Physical Therapy

College of Health Sciences

---

---

Physical Therapy Director

Jennifer Blackwood, PT, PhD
Associate Professor & Physical Therapy Department Director
(810) 762-3373
jblackwo@umich.edu
Research: The interplay between mobility and cognitive function in older adults; fall prevention in the geriatric population and age-related changes in balance function in older adults and in older cancer survivors

---

Physical Therapy Faculty

Bara Alsalaheen, PT, PhD
Associate Professor
(810) 762-3373
alsalahe@umich.edu
Research: Improving healthcare outcomes for individuals with concussions by bridging the gap between concussion-related research and clinical practice. Primary research interests are developing biopsychosocial approaches to understand factors associated with variations in concussion risks, recovery times, and rehabilitation outcomes.

Ryan Bean, PT, DPT, OMPT, OCS
Clinical Associate Professor
(810) 762-3373
ryanbean@umich.edu
Research: Sports-related concussion, musculoskeletal orthopedic examination, and intervention (manual-based), therapeutic exercises for common orthopedic conditions, and EMG analysis

Karen Berg, PT, DPT,
Clinical Assistant Professor & Co-Associate Director for Clinical Education
(810) 762-3373
karberg@umich.edu
Research: Clinical education assessment of student performance; outcomes as measured by orthopedic questionnaires

Sarah Case, PT, DSc
Clinical Assistant Professor & Interim Associate Director for Professional Education
(810) 762-3373
sacase@umich.edu
Research: Pain Neuroscience Education, Healthcare practitioners attitudes and beliefs regarding chronic pain and barriers to implementation of practice guidelines; teaching and learning in physical therapy education

Donna Fry, PT, PhD, CHC
Professor & Dean of the College of Health Sciences
(810) 762-3373
donnafry@umich.edu
Research: Respiratory and other interventions for people with the neurologic disease – primary research focus on persons with multiple sclerosis

Allon Goldberg, PT, PhD
Professor & Associate Dean of the College of Health Sciences
(810) 762-3373
allong@umich.edu
Research: Physical performance measures in older adults and people with the neurological disease; genetic factors in mobility and aging; genetics education for the physical therapy profession

Min Huang, PT, PhD
Associate Professor & Associate Director for Research
(810) 762-3373
mhhuang@umich.edu
Research: Balance impairments, mobility limitations, and fall risks in the geriatric, geriatric oncology, and neurologic populations; respiratory interventions in persons with advanced multiple sclerosis; neuromotor control and motor learning of posture and movements in multiple sclerosis; technology-enhanced motor imagery and action observation in persons with chronic stroke.

Chandramouli Krishnan, PT, PhD
Associate Professor
(810) 762-3373
mouli@med.umich.edu

Cathy Larson, PT, PhD
Associate Professor & Associate Director of the PhD Program
(810) 762-3373
clarson@umich.edu
Research: Rhythmic auditory pacing and verbal cues embedded in music to improve gait in older individuals and individuals post-stroke, exploration of the safety of static-vs. dynamic-air wheelchair cushions, and use of EMG biofeedback in the physical therapy classroom to optimize the effectiveness of patient exercise programs.

Jennifer Tzu-Chieh Liao, PT, PhD
Assistant Professor
(810) 762-3373
jenliao@umich.edu
Research: Lower extremity pathologies (patellofemoral pain, ACLR, etc); Quantitative and clinical MR imaging; Finite element analysis for in-vivo joint loading behavior; Accelerometer-based activity assessment

Erica Sherman, PT, DPT, MBA
Clinical Assistant Professor & Co-Associate Director of Clinical Education
(810) 762-3373
ericashe@umich.edu
Research: Student outcomes of clinical education experiences; interprofessional education

Laura Smith, PT, DPT, PhD
Associate Professor, Post-Professional Clinical Programs
(810) 762-3373
johlaur@umich.edu
Research: Interprofessional education, collaborative practice models, female breast injury, injury prevention, and reeducation.

Leslie Smith, PT, DPT
Clinical Associate Professor
(810) 762-3373
llacy@umich.edu
Research: Blood Pressure measurements by physical therapists, Use of simulation, interprofessional education, exploration of a new wheelchair cushion – safety and efficacy.

William Suits, PT, DPT
Clinical Assistant Professor
(810) 762-3373
whsuits@umich.edu
Research: Acute and long-term changes at the hip joint with participation in ice hockey and relationships to injury; impairments and interventions of muscle power for persons with overuse musculoskeletal conditions; sports physical therapy education.

Chad Tiernan, PhD
Assistant Professor
(810) 762-3373
chadwt@umich.edu
Research: Motor behavior and physical activity in children and older adults with and without disabilities; Childhood obesity; Gait variability; Applications of dynamic systems to human movement

Suzanne Trojanowski, PT, DPT
Assistant Clinical Professor
(810) 762-3373
stroj@umich.edu
Research: Knowledge Translation; Interprofessional Education; Use of outcome measures in rehabilitation

Julie W. Wiebe, PT, DPT
Clinical Assistant Professor
(810) 762-3373
jwiebe@umich.edu

Amy Yorke, PT, PhD
Associate Professor & Associate Director of Community Engagement
(810) 762-3373
amyorke@umich.edu
Research:  Knowledge translation, teaching and learning in physical therapy education and interprofessional education/collaborative practice, and outcome measurement in neurological conditions.

---

LEO Instructors

---

Physical Therapy Department Staff