Eliane Mauerberg de Castro

Dr. Mauerberg-deCastro?s degree is in physical education at the State University of Londrina (1983), and master's degree in psychobiology from the University of São Paulo (1989). She finished her Ph.D. also in psychobiology in the same school (1993). She completed a post-doctoral experience at the Indiana University in 1995 under the supervision of Dr. Bev Ulrich, and later in 2000 with Dr. Esther Thelen. In 1998 she was an associate professor at Central Connecticut University, USA. She wrote The Adapted Physical Activity in 2005?considered the first textbook written by a Brazilian author in the area. In 2006, on behalf of the Erasmus Mundus, she was invited by the University of Sports in Norway to act as a visiting professor in the European Master?s program in adapted physical activity. She was a faculty member of the Sate University of São Paulo (Unesp) since 1987 until 2016, when she retired. As a volunteer professor, Dr. Mauerberg-deCastro supervises master?s and doctoral students in the "Human Development and Technology" graduate program at UNESP, Rio Claro. In 1993 she founded the Laboratory of Perception and Action (LAP) at Unesp. There, her students and colleagues can develop research in the areas of movement science and perception. Dr. Mauerberg-deCastro studies in adapted physical activity, motor development, and perception and action include the dynamical systems and ecological approaches. Research themes include: adapted physical activity and task analysis, motor development in populations with disabilities, postural control and haptic perception. Recent studies analyze the influence of non-rigid tools and of other biological systems (e.g., during the handling of dogs) in the postural control system. Using the tools of psychophysics, she assesses the perception of body size, effort and movement in a variety of groups? conditions. Since 1989, she coordinates the university outreach program "Adapted Physical Education" (Proefa). Proefa became an opportunity since 1999 to develop inclusion strategies such as peer tutoring with elementary school students in various contexts of physical activity and sport for participants with disabilities. In this program, she pioneered adapted physical activities assisted by dogs (AFA-PET) in 2003. Dr. Mauerberg-deCastro believes that services by physical educators and professional from related areas are an important source of inspiration for scientific research. In addition, her major goal is to contribute to the development of thinkers, teachers, researchers, critics and friends, learn from them, and enjoy the process. (Source: Lattes Curriculum)