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ALEXANDRIA, VA, (December 2, 2014) – The Foundation for Physical Therapy Board of Trustees recently awarded $215,000 in Florence P. Kendall Doctoral Scholarships and Research Grants to 7 physical therapists.

“We congratulate these outstanding researchers, whose work will contribute to our profession’s scientific advancement,” said Foundation Board of Trustees President and Chair William G. Boissonnault, PT, DPT, DHSc, FAPTA, FAAOMPT. “To our generous donors who make these awards possible; we are indebted to you!”

The Florence P. Kendall Doctoral Scholarship awards $5,000 annually to outstanding physical therapists as they begin their first year of graduate studies toward a postprofessional doctoral degree. These scholarships are funded by the Kendall Fund.

Scholarships were awarded to: Jason Falvey, PT, DPT, GCS, CEEAA, University of Colorado, Denver; Allison Kosir, PT, DPT, University of Colorado, Denver; and Matthew Ithurburn, PT, DPT, OCS, The Ohio State University.

The $80,000 Magistro Family Foundation Research Grant has been awarded to Bernadette Gillick, PT, MSPT, PhD, assistant professor in the Program in Physical Therapy at the University of Minnesota. Her 2-year project, “Novel Neuromodulatory Interventions in Pediatric Hemiparesis,” aims to combine 2 treatment strategies, transcranial direct current stimulation and constraint-induced movement therapy, to investigate the potential effect of improving hand function in children with weakness due to stroke. Gillick received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Marquette University, her master’s in physical therapy from Rosalind Franklin School of Medicine and Science, and her PhD in rehabilitation sciences from the University of Minnesota. She was awarded Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) II Scholarships from the Foundation in 2009 and 2010. This grant is generously funded by the Magistro Family Foundation Endowment Fund.

Jan Hughes-Austin, PT, MPT, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, is the recipient of the $40,000 Miami-Marquette Challenge Research Grant named in honor of the Marquette Challenge, a student led fundraising initiative. Her 1-year project, “Vertebral Bone Mineral Density, Inflamed Joints, and Physical Activity in First-Degree Relatives of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis,” aims to examine relatives of those with rheumatoid arthritis, a high-risk population, to learn more about the underlying disease process and help create interventions for bone loss and joint destruction. Austin received her master’s in physical therapy from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Colorado.

Heather Ross, PT, MPT, PhD, a research assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Florida, is the recipient of a $40,000 Foundation Research Grant. Her 1-year project, “Rehabilitation to Elicit Maximum Stroke Recovery Following Stem Cell Transplantation,” aims to combine a regenerative medicine tool with a tailored rehabilitation modality to improve outcomes following stroke. Ross received her master’s in physical therapy from East Carolina University and her PhD in anatomy and neurobiology from Virginia Commonwealth University. This grant is funded by the APTA Supporting the Profession Fund.

Rogelio Coronado, PT, PhD, CSCS, FAAOMPT, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Vanderbilt University, has been awarded a $40,000 Orthopaedic Research Grant. His 2-year project, titled “Improving Physical Activity and Function With Cognitive-Behavioral Based Physical Therapy after Spine Surgery,” aims to determine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral-based physical therapy (CBPT) on physical activity and function after spine surgery. Coronado received a master’s degree in physical therapy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and a PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Florida. This grant is supported by the Orthopaedic Endowment Fund.

The Foundation for Physical Therapy was established in 1979 as a national, independent nonprofit organization to fund physical therapy research to optimize health and movement. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $17 million in research grants, fellowships and scholarships. Many of today’s leading physical therapy researchers, clinicians, and academicians began their careers with this support. Foundation-funded researchers have gone on to secure more than $824 million in follow-on funding.

To donate or learn more, visit www.Foundation4pt.org or call 800/875-13678.

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