Foundation Announces 2024 Promotion of Doctoral Studies Awards

The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research recently awarded scholarships to 25 highly qualified doctoral students and candidates who are committed to pursuing a career in research.

The following doctoral students are pre-candidates who are completing their coursework. They will receive $7,500 awards:

Cheryl Brunelle, PT, MSPT, Massachusetts General Hospital, The Prospective Surveillance Model for Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: Establishing Risk Factors and Diagnostic Criteria, to receive the Viva J. Erikson Award for extraordinary academic merit and leadership. Funds have been generously provided by the Viva J. Erikson Endowment Fund.

Stacey Chen, PT, DPT, Washington University in St. Louis, Validating a State-of-the-Art Approach for Quantifying Shoulder Kinematics to Investigate Mechanical Function, to receive a Goergeny Award, which is generously supported by the Goergeny Fund.

Jacob Corey, PT, DPT, University of Delaware, Novel Exergaming to Promote Motor Development and Physical Activity for Autistic Children, to receive a Bella May Award for his intention to be teaching faculty and for his demonstrated creativity in approaching his doctoral studies. The award is generously supported by the Bella May Scholarship Fund.

Rebecca Fillipo, PT, DPT, Duke University School of Medicine, Association between Psychological Distress, Physical Activity, and Biomarkers in Acute Low Back Pain, to receive a General Research Fund Award, which is generously supported by APTA Acute Care.

Keri Fisher, PT, DPT, Teachers College, Columbia University in the City of New York, Task-Specific Training Combined with Cognitive Restructuring and Exposure to Improve Balance Confidence in Mildly Impaired Stroke Survivors, to receive the Mildred L. Wood Award, which is given to a student who intends to teach in a physical therapy education program. Funds have been generously provided by the Mildred L. Wood Endowment Fund.

Ben Friedman, PT, DPT, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Evaluating Blood Flow Restriction and Low Load Resistance Exercise for Enhanced Muscle Quality and Physical Function in Older Adults with Sarcopenia, to receive an APTA Geriatrics Award, which is generously supported by the APTA Geriatrics Endowment Fund.

Christina Holl, PT, DPT, University of Southern California, Comprehensive Post-stroke Gait Rehabilitation: Integrating Biofeedback and Intensity-Based Training, to receive an award generously funded by the California Physical Therapy Fund.

Samuel Jackson, PT, DPT, University of Delaware, Dosing Non-invasive Brain Stimulation for Older Adults with Chronic Pain, to receive a Neurology Award, which is generously supported by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Endowment Fund..

Matthew Neehouse, PT, DPT, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, A Combinatorial Therapeutic Approach to Promote Neural Repair Following Spinal Cord Injury, to receive the Patricia Leahy Award, which is given to an outstanding neurology student. The award is generously supported by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Endowment Fund.

Morgan Potter, PT, DPT, University of Delaware, Understanding Sex Differences in Achilles Tendon Injuries, to receive a Bella May Award for her intention to be teaching faculty and for her demonstrated creativity in approaching her doctoral studies. The award is generously supported by the Bella May Scholarship Fund.

Ben Reader, PT, DPT, The Ohio State University, Dosage of Physical Therapy for Children at High Risk of Cerebral Palsy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, to receive a Phoebe Rhomberger Award, which is generously supported by the Phoebe Rhomberger Fund.

Nushka Remec, PT, MSPT, University of Southern California, Neural Signatures of Reach and Grasp during Infancy, to receive the Pediatrics Award given to a member of the APTA Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy. The award is generously supported by that academy and the APTA Pediatrics Endowment Fund.

Andrew Smith, PT, DPT, University of Delaware, Effects of Prediabetes on Achilles Tendon Health, to receive a Goergeny Award, which is generously funded by the Goergeny Fund.

Carly Smith, PT, DPT, The Ohio State University, Risk and Protective Factors for Repetitive Head Impact Exposure in Law Enforcement Cadets, to receive a Charlene Mae Nelson Award, which is generously supported by the Charlene Mae Nelson Endowment Fund.

Melissa Kim Tran, PT, DPT, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Campus, Exploring High-Intensity Rehabilitation: Patient Factors Influencing Physical Function Recovery in Older Adults within Skilled Nursing Facilities, to receive the Acute Care Award, which is supported by a generous donation from APTA Acute Care.

The following doctoral candidates either have or will have passed their qualifying exams and other candidacy requirements by September 1, 2024. They will receive $15,000 awards:

Colleen Burke, PT, DPT, Duke University School of Medicine, Social Determinants of Health Associated with the Transition from Acute to Chronic Low Back Pain, to receive the Florence Kendall Award, which is generously supported by the Florence Kendall Endowment Fund.

Katherine Colcord, PT, DPT, University of California, Irvine, Identification of all Risk Factors in Individuals 90 Years and Older, to receive a Karen St. John Award, which is generously funded by the St. John Family Foundation.

Sara Davidson, PTA, BS, Youngstown State University, Grip Force Modulation as an Indicator of Parkinson’s Disease Severity, to receive a Karen St. John Award, which is generously supported by the St. John Family Foundation.

Chelsea Duppen, PT, DPT, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Visual Contributions to Hypokinetic Gait Initiation for People with Parkinson’s Disease, to receive an APTA Geriatrics Award, which is generously supported by the APTA Geriatrics Endowment Fund.

Regan Harrell, PT, DPT, University of Pittsburgh, Establishing the Validity and Reliability of a new Testing Protocol for Vertical Canal Head Impulses during the Video Head Impulse Test, to receive a Phoebe Rhomberger Award, which is generously supported by the Phoebe Rhomberger Fund.

Matthew Heindel,PT, DPT, University of Southern California, Relative Contributions of Tendon Structure and Intrinsic Brain Activity to Pain, Disability, and Recovery in Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy, to receive a Bella May Award for his intention to be teaching faculty and for his demonstrated creativity in approaching his doctoral studies. This award is generously supported by the Bella May Scholarship Fund.

Elizabeth Maus, PT, DPT, The Ohio State University, Advancing the Role of Pediatric Physical Therapists in Supporting Motor Development after gene Therapy for Aromatic L-Amino Decarboxylase Deficiency, to receive the VCU-Marquette Challenge Award, which is generously supported by the APTA Supporting the Profession Endowment Fund.

Kiersten McCartney, PT, DPT, University of Delaware, Improving Walking Capacity in People with Chronic Stroke through Personalized Exercise Prescription, to receive a Charlene Mae Nelson Award, which is generously supported by the Charlene Mae Nelson Endowment Fund.

Rowena Tam, PT, DPT, University of California, San Diego, Enhancing Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Survivors with Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions through Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, to receive the Pelvic Health Award, which is generously supported by the APTA Pelvic Health Endowment Fund and the Goergeny Fund.

Wesley Thornton, PT, DPT, University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Campus, Lesion Characteristics and Functional Recovery Prognosis in Individuals with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury, to receive the Marylou Barnes Award, which is generously supported by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Endowment Fund.