June 30, 2026 – The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research is providing $307,500 in 2026 Promotion of Doctoral Studies scholarships to support 27 highly qualified physical therapists enrolled in academic doctoral programs as students or candidates. The awardees demonstrate academic achievement and high potential as future independent physical therapy researchers.
“Supporting the next generation of physical therapy researchers is essential to the future of our profession,” says Rebecca Craik, PT, PhD, FAPTA, President of the Foundation. “These exceptional scholarship recipients show both great potential and a strong commitment to making a difference through research. At a time when it’s especially important to invest in growing and supporting aspiring researchers, we are proud to support their academic and professional journeys and look forward to the impact they will make.”
The following doctoral students will each receive $7,500:
Sarah Conklin, PT, DPT, Saint Louis University, receives the Patricia Leahy Award for her focus on Balance Discordance as a Modifier of Rehabilitation-related Changes in Real-world Gait in Parkinson’s Disease. This award is generously supported by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Endowment Fund in memory of Leahy, PT, MS, and her contributions to the academy and the profession.
Jordan Connor, PT, DPT, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, receives the Charlene Mae Nelson Award for his focus on Examining Response to Wide Pulse Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Using Spinal Cord Injury Neuroimaging Analysis. This award is generously supported by the Charlene Mae Nelson Endowment Fund. A pioneer in electrotherapeutics and electrodiagnostics, Nelson, PT, MS, FAPTA, was a founding member of the Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology and Wound Management and the first woman to receive the Electrophysiology Clinical Specialist certification. She was an associate professor emerita in the Division of Physical Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Logan Couce, PT, DPT, Duke University School of Medicine, receives the Health Services Research Award for his focus on Disparities in Healthcare Utilization for Patients with Osteoarthritis. This award is generously supported by the Goergeny Fund.
Craig Hensley, PT, DPT, University of Illinois Chicago, receives the Mildred L. Wood Award for his focus on Plantar Flexor Power and Strength and its Relation to Mobility and Falls in Those With Knee Osteoarthritis. This award is generously supported by the Mildred L. Wood Endowment Fund. Wood, PT, MS, PhD, joined APTA in 1946 while she was in the Army. She served in a number of positions and helped a number of chapters and sections get established. She was a founding member of the research section, now the APTA Academy of Research. She was a professor in a number of leading academic PT educational programs and believed deeply in advancing PT education and research
Benjamin Killen, PT, DPT, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receives the Acute Care Award for his focus on Perceptions of Effort During Gait for People Post Stroke. This award is generously supported by APTA Acute Care.
Matthew Paponetti, PT, DPT, The Ohio State University, receives the Bella May Award for his focus on Physical Therapy in the GLP-1 era: Optimizing Strength, Function, and Physical Activity in Adolescents With Obesity. This award is generously supported by the Bella May Scholarship Fund. A renowned physical therapist educator, author and clinician, May, PT, EdD, FAPTA, advocated for physical therapy being recognized as a doctoring profession. She was the founding chair of the Department for Physical Therapy at Augusta University. An APTA member since 1952, she won many of the association’s honors.
Whitney Rowley, PT, DPT, Drexel University, receives the Neurology Award for her focus on Feasibility of Headset-based Virtual Reality Assessment of Balance Control in Community-dwelling Adults. This award is generously supported by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Endowment Fund.
Zoe Sirotiak, PT, DPT, Iowa State University, receives the Viva J. Erickson Award for her focus on Immune-mediated Mechanisms of Skeletal Muscle Bioenergetic Dysfunction in Long COVID. This award is generously supported by the Viva J. Erickson Endowment Fund. Erickson, PT, was the APTA Georgia Chapter President and an APTA leader in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was a physical therapist at the historic Georgia Warm Springs Foundation hospital. The fund was established by her family, colleagues, and the APTA Georgia Chapter in recognition of her contributions to the polio rehabilitation and the profession.
Emily Stone, PT, DPT, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, receives the Delaware-Marquette Challenge Award for her focus on Characterizing the Impact of Physical Therapy in the Emergency Department on Long-Term Healthcare Utilization in Veterans After a Fall. This award is generously supported by the APTA Supporting the Profession Endowment Fund.
Cassidy Weeks, PT, DPT, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, receives the Geriatrics Award for her focus on Examining Provider Continuity of Care and Patient Outcomes in Skilled Nursing Facilities. This award is generously supported by the APTA Geriatrics Endowment Fund.
Erin Wilkerson, PT, DPT, Boston University, receives the Legacy Award for her focus on Mobility-Supported Playgroups: Translating Mobility Support into Meaningful Participation for Infants and Toddlers. This award is generously supported by the Legacy Fund for Scholarships.
Micah Wong, PT, DPT, The University of Iowa, receives the Phoebe Rhomberger Award for his focus on Evaluating Perifascial Shear Strain and Stiffness in Plantar Fasciopathy. This award is generously supported by the Phoebe Rhomberger Fund. Rhomberger, PT, graduated from physical therapy training in 1940 and went on toe establish and direct the physical therapy department of Woodstock Memorial Hospital in northern Illinois. When she passed away, she designated that her entire estate be given to advance research in physical therapy.
Lauren Ziaks, PT, DPT, Nova Southeastern University, receives the Physical Therapy Education Award for her focus on Bridging the Access gap in Dysautonomia Care: Using Implementation Science to Evaluate and Scale a Standardized Competency-based Training Model. This award is generously supported by the APTA Academy of Education Endowment Fund.
The following doctoral candidates will each receive $15,000:
Katherine Burke, PT, DPT, MGH Institute of Health Professions, receives the Karen St. John Award for her focus on Secondary Analysis of Wearable Sensor Data to Quantify Muscle Performance Fatigability in ALS. This award is generously supported by the St. John Family Foundation in memory of St. John, PT, MS, a respected physical therapist, educator, and consultant.
Kellie Collins, PT, DPT, University of Wisconsin – Madison, receives the Viva J. Erickson Award for her focus on Neurobiologic Correlates of Early Motor Assessments After Perinatal Brain Injury: Corticospinal Microstructure and Connectivity in Infancy. This award is generously supported by the Viva J. Erickson Endowment Fund. Erickson, PT, was the APTA Georgia Chapter President and an APTA leader in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was a physical therapist at the historic Georgia Warm Springs Foundation hospital. The fund was established by her family, colleagues, and the APTA Georgia Chapter in recognition of her contributions to the polio rehabilitation and the profession.
Tyler Cope, PT, DPT, Duke University School of Medicine, receives the Health Services Research Award for his focus on Advancing Hybrid Care Delivery Models in Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy. This award is equally generously supported by the Goergeny Fund and Rock Valley Physical Therapy.
Christina Holl, PT, DPT, University of Southern California, receives the Mary Lou Barnes Award for her focus on Examining Feedforward Control of Walking Post-stroke. This award is generously supported by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Endowment Fund in memory of Barnes’, PT, EdD, FAPTA, call to academy members in her 1993 Mary McMillan lecture to support doctoral training through their contributions. She was a past president of the academy and founder and first chair of the School of Physical Therapy program at West Virginia University.
Jemma Kim, PT, DPT, University of Delaware, receives the Phoebe Rhomberger Award for her focus on A Person-Centered Approach to Understanding Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Individuals Post Stroke. This award is generously supported by the Phoebe Rhomberger Fund. Rhomberger, PT, graduated from physical therapy training in 1940 and went on to establish and direct the physical therapy department of Woodstock Memorial Hospital in northern Illinois. When she passed away, she designated that her entire estate be given to advance research in physical therapy.
Sydney Liles, PT, DPT, University of Delaware, receives the Goergeny Award for her focus on Kinesiophobia as a Modifiable Factor Associated With Participation and Outcomes in Rheumatic Diseases Across the Lifespan. This award is generously supported by the Goergeny Fund.
Leah Ling, PT, DPT, The University of Utah, receives the Goergeny Award for her focus on Development of a Physical Therapy Intervention Documentation Tool to Improve Value-based Care. This award is equally generously supported by the Goergeny Fund and the General Research Fund.
Matthew Neehouse, PT, DPT, Northwestern University Chicago campus, receives the Phoebe Rhomberger Award for her focus on A Multimodal Regenerative Rehabilitation Therapy to Enhance Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury. This award is generously supported by the Phoebe Rhomberger Fund. Rhomberger, PT, graduated from physical therapy training in 1940 and went on the establish and direct the physical therapy department of Woodstock Memorial Hospital in northern Illinois. When she passed away, she designated that her entire estate be given to advance research in physical therapy.
Daria Pressler, PT, DPT, University of Cincinnati, receives the Florence P. Kendall Award for her focus on Musculoskeletal Adverse Events in Chronic Stroke During Moderate-to high-intensity Walking Training: Clinical and Biomechanical Factors. This award is generously supported by the Florence P. Kendall Endowment Fund. Kendall, PT, PhD (h.c.), FAPTA, was named “Physical Therapist of the Century” by APTA in 2002 in recognition of her decades leading and influencing transformative change in the profession as a PT, seminal textbook author, educator, and advisor to the military and government. She was a founding member of APTA and served as the founding president of the Maryland chapter.
Ben Reader, PT, DPT, The Ohio State University, receives the Scot C. Irwin Award for his focus on Pediatric Physical Therapy in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit: A Mixed Methods Study. This award is generously supported by the APTA Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy Human Performance Endowment Fund in memory of Irwin, PT, DPT, and his contributions to the academy as their first president and to physical therapy as one of the first cardiopulmonary board-certified clinical specialists.
Jason Simpson, PT, DPT, The University of Southern Mississippi, receives the Charlene Mae Nelson Award for his focus on Neuromuscular Effects of High Cadence Cycling. This award is generously supported by the Charlene Mae Nelson Endowment Fund. A pioneer in electrotherapeutics and electrodiagnostics, Nelson, PT, MS, FAPTA, was a founding member of the Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology and Wound Management and the first woman to receive the Electrophysiology Clinical Specialist certification. She was an associate professor emerita in the Division of Physical Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Melissa Tran, PT, DPT, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, receives the Geriatrics Award for her focus on Exploring Patient Factors Influencing Physical Function Recovery of Older Adults Within Skilled Nursing Facilities From High-intensity Rehabilitation. This award is generously supported by APTA Geriatrics Endowment Fund.
Veronica Vabishchevich, PT, DPT, University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, receives the Pediatrics Award for her focus on Acute Glycemic Effects of Resistance Training in Adolescents with Obesity and Prediabetes. This award is generously supported by the APTA Pediatrics Endowment Fund.
Lauren Van Valkenburgh, PT, DPT, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, receives the Pelvic Health Award for her focus on Examining the Relationships Between Bladder Dysfunction, Activity, and Sleep Behaviors for People with MS. This award is equally generously supported by the APTA Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Endowment Fund and the Goergeny Fund.