ataxia, and motor learning
- Development of smartphone-based tools for remote neurological assessment and longitudinal monitoring
- Goal-directed, explosive exercise interventions to improve movement speed, consistency, and adaptability
- Translation of neuromuscular research into improved diagnosis, rehabilitation, treatment selection, and functional independence