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Department of Physical Therapy faculty presented research on topics ranging from communication barriers when providing therapy to Afghan refugees to depression after traumatic brain injury at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting 2024, held in Boston in February. 

The faculty’s participation at the meeting included:

• Michael Geelhoed, PT, DPT, associate professor and director of clinical education, and Associate Professor Bradley Tragord, PT, DPT, DSc, interim chair of the department, presented a research poster entitled, “Communication Barriers in Delivering Physical Therapy to Afghan Refugees: Feasibility of a Student-Run Free Clinic. Second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students Ryley Burton, Candice Gant, Arielle Kurapati and Sam Lopez participated in the project. The APTA Global Health special interest group leadership awarded the team the APTA Global Health Blue Ribbon Award for the effort. 

   

• Assistant Professor Bobby Belarmino, PT, DPT, PhD, CCS, presented a research poster entitled, “Changes between Physical Mobility and Perceived Heath Status of Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.” This research study was in collaboration with Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH). Belarmino, who along with his co-authors from HMH received an award for best paper of the year from the Cardiopulmonary PT Journal, also moderated program sessions for the Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary PT and served as a platform judge for the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy.

   

• Assistant Professor Sandeep Subramanian, PT, PhD, presented a podium lecture on the “Association between Pain and Depression within the First Year after Traumatic Brain Injury.” Co-authors included current DPT third-year students Ashley Alshrouf, Emily Calvetti, Shannon Heinz and Kolby Kolek, as well as Assistant Professor/Clinical Summer Rolin, PsyD, from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Associate Professor/Clinical Jeremy Davis, PsyD, ABPP-CN, Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology. Subramanian and recently retired department chair Greg Ernst, PT, PhD, ECS, presented a poster entitled, “Putting Objective Data to U.S. News and World Report Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs Rankings.” DPT alumni Ski Mactaggart and Kristina Morrelli were co-authors.

   

• Subramanian and Assistant Professor Selina Morgan, PT, DPT, NCS, partnered to present a poster entitled, “Single and Dual Task Upper Limb Performance in Individuals with Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries.” The poster won second place in a poster contest in TBI rehabilitation by the Brain Injury Special Interest Group of the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy. DPT alumni Mallory Welvaert, Amy Waldschmidt, Ayub Jamshaid and Victoria Serna were co-authors.

   

• Assistant Professor Gustavo Almeida, PT PhD, served as a moderator (APTA Academy of Research) for the session “NIH Scientific Grant Review Processes – Experiencing a Mock Study Section and EDGE to Cutting-EDGE: Advancing Implementation of Evidence on Outcome Measures and Clinical Practice Guidelines.”