We Want to Train You
to do Rehabilitation Research
PT/PhD Pre-doctoral Training
Program
Abstract
Recent advances in behavioral,
biological, and engineering sciences provide exciting opportunities to attack important problems faced
by people with disabilities. Scientists with strong backgrounds in
rehabilitation, who bring multidisciplinary research approaches to bear on rehabilitation
questions, are scarce. The goal of this pre-doctoral training program is
to improve the quality and quantity of individuals who will contribute to the
knowledge base and practice of physical rehabilitation. This innovative
training program, coordinated through the Department
of Physical Therapy, includes outstanding faculty members from the
Mechanical Engineering and Physical Therapy Departments at the University of Delaware. The program fuses two independent training programs: an entry
level Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT), designed to train clinical physical
therapists, and the PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Sciences (BMSC).
Research concentrations during the PhD portion of the program include Applied
Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Biomechanics, Motor Control, and
Rehabilitation Technology. The program is analogous to the MD/PhD
programs that are designed to train medical scientists. Students in the
proposed program become both physical therapists and research scientists.
Trainees are selected from a pool of outstanding students with diverse
undergraduate backgrounds who enter the DPT program. Many of these
students express an interest in research before admission to the program.
Unfortunately, because of the sizable debt incurred during graduate school
and the opportunity to earn the salaries that clinical physical therapists
enjoy, very few of these students go on to pursue the PhD. This training
program attracts the best and brightest individuals who have a sincere interest
in physical rehabilitation research and tracks them early in their training
into research careers. The need for these individuals is enormous.
Both new and established programs need doctorally trained individuals for
teaching and research positions. Graduates of this training program are
ideal faculty members who will foster excellence in rehabilitation research.
Research Training
Program Plan
Physical
Therapy Program History
Biomechanics
and Movement Sciences Program
PT/PhD
Pre-doctoral Training Program
Administrative
Structure of the Program
Stuart A. Binder-Macleod, PhD,
PT, Dept. of Physical Therapy, Program
Director and PT-Mentor
Irene McClay-Davis, PhD, PT,
Dept. of Physical Therapy, Executive Committee Member and PT-Mentor
John Scholz, PhD,
PT, Dept. of Physical Therapy, Executive Committee Member and PT-Mentor
Lynn Snyder-Mackler, ScD, PT,
Dept. of Physical Therapy, Executive Committee Member and PT-Mentor
Katherine Rudolph, PhD, PT, Dept. of Physical Therapy, PT-Mentor
James C. (Cole) Galloway, PhD,
PT, Dept. of Physical Therapy, PT-Mentor
Mechanical Engineering Mentors
Thomas S. Buchanan, PhD, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Mentor
John E. Novotny, PhD, Dept.
of Mechanical Engineering, Mentor
Sample curricula
for PT/PhD trainees (2 examples provided):
Concentration
in Applied Physiology
Concentration
in Motor Control
Monitoring of Student's
Progress: Graduate Committee
Physical Therapy
Program History
In 1973 an entry level
baccalaureate degree granting program in Physical Therapy was established
within the Division of Health Sciences of the University. In 1976 the Division
merged with the Department of Biology to form the School of Life and Health
Sciences. In 1986 the decision to terminate the baccalaureate program and
establish an entry- level master’s of physical therapy (MPT) was made. Along
with the decision to offer the MPT degree the University made a major commitment
to upgrade the physical facilities and the quality of the research faculty.
Early in 1987 a new program director, Dr. Paul Mettler, was hired. Dr. Mettler recruited faculty members who were both research
scientists and physical therapists. The University offered significant start-up
monies, adequate laboratory space and facilities, and, most important, teaching
loads that would allow adequate time for research to all of the new faculty
members. In addition, because the physical therapy program was housed within a
research oriented department (i.e., the School of Life and Health Sciences),
the faculty were assured that research productivity would be valued and
rewarded. In 1993, the physical therapy program was promoted to departmental
status and Dr. Mettler became the chair. In 1998, Dr. Stuart Binder-Macleod took over as departmental chair. The tradition of
supporting and rewarding a strong commitment to research and scholarship by the
faculty has continued.
In
the spring of 2002, the University of Delaware Faculty Senate approved the
establishment of the DPT and the disestablishment of the MPT. The PT department
admitted its first DPT class, with the students commencing training summer of
2002. The present proposal combines the recently approved Doctorate in Physical
Therapy (DPT) with the PhD in BMSC. The DPT has rapidly replaced the MPT as the
entry level degree in Physical Therapy at the University of Delaware and numerous
other PT programs around the country. Based on information provided by the
American Physical Therapy, approximately half of all entry level PT programs
will be doctoral level by 2004.
Biomechanics and Movement
Sciences Program
In 1993 faculty members
from four different academic units at the University of Delaware proposed the
creation of an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomechanics and Movement
Sciences (BMSC). This proposal grew out of the desire by faculty members from
each unit to establish an interdisciplinary academic program that dealt with
the application of science and engineering toward solving problems realized by
individuals who are physically challenged. The University of Delaware approved
the program in the fall of 1994. This graduate level interdisciplinary program
combines faculty and physical resources from the Departments of Physical
Therapy, Mechanical Engineering, and Health and Exercise Sciences. The number
of faculty members from the Physical Therapy and Mechanical Engineering
Departments who are involved in the BMSC program has grown from six (4 PT and 2
ME) in 1995, when the training grant was first proposed, to eleven (6 PT and 5
ME). In addition to growth in faculty, the BMSC program has enjoyed
considerable growth and popularity. There are currently 23 full-time doctoral
students in the program, two of whom were previously supported on the training
grant. Of these 23 full-time students, 17 are working in PT faculty
laboratories. Fifteen of these students are physical therapists and 6 are
graduates of the MPT program.
PT/PhD Pre-doctoral Training
Program
The training program
combines the Doctorate in Physical Therapy and the PhD in BMSC programs into an
integrated program. The goal of this program is to attract and train students
who have the greatest potential to become outstanding research scientists in
the field of physical rehabilitation. The program provides students with the
financial support and training that they need to complete both the DPT and PhD
degrees. The program is based in the Physical Therapy Department.
Administrative Structure of the
Program
The
administrative responsibilities for the PT/PhD Pre-doctoral Training Program
are vested in the Program Director, Dr. Binder-Macleod, who oversees all
aspects of the Program. He will be assisted in all aspects of implementation of
training by the Program Steering Committee.
The
program steering committee consists of the senior faculty from the Physical
Therapy Department: Drs. Davis, Scholz, and Snyder-Mackler. The steering
committee meets regularly to evaluate the program and to consider major policy
issues related to the program. In addition to this PT/PhD Training Program
steering committee, the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomechanics and
Movement Sciences has an executive committee. This committee consists of the
program director, presently Dr. Buchanan, of the Department of Mechanical
Engineering, and one member from each of the three departments comprising the
BMSC program. The executive committee serves as the major governing board for
the BMSC program.
An
Advisory Board, consisting of three members from outside of the training
program, has been established for this PT/PhD Training Program. The members of
the Board are: 1) Rebecca Craik, PhD, PT, Chair of the Dept. of Physical
Therapy,
Outstanding faculty
members from the Physical Therapy and Mechanical Engineering Departments at the
University of Delaware will mentor and train students in the program. All of
these participating faculty members are active members in the BMSC program and
have active research programs in an area of movement science.
PT Mentors
One primary strength of
the proposed training program is the outstanding faculty within the Physical
Therapy Department that is available to mentor students. Besides active
research programs, all of the PT- The four PT mentors who serve on the
executive committee, Drs. Binder-Macleod, Davis, Scholz, and Snyder-Mackler,
have gained significant national recognition in recent years. As examples, Drs.
Binder-Macleod and Snyder-Mackler, have received the Eugene Michels New
Investigator Award from the American Physical therapy Association (APTA) and
Dr. Binder-Macleod has won the APTA’s Marion Williams award, for being the 1999
outstanding physical therapy researcher. Drs. Binder-Macleod, Davis, Scholz,
and Snyder-Mackler have been offered editorial board positions on professional
journals; Drs. Binder-Macleod and Scholz have been invited by the Section on
Research of the APTA to be the Michels Forum presenters. Dr. Snyder-Mackler is
the Past President of the Section on research and Dr. Binder-Macleod the former
Treasurer. Drs. Binder-Macleod, Davis, Scholz, and Snyder-Mackler have all been
PI’s on Federal research and Foundation for Physical Therapy grants. They have
all presented their research at national and international meetings for
physical therapists and at interdisciplinary scientific meetings, such as the
annual meetings of the Society for Neuroscience, international Society for
Biomechanics, Federation of the American Society for Experimental Biology
(FASEB) and orthopedic Research Society.
In addition to the four
senior PT faculty members, over the past three years the department has hired
two new faculty members, Drs. Rudolph and Galloway. Both of these new faculty
members are physical therapists, have completed post-doctoral training, and
have considerable clinical experience.
Besides active research programs, all of the PT mentors have maintained ongoing, active clinical involvement. Our physical therapy clinic, which is on-site, is an outpatient facility where a variety of patients are treated. All of the faculty serve as consultants to the clinic and are regularly called to the clinic to help with difficult or interesting teaching cases. The PT-Mentors will help the PT/PhD student to integrate their clinical, didactic, and research training. Each PT/PhD student will need to identify a primary PT-Mentor by the end of his/her first year of graduate study. Though any of the identified trainers may serve as the research advisor for the PhD portion of the proposed program, it is anticipated that for most students their primary PT-Mentor will serve as their research advisor. The following is a summary of the research and clinical interests of the PT-Mentors.
Stuart A. Binder-Macleod, PhD, PT, Dept. of
Physical Therapy, Program Director
Dr.
Binder-Macleod's research focuses on the neural control of skeletal muscle force
output. He currently is attempting to identify stimulation patterns that
minimize fatigue by most efficiently activating skeletal muscle. The loss of
motor control due to central nervous system (CNS) trauma can be both a
psychologically and physically devastating injury. A number of recent studies
have reported the feasibility of using electrical stimulation to help patients
walk following spinal cord injury (SCI). One limiting factor in the clinical
application of electrical stimulation is the rapid skeletal muscle fatigue that
accompanies its use. Identifying stimulation patterns that minimize fatigue
should increase the clinical usefulness of functional electrical stimulation.
Traditional neurophysiological techniques, where animal and human skeletal
muscle are stimulated electrically and the electromyographic and force
responses are recorded, are used in Dr. Binder-Macleod's laboratory. In
addition, simulation experiments in collaboration with Dr. Wexler from
Mechanical Engineering, where the contractile characteristics of whole muscles
are mathematically modeled, are being used to provide insights into the
mechanisms operating and to predict the optimal pattern of stimulation. Most
recently, Dr. Binder-Macleod has developed a collaborative effort with the
research department of Shriner’s Hospital for Children-Philadelphia to study
the responses of patients with spinal cord injuries to electrical stimulation.
Results to date have been encouraging. Recent findings have suggested that the
stimulation patterns presently used with patients are not optimal. All
published clinical studies that have used electrical stimulation to activate
the muscles of individuals with damaged central nervous systems have used
constant-frequency trains (i.e., all pulses within a train are separated by
regular intervals). In contrast, Dr. Binder-Macleod's work has shown that
varying the stimulation frequency within a brief train of pulses can produce
greater forces from the muscle than the traditionally used constant-frequency
trains. Current work is exploring how the optimal pattern of activation varies
under a variety of physiological conditions including: fatigue state of the
muscle, muscle length, and velocity of muscle shortening and lengthening. Dr.
Binder-Macleod’s areas of clinical interest include EMG biofeedback and
electrical stimulation of skeletal muscle.
Irene McClay-Davis,
PhD, PT, Dept. of Physical Therapy
Dr.
McClay-Davis' research interest is focused on the relationships between lower
extremity structure, mechanics and injury. Dr. Davis has used running as a
model to study these relationships as is it often the threshold of this
activity that precipitates the overuse injury. However, once an injury has been
sustained, the symptoms and loss of function often carry over to simple
activities of daily living. In addition, many of these injuries can progress to
chronic disabilities such as osteoarthritis
The findings of Dr. Davis’ research to date
supports relationships between lower extremity structure, mechanics and injury.
Her current research investigates how the combination of an individual's
structure, alignment, and biomechanics places them at risk for injury. Her
research also investigates how therapeutic interventions (i.e., exercise,
orthotics, retraining, and surgery) affect these pathomechanics. The lower
extremity and running are the primary areas of study. She is currently engaged
in four studies: 1) an investigation of the relationship between excessive
pronation and knee mechanics along with exploring differences in mechanics
between rearfoot and forefoot strike patterns in runners, 2) an investigation
of the relationship between subtalar joint axis orientation and lower extremity
mechanics, 3) an assessment of the differential effects of orthotics versus
strengthening on pronation and pronation velocity in runners, 4) the
biomechanics of skating including a longitudinal study to monitor the injury
pattern in skaters and a study of the relationship between various strength
measures and ground reaction forces during an axel and double axel jump. Dr.
McClay-Davis’ clinical interests are in foot, ankle and lower quarter problems,
particularly related to overuse injuries. Dr. McClay-Davis is the director of
the University of Delaware Running Injury Clinic.
John Scholz PhD, PT,
Dept. of Physical Therapy
The
goal of Dr. Scholz's research seeks to understand motor control processes in
healthy individuals and patients who have neurological dysfunction,
particularly stroke. His current work combines mathematical modeling with
experiments to determine how the nervous system solves the problem of motor
redundancy. This work has focused, to date, on the control structure underlying
the stability of postural states of important task variables. He is currently
extending this approach to identify how the coordination of underlying joint
motions leads to stable temporal sequences of these postural states. This work
studies patients with mild to moderate arm dysfunction following a stroke. The
goal is to determine how their motor control system is altered compared to
healthy, are- and gender matched subjects as well as to explore differences in
control in right and left brained lesions.
Collaborative projects have also been proposed
with Dr. Sunil Agrawal, of Mechanical Engineering, to develop robotic devices
that can be used to explore new methods of treating stroke and other
neurological deficits.
Dr.
Scholz’s area of clinic interest is the treatment of adult and pediatric
patients with motor dysfunction due to central nervous system damage (e.g.,
stroke, cerebral palsy).
Lynn Snyder-Mackler,
ScD, PT, Dept. of Physical Therapy
Dr.
Snyder-Mackler's research efforts focus on dynamic stability of knee and the
responses of the quadriceps muscle after anterior cruciate ligament injury. The
mechanistic studies of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and
perturbation training can be used to augment muscle strength and affect
function in patients after this injury as well as randomized controlled
clinical trials of these interventions comprise the majority of Dr.
Snyder-Mackler’s research. The research reflects an overarching clinical
interest in the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions, particularly NMES
and neuromuscular training. Dr. Snyder-Mackler is most interested in the
relationships between impairments (e.g. quadriceps strength) and dysfunction
(e.g. gait abnormalities) after ACL injury, although her laboratory also
investigates mechanistic questions that arise as a consequence of the clinical
research. Dr. Snyder-Mackler is a clinical scientist and an active clinical
practitioner. In addition to reports of research, she also publishes papers
that describe clinical practice guidelines derived from clinical trials.
Dr. Snyder-Mackler's most recent work has proceeded
on several levels, first characterization of the quadriceps in patients with
anterior cruciate ligament injury, second, the relationship between quadriceps
impairments and function, and third, controlled clinical trials of
interventions, specifically NMES. The laboratory has characterized the
quadriceps impairment that occurs after ACL injury by examining their strength,
fatigue properties, and morphology. The quadriceps are weaker, more fatigue
resistant and display no consistent morphological alterations. Failure of
central activation of the quadriceps does not appear to occur in most
individuals after this injury. In a large, multi-center trial, she demonstrated
that NMES was more effective than volitional quadriceps exercise for restoring
quadriceps strength and normal gait after ACL reconstruction. She has
demonstrated that joint laxity does not necessarily result in knee instability
and dysfunction after ACL injury. Her group studied the small sub-population of
ACL deficient patients who can return to all activities without episodes of
instability or swelling and without reconstructive surgery (copers) and
determined that their movement characteristics are different from patients who
do not compensate well (non-copers). A training program of systematic
perturbation of support surfaces (perturbation training) was developed based on
the identified characteristics and has been tested in a randomized clinical
trial and was superior to a traditional program in returning individuals to a
higher level of activity after ACL injury. Most recently, she has begun to
study some of the same problems in the elderly and those with total knee
replacement. This work has already resulted in two papers with Dr.
Binder-Macleod. A trial of the use of NMES in elderly patients following total
knee replacements is now being undertaken.
Dr. Snyder-Mackler regularly collaborates with
colleagues in the Physical Therapy and Mechanical Engineering Departments. Dr.
Michael Santare and Dr. Snyder-Mackler have collaborated on orthopedic
biomechanics projects and have two published articles on fatigue
characteristics of fixation devices used in shoulder surgery. They have
collectively supervised two students, one in Mechanical Engineering and one in
BMSC. Similarly, Dr. Thomas Buchanan and Dr. Snyder-Mackler collaborate on two
projects and three successful grant applications. First, was the aforementioned
study of what makes “copers” and “non-copers” by studying the subjects’
kinematics (i.e. gait analysis) and muscle activation patterns (EMG’s) during a
variety of tasks. The second is a new approach to in vivo analysis of
musculoskeletal dynamics uses Cine-phase contrast (Cine-PQ magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) to image and track the moving knee. Cine-PC MRI, a non-invasive
technique, is capable of measuring 3D muscle fiber and skeletal velocity, in
vivo, during dynamic tasks. Through integration, 3D musculoskeletal movement
can be tracked. A combination of the use of this new technology and
conventional MRI, electromyography, and musculoskeletal modeling provide a
unique opportunity to elucidate the compensation strategies employed by
patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The third investigates
the mechanisms underlying the development of dynamic knee stability after ACL
rupture and extends the clinical trials of perturbation training to the
non-coper population. Dr. Snyder-Mackler has recently to collaborate on two
projects with Dr. John Novotny involving shoulder mechanics and rehabilitation.
Katherine Rudolph, PhD,
PT
Dr. Rudolph’s research focuses on analyses of movement of persons
with orthopedic and neurologic injuries with
particular interest in assessing treatment efficacy. Dr. Rudolph is
co-investigator on a recently funded, 5-year study investigating mechanisms
underlying treatment of ACL rupture. The overall goal of this work is to
determine whether effective rehabilitation programs to dynamically stabilize
the knee reduce the adaptations that lead to osteoarthritis
in a population at great risk for the development of knee OA. Eighty
individuals with ACL rupture who are scheduled for surgery will be randomly
assigned to a group that receives a form of neuromuscular training called
perturbation training, or a standard rehabilitation group. Subjects will be
evaluated before and after surgery using motion analysis and radiography. In
vivo measures of kinematics, kinetics, tibial
translation and EMG-based models of joint compression will be used for
comparison. The information derived from this study will provide valuable
insight into the management of the approximately 100,000 Americans who rupture
their ACL’s each year and undergo reconstructive
surgery.
Dr.
Rudolph is PI on a recently funded grant to investigate how ligamentous
laxity influences the development of osteoarthritis
(OA) in the knee in persons with genu varum. The overall goal of this study is to determine
whether anatomic realignment of the tibiofemoral
joint in persons with moderate genu varus deformity allows for changes in muscle strength, knee
joint laxity, knee joint instability and proprioception
that is compatible with halting the progression of
knee OA. Specifically, is normal function restored as measured by quadriceps
function, knee motion and moments, neuromuscular responses during walking,
static and stress radiography, and reflexive muscle activation?
Finally,
Dr. Rudolph has received one grant and is preparing another to develop
rehabilitation devices using magnetorheologic (MR)
fluid: fluid that changes its viscosity in response to an applied magnetic
field. In collaboration with Dr. Jian-Quao Sun in the
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Binder-Macleod,
Dr. Rudolph is developing a low cost, portable, light weight exercise device
that could ultimately be used to strengthen multiple joints of the body. This
variable resistance exercise device (VRED) will incorporate microprocessor
technology to allow a therapist to program resistance applied to a patient’s
muscles in a precisely controlled manner by modifying a very small amount of
current from a simple battery. Prototype development and a pilot study of
strengthening efficacy on a sample of patients with quadriceps weakness are
included in this project. The other MR fluid rehabilitation device proposed by
Dr. Rudolph and Dr. Sun is a variable resistance orthosis
(VRO) for use in re-training gait in persons with hemiplegia.
The MR fluid will be incorporated into existing knee brace designs such that
the resistance to movement in the knee joint during functional activities,
including gait, will allow customized resistance for each patient. In this
project the investigators will build a prototype knee VRO with a programmable
electronic control system; test the feasibility of brace use with a group of
subjects who have hemiparesis resulting from stroke;
and determine changes in gait in subjects with hemiparesis
while using the VRO.
Dr.
Rudolph’s clinical interests are in rehabilitation of persons with orthopaedic and neurologic
injuries.
James C. (Cole) Galloway, PhD, PT, Dept. of Physical Therapy
Dr. Galloway’s research focuses on the neuromotor control of
infant and adult behavior. He is especially interested in learning
how very young infants coordinate spontaneous limb movements such as flapping
and kicking for behaviors such as reaching and walking. Dr. Galloway uses
standard biomechanical tools and techniques (high speed motion analysis,
surface EMG and multi-joint equations of motion) to address how coordinated
motor behavior emerges from the interaction of the nervous system, the body's
mechanics, and the environment. In addition to developmental psychology, his
work draws from and has implications for neurophysiology, biomechanics,
developmental and evolutionary biology and neurorehabilitation. Current infant
projects include several studies on the development of object exploration with
the arms and legs; coordination between the shoulder, elbow and wrist during
the development of reaching; and learning and memory in healthy, full-term infants
at risk for coordination disorders such as cerebral palsy. Dr. Galloway’s
laboratory has also collaborated with toy producers in the development of
interactive toys for young infants and infants at risk for developmental delay.
Dr. Galloway’s lab has been funded by the University of Delaware, toy industry
sources, and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Future projects will focus on extending Dr.
Galloway’s infant work to pediatric populations such as pre term infants at
high risk for developing motor delay. Dr. Galloway’s clinical interests are in
the physical rehabilitation of adults following stroke and in the treatment of
children with motor developmental delays due to central nervous system
dysfunction. He is awaiting a decision on an NIH RO3 application and an APTA
Pediatric section grant, and submitted an NSF grant in July, 2002 and an NIH
RO1 in Fall, 2002.
Mechanical Engineering Mentors
Faculty members within
the BMSC program who collaborate with physical therapy faculty members or who
potentially may serve as research advisors or graduate committee members for
the PT/PhD trainees have been designated as trainers. It should be noted that
each student is required to have at least one of the following trainers serve
on each his/her graduate committee (see Monitoring of Student's Progress:
Graduate Committee). The following is a summary of the research interests of
the trainers. There are five outstanding
members of the Mechanical Engineering Department that are actively involved in
the BMSC program: Drs. Agrawal, Buchanan, Novotny, Santare, and Sun. However,
only two members from Mechanical Engineering, Drs. Buchanan and Novotny have
been designated as mentors in the present training program. These two faculty
members were selected as Mentor because of their strong backgrounds as movement
scientists.
Thomas S. Buchanan,
PhD, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Thomas
S. Buchanan has a Ph.D. in Theoretical & Applied Mechanics from
Northwestern University and does research in the field of neuromuscular
biomechanics. Upon graduation he did post-doctoral work at MIT in the
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and then returned to do additional
post-doctoral work at Northwestern University in Rehabilitation Medicine. He
subsequently served on the faculty of Northwestern University Medical School
with appointments in the Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
and Biomedical Engineering. During his seven years as Associate Director of the
Sensory Motor Performance Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago,
he was appointed Falk Medical Research Scholar. He is currently an Associate
Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware and is also
on the faculty of the Biomechanics and Movement Sciences Program. He is the
recipient of several NIH grants as well as several grants from private
foundations such as the Arthritis Foundation. He is a member of the Editorial
Board of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics and is a reviewer for numerous 10)
journals in the fields of biomechanics and neuroscience. Additionally, he has
served as a grant reviewer for the NIH, NSF and the VA. He is the author of
over sixty publications (journal articles and conference proceedings) in
periodicals such as J. Biomechanics, J. Biomechanical Engineering, J.
Orthopedic Research, J. Neurophysiology, Experimental Brain Research, Archives
of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Medicine & Science in Sports
and Exercise. Dr. Buchanan is currently on the executive council of the American
Society of Biomechanics, and the Program Director for the BMSC program. Dr.
Buchanan has developed collaborative efforts with Drs. Snyder-Mackler and
Scholz in the Physical Therapy Department.
Dr. Buchanan and his colleagues have
been studying mechanisms for maintaining joint stability at the elbow and knee.
Using EMG studies and biomechanical models, they have examined which load types
require ligaments to be loaded (i.e. those for which muscles are insufficient
to counter external loads).
John E. Novotny, PhD, Dept. of Mechanical
Engineering
Dr. Novotny’s present research has focused on techniques to
explore the biomechanics of the shoulder and to understand the clinical
problems of gleno-humeral instability and rotator cuff pathology. This includes biomechanical, biological, and
clinical studies of the shoulder. In vitro biomechanical testing has been
performed using electro-magnetic position and orientation sensors. The device
was used to quantify glenohumeral kinematics and the effects of Bankart lesions
and repairs. An analytical model of the glenohumeral joint has also been
formulated. Combining this model with data from previous experiments allowed
for predictions to be made of the deformation of the glenohumeral capsule and
the articular contact forces generated by simulated throwing. Expansion of this
model will continue to a dynamic model that will use optimization methods to
model multiple muscular forces. With such a model, various glenohumeral joint
injury mechanisms could be simulated. Application of finite element modeling
techniques to the structure of the glenohumeral ligaments could be implemented
to elucidate its function. Biologically, tissue mechanics in the glenohumeral
capsule have begun to be studied to correlate ligamentous mechanics at a gross
scale to cellular mechanics at a microscopic scale using techniques of
immunofluorescent staining and confocal scanning laser microscopy. This work
could be coupled with mathematical modeling, using analytical methods to
describe the continuum of behavior of the tissue. Tissue mechanics research has
required investigating the development of animal models for the glenohumeral
joint to study the effects of injury and healing processes using biomechanical
outcomes. A model of glenohumeral instability and rotator cuff pathology is the
goal of this development. Studies of articular cartilage mechanics at a
cellular level have also been initiated. Use of a model to induce
uni-compartmental osteoarthritis has been proposed to study cartilage healing.
Clinically, a glenohumeral laxity device was produced for use in vivo, to
quantify the torque-rotation response for diagnostic purposes and for use in
surgical planning, and during rehabilitation after injury and surgical repair.
Use of biological technique to study the composition of the glenohumeral
capsule and rotator cuff tendons from subjects with pathology are also in
development. The degenerative aspects of these disease processes will be
studied to understand the control of collagen types, metalloproteinases and
their inhibitors. Previous research has also focused on the human spine. These
include a number of studies on spine and vertebral segmental motion, response
to vibration, seat design, rehabilitation engineering, the role of facet joint
morphology in spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis and their surgical treatments,
and spinal implant testing.
This
unique, combined degree (PT/PhD), interdisciplinary program attracts outstanding
students from diverse undergraduate backgrounds. Five years of funding are
provided to complete this training program- one year of funding to complete the
DPT portion of the program (I.E. the last year of the two and one-half year DPT
program) and four years of funding to complete the PhD in BMSC. Prior to
entering the training program, trainees will complete one and one-half years of
DPT training, giving the trainees a total of six and one-half years of
post-baccalaureate training. This program provides an opportunity for graduates
to gain the clinical and research training needed to attack problems in medical
rehabilitation research in a way not possible through more traditional
programs.
Students
completing the PT/PhD program will have: 1) a broad background in the clinical
practice of physical therapy, 2) a solid foundation in biomechanics and
movement sciences, 3) unique abilities to address rehabilitation research
questions, 4) detailed expertise in the specific area of their research projects.
This training will equip them to be leaders in the rehabilitation research in
academic institutions or clinical research centers.
The
PT/PhD program is a five-year, full-time program. The first one and one-half
years of the DPT program (i.e., the curriculum prior to entering the formal
training program) will not be modified for the trainees and will include the
required course work and clinical rotations (see sample curricula below).
Please note, the trainees will enter the proposed training program during the
Spring semester of their second year in the DPT program to allow funding during
the last year of the DPT program.
The
DPT program is slightly modified during the last year of DPT training to
include: 1) three, five-week, laboratory rotations during the spring semester.
These rotations are not part of the DPT program and are used to help the
students select their research mentor. 2) enrollment in the Biomechanics and
Movement Science (BMSC) program’s seminar in the spring semester. This course
is also not required of the DPT students and helps to integrate the trainees
into the BMSC portion of the curriculum. 3) a seven-week independent study
research course during the summer session. This independent study is not part
of the DPT program. The trainees will conduct an extensive literature search
and identify a project they can complete over the upcoming year (preliminary
project); and 4) an eight-week research internship during the fall semester.
This internship is a major modification of the eight-week, required, elective
internship that all DPT students must take. During this internship, the
trainees collect and analyze the data needed for their preliminary projects.
The
spring semester following the DPT portion of the curriculum, students enter the
PhD portion of the BMSC program. The remaining four years of the program
consist of course work and dissertation credits required for the PhD in BMSC.
Research concentrations in applied physiology, exercise physiology,
biomechanics, motor control, or rehabilitation technology are available. The
basic requirements for all students in the PhD program in BMSC include 32
credits of course work plus 9 credits of dissertation. Specific course
requirements include: 3 semesters of BMSC seminar, 1 course in experimental
design and/or statistics, 1 course in instrumentation, computing or engineering
applications, and 2 BMSC courses in concentrations other than the student's
major area of study.
The PhD portion of the
BMSC program is modified to include: 1) a course on Scientific Integrity and
Ethical Principles in Research. This new course was designed by Dr. Rivers
Singleton, Jr., Director of the University's Center for Science and Culture
(See Responsible Conduct of Research section below for more details) and 2)
annual presentations by students to the Advisory Board, and 3) at least one
semester of part-time additional clinical experience in a physical therapy
clinic. The additional clinical experience was not part of our original
proposal. However, based on feedback from the students and faculty, it was
decided to add this component to the training curriculum. All of the current
students have gained their additional clinical experience in the PT clinic
located in our department.
Trainees who do not complete all of their PhD
requirements within the five years that they are covered by the training grant
will be guaranteed an additional year of funding either as a teaching assistant
(TA) or a research assistant (RA). The funding for a TA position will come from
the Department of Physical Therapy. RA funding will come from the advisor’s
grant support or departmental funds. The nature and source of funding will be
determined by consultation between the trainee, the trainee’s advisor, and Dr.
Binder-Macleod. The decision will be made based on available resources and the
trainee’s needs. No additional funding is guaranteed beyond this additional
year. All trainees will be strongly encouraged to complete their training in a
timely manner and do not extend beyond the fifth year if possible. We very
strongly discourage the trainees from extending their training beyond the sixth
year. Students must achieve at least a grade point average of 3.0 in the
courses that fulfill the course requirements.
Sample curricula for
PT/PhD trainees (2 examples provided):
Research
concentrations during the PhD portion of the program include Applied
Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Biomechanics, Motor Control, and
Rehabilitation Technology. The following courses represent the courses required
during the first year and one-half of the DPT program that will be taken by all
trainees prior to entering the program.
