News and Events

DPT faculty Sarah Blanton, PT, DPT, FNAP, received an NIH-NICHD (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) R01 grant entitled “Efficacy and Sustainability of a CarePartner-Integrated Telerehabilitation Program." The $2.7 million, five-year grant supports fully virtual clinical trial studying family carepartners and stroke patient recovery. 

Family carepartners play a key role in stroke survivor recovery, however they often feel unprepared for the caregiving role. To address this gap, the researchers developed a theory-based, family-centered intervention, Carepartner and Collaborative Integrated Therapy (CARE-CITE), that uses autonomy-supportive strategies (characterized by empathy, choice, problem-solving and reduced use of controlling language) to engage carepartners during stroke survivor in-home rehabilitation. Through web-based modules that feature exemplary videos of family scenarios practicing in-home rehabilitation activities, carepartners will learn how to positively motivate stroke survivors in their recovery. In virtual, rehabilitation therapist-guided home training sessions, the stroke survivor/carepartner dyad will co-create a tailored and progressive exercise program that integrates meaningful upper extremity practice into activities of daily living. The goal of this work is to develop innovative family-level interventions to improve both stroke survivor and carepartner outcomes.

Dr. Sarah Blanton created a journal called The Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation. It is not your average academic journal; this journal includes the real experiences of people living with a physical disability, the strides they have made toward rehabilitation and the acts of resilience while facing adversity. It includes written essays, poems and even video and photo essays.

Read and watch the article from Atlanta News First. 

U.S. News & World Report ranked the Emory Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program fourth in the country among DPT programs. Emory's DPT program was included among the University’s graduate and professional schools and programs ranked among the best in the country, according to the publication's 2024 Best Graduate Schools. Read the story here. 

Sarah Blanton, professor of physical therapy and founding editor of the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation, has demonstrated the value of the humanities to the health professions across a 34-year Emory career.

Read the full story here. 

Division of Physical Therapy faculty DeAndrea Melvey, PT, DPT, and Peter Sprague, PT, DPT, were recognized at the 2024 Emory School of Medicine Educator Appreciation Day. Melvey and Sprague were recognized for their outstanding contributions to learner education. Melvey is an assistant professor and the assistant director of clinical education in the Division. Her research focus includes equity and inclusion broadly. She has presented nationally on belonging in clinical education, financial barriers that underrepresented groups face in graduate education and equitable policies that transform society. Melvey plans on continuing her focus on health equity research to investigate how multi-level racism and institutional structure perpetuates inequities in patient care and learning. Sprague is an assistant professor in the Division who teaches General Medical Conditions and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. His research focuses on musculoskeletal injury and recovery. Sprague has several publications to his credit, and presented his work nationally and internationally.

The School of Medicine Recognitions Committee reviews faculty members nominated by their peers and colleagues as educators who go above and beyond the call of duty as teachers and mentors to recognize the faculty.

DPT faculty Joe Nocera, PhD, has been appointed the Executive Director of the Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation (CVNR), one of the 13 VA centers in the country. Nocera will continue to provide leadership and strategic direction in advancing CVNR’s purpose of enhancing Veteran’s health through visual rehabilitation and neurological impairment research.

Congratulating Nocera, Atlanta VA Office of Research Development Associate Chief of Staff Mike Hart, MD, said “[Joe's] leadership abilities, research knowledge and deep understanding of the unique opportunities available to the CVNR make him an ideal fit for the next CVNR director." Nocera was selected after a nationwide search for the position.

Nocera is a recognized leader in the field of functional changes in cortical activity following exercise. Since 2010, he has continued to receive federal grant funds and recipient of Career Development and Merit Review awards from the VA. His primary research centers on exploring how physical and cognitive abilities overlap in older adults and individuals with neurological conditions. Recently, he has started partnering with other physicians to investigate the effects of cancer and its treatments on both physical and cognitive functions, exploring how exercise can mitigate the decline.

Nocera earned his Master of Science in Kinesiology/Exercise Science from the University of Nevada, PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Georgia and completed postdoctoral training in neurology and aging at the University of Florida.

The manuscript ‘Reducing Knee Hyperextension with an Exoskeleton in Children and Adolescents with Genu Recurvatum: A Feasibility Study’ has been selected by the Editorial Board as a featured article in the November 2023 issue of IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (TBME) journal. The study assessed the feasibility of a knee exoskeleton to mitigate hyperextension and increase swing range of motion in five children/adolescents who presented with unilateral genu recurvatum. In final validation trials, the exoskeleton was effective in reducing knee hyperextension (0.2 ± 4.7° average peak knee extension without exo to 9.9 ± 10.3° with exo) and improving swing range of motion by 14.0 ± 4.5° increase on average.

The work showcases a promising potential application of a robotic knee exoskeleton for improving the kinematic characteristics of genu recurvatum gait.

DPT faculty Nicole Rendos, PhD, ATC, CSCS, is the 2024 President Elect of the Southeast American College of Sports Medicine Biomechanics Interest Group. Dr. Rendos is an Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory University who focuses in gait mechanics and gait retraining interventions in individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine is a diverse group of professionals and students dedicated to the advancement of sports medicine and exercise science. The group serves members in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The chapter seeks to communicate scientific information, provide a forum for research, foster professional peer interaction and support career growth. Dr. Rendos is excited to continue progress on the executive board as President-Elect.

Emory University's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, now designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre (US-478), is leading efforts to enhance the healthcare system in the Bahamas, advancing Emory's commitment to global health rehabilitation initiatives.  

This designation currently stands as Emory’s sole WHO Collaborating Centre and is an honor that places Emory among an elite group of just nine rehabilitation collaborating centers worldwide and the first one in North America. The Centre is affiliated with the WHO’s Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the specialized international health agency whose work is focused in the Americas and the Caribbean.

Read the full press release here. 

Emory University School of Medicine is pleased to announce an interim leadership team for the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, effective January 19, 2024. 

The new interim leadership team is led by George Fulk, PT, PhD, who assumes the role of interim chair, bringing more than 25 years of experience in physical therapy and a strong background in neurological health conditions. Fulk joined Emory in 2022 as professor and director of the Division of Physical Therapy and director of the Center for Physical Therapy and Movement Science. He previously served as chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York.

Read the full announcement. 

DPT student Danielle Audain attended the leadership congress, which she described as "truly a life changing opportunity." As a member of the APTA student board and a leadership congress attendee, Audain was able to see and experience the house of delegates for the first time. "I learned so much about the structure of our profession and the potential ways we are able to impact our growth and imprint on and within society. I left feeling inspired to pursue a future in legislative advocacy work and even potentially run for a delegate position in the future," said Audain.

Kathy Lee Bishop, PT, DPT, FNAP, and Jenny Sharp, PT, DPT, were awarded the IPECP Project Award from the Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC) Office of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice. These awards are used to support work expanding the development of innovations in IPECP that enhance the WHSC strategic plan and foster relationships across WHSC schools and programs. The $10,000 award will help to fund a project titled, “Interprofessional Patient Handoff in High-Fidelity Simulation in Collaboration” with Lisa Marie Wands from the School of Nursing, and Gina Shannon from the School of Medicine.

Sarah Blanton, PT, DPT, FNAP, was selected for the NIH-National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research, with her term starting in December 2023. The Board advises the NIH Director, the NICHD Director and the NCMRR Director on matters and policies relating to NCMRR’s medical rehabilitation research and training programs. The Board will review and assess Federal research priorities, activities and findings regarding medical rehabilitation research.

“I am honored for this opportunity to share my clinical expertise in stroke rehabilitation, in particular my focus on family-integrated care and real-world outcomes," Blanton said.

She is excited to increase awareness of the work being done to integrate health humanities into rehabilitation science. The Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation’s mission is to support the co-creation of content with the disability community aligned with recommendations from the Disability Subgroup of the NIH Advisory Committee on Diversity emphasizing the critical importance of disability community partners’ inclusion in research grant development, methods and interpretation of outcomes, of which Blanton is the Editor-In-Chief.

Durga Shah, PT, DPT, is the recipient of the APTA Susan Effgen Advocacy Award in Pediatrics. Throughout her career Shah has advocated for changes in policies supporting physical therapy services for children. Dr. Shah has assisted the APTA in responding to and commenting on proposed rules and regulations at federal, state and third party payers’ levels. She has assisted in contesting private insurance policies that limited or denied coverage for pediatric PT services and durable medical equipment, and on reinstating excluded code sets to expand rehab services for children. Additionally. Shah has successfully advocated for increased Medicaid reimbursement for PT services in Georgia. She has served as the pay chair, and the payment, policy and advocacy chair for the APTA’s Academy of Pediatrics. Shah received the award at the CSM APTA Education business meeting on Friday, February 16.

Sharp has also received the APTA Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy Merit Award. The award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the advancement, knowledge and/or recognition of the Academy of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Physical Therapy. Sharp will receive the award on February 15 at the CSM APTA CVP Membership meeting. She has also received the Adopt-A-Doc Award from the APTA Academy of Education. The Adopt-A-Doc program seeks to increase the number of doctorally prepared PTs and PTAs by providing financial support to Academy members who are in the dissertation phase of their post-professional programs. The award includes a $3,000 scholarship to offset tuition or doctoral research costs. This award will be presented at the CSM APTA Education business meeting on Friday, February 16.

The Foundation of Physical Therapy Research Board of Trustees has selected DPT emeritus faculty, Steven L. Wolf, PT, PhD, FAPTA, as the recipient of the 2024 Charles M. Magistro Distinguished Service Award. Established in 1991, the award honors individuals for outstanding service and personal commitment toward promoting the Foundation's goals. The Foundation recognizes Dr. Wolf’s longstanding contributions, and support as a Trustee, chair and member of the Scientific Advisory Committee and the Scientific Review Committee. Wolf will receive the awards at the upcoming APTA Combined Section Meeting in February 2024.