Research Faculty
Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation,Chairperson, Residency Program Director,
Director of Spine Center at University of Colorado Hospital
Dr. Venu Akuthota is Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (CU PM&R) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Akuthota and CU PM&R are devoted to growing the value of the PM&R disciplines through physiatric clinical care and multidisciplinary research as well as training the next generation of rehabilitation physicians, physical therapists, and rehabilitation researchers. Through his role as service line champion of The Spine Center at University of Colorado Hospital and CU Sports Medicine, he provides clinical expertise in aggressive, non-operative treatment of spine and musculoskeletal conditions. He is board certified in PM&R with subspecialty certifications in Sports Medicine, Pain Medicine, and Electrodiagnosis. Dr. Akuthota also serves as a team physician for University of Colorado Buffaloes and University of Denver Pioneers, and he has been repeatedly voted by his peer physicians as a Denver 5280 magazine 'Top Doctor.' After training and working as a faculty physician at Northwestern University's prestigious Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now Shirley Ryan Ability Lab), he was recruited, in 2002, to the University of Colorado to develop the multidisciplinary Spine Center and multidisciplinary Pain and Sports Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Akuthota is the author of more than 90 publications, author/editor of two textbooks, and a sought after visiting professor/speaker at various international and regional conferences. He served as a founding senior editor of the journal PM&R and previously served on the Boards of NASS (North American Spine Society) and the erstwhile PASSOR (Physiatric Association of Spine Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation). In 2012, he and co-authors received the Outstanding Paper Award by The Spine Journal for research on spinal injections. He is part of the LESS trial group of investigators which has published research in the New England Journal of Medicine and other publications. Dr. Akuthota also started the Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research Collaborative, which aims to create a network of clinician investigators focused on patient-powered outcomes. Dr. Akuthota is an active researcher of innovative spine and musculoskeletal treatments, having held grant funding from agencies like the PCORI, Foundation for PM&R and the CU Health and Welfare Trust. Dr. Akuthota has been a senior or lead investigator on various published clinical trials, including ones for lumbar spinal stenosis, efficacy and utilization of spinal injections, functional movement training, hamstring stretching, hip provocation maneuvers, and nerve injuries in athletes.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Exercise Therapy, Low Back Pain, Lumbar Vertebrae, Athletic Injuries, Hip Joint
E-Mail: Venu.Akuthota@cuanschutz.edu
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@VenuAkuthotaMD
Chief of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine at Children's Hospital Colorado
Vice Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Visiting Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dr. Susan Apkon is the Fischahs Chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Visiting Professor and Vice-Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at University of Colorado School of Medicine. She leads a nationally recognized pediatric rehabilitation program that provides innovate and evidenced based care to children and adolescents with changes in function related to injury, illness, or congenital conditions. Dr. Apkon’s clinical focus is on the care of children with neuromuscular conditions and is the Co-Director of the Neuromuscular Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Apkon’s research interests are focused on providing novel treatments to children with neuromuscular conditions and has been involved over the last 15 years in clinical trials, some of which have led to FDA approved drugs that are changing the course of pediatric neuromuscular diseases.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne, Osteoporosis, Bone Density, Spinal Muscular Atrophies of Childhood.
E-Mail: Susan.Apkon@childrenscolorado.org│ Susan.Apkon@cuanschutz.edu
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@SusanApkon
Associate Professor
Dr. Bade received his Physical Therapy degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed PhD training at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Clinical Science. His research primarily focuses on comparative effectiveness trials in individuals with degenerative knee conditions and following total knee arthroplasty. Secondary research interests include developing strategies to individualize health care using prognostic modeling and implementing research findings into clinical practice.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests - Total knee arthroplasty, translation research, prognostic modeling, individualized healthcare
E-Mail: MICHAEL.BADE@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU
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@physiobade
Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and RehabilitationDr. Nazanin H. Bahraini obtained a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver in summer, 2008. Following completion of a Pre-Doctoral Internship at the Denver VA Medical Center Eastern Colorado Health Services Center, and a Post Doctoral Fellowship at the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Dr. Bahraini became a licensed Psychologist in the state of Colorado. Rehabilitation and recovery of Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury and psychiatric comorbidity; clinical outcomes research in traumatic brain injury; dissemination and implementation of suicide prevention interventions and clinical practice guidelines.
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Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Veterans, Brain Injuries, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Sexual Harassment, Suicide
E-Mail: nazanin.bahraini@va.gov
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@nbahraini11
Senior Instructor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Allison is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO). Her specialties include Child and Teen Health and Heart and Circulation.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Pediatric cardiology
E-Mail:Alison.Ballard@childrenscolorado.org or Alison.Ballard@cuanschutz.edu
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Dr. Lisa M. Betthauser obtained a PhD in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Health Psychology, from the University of Colorado, Denver. Prior to her doctorate, she earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Health Administration from the University of Colorado, Denver, in 2006. She also holds a Certificate of Neuroscience from the University of Colorado, Boulder, completed in 2003. She completed a pre-doctoral internship at the Denver VA Medical Center, Eastern Colorado Health Care System in June 2016. Upon completion of her internship, Dr. Betthauser joined the staff of the Rocky Mountain Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center as a Research Psychologist. Dr. Betthauser's primary research interests include examining the impact of stress, resiliency, mild traumatic brain injury, and suicide on relationships and health and well-being outcomes. In addition, she is interested in the acceptability and feasibility of complementary alternative medicine interventions for PTSD, traumatic brain injury and associated psychiatric outcomes such as suicide. Currently, at the University of Colorado, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, she is a co-investigator on a grant-funded yoga-based treatment for Veterans with mTBI and postconcussive headaches. She also is a co-investigator on a recently completed study exploring parental decision-making regarding return-to-play for student athletes.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Veterans, Complementary Therapies,
Brain Injuries, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Afghan Campaign 2001-
E-Mail: Lisa.Betthauser@va.gov │lisa.betthauser@cuanschutz.edu
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@drlmbetthauser
Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-Physical Therapy Program
Center for Gait & Movement Analysis, Children’s Hospital Colorado
Dr. Bodkin completed physical therapist training at the University of Illinois Chicago and earned a PhD in Clinical Sciences/Health Services Research from University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 2006. She is an Associate Professor in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Her clinical and research work focuses on identifying the natural history of walking, and ways to improve or maintain walking ability in individuals with spine bifida, cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular conditions across the life span. She has 40 years of experience as a pediatric physical therapist and has been a Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy for 28 years. She is experienced in 3-dimensional computerized gait analysis and serves as the primary pediatric physical therapist gait assessment and research at the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis (CGMA), Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Cerebral palsy, spina bifida, exercise gait, exercise therapy, gait, torso, walking.
E-Mail: Amy. Bodkin@childrenscolorado.org│ Amy.Bodkin@cuanschutz.edu
Twitter: @AmyBodkin
Professor, Vice-Chair of Research, PM&R, Director, VHA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center Department of Psychiatry│ Department of Neurology
Lisa A. Brenner. Ph.D. is a Board Certified Rehabilitation Psychologist, a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Psychiatry, and Neurology at the University of Colorado, Anschutz School of Medicine, and the Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC). She is the Research Director for the Department of PM&R. Dr. Brenner is the Past President of Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA) and an APA Fellow. She also serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. Her primary area of research interest is traumatic brain injury, co-morbid psychiatric disorders, and negative psychiatric outcomes including suicide. Dr. Brenner has numerous peer-reviewed publications, participates on national advisory boards, and is currently co-authoring a book regarding neurodisability and suicide.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Veterans, Military Personnel, Brain Injuries, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Suicide
E-Mail: lisa.2.brenner@cuanschutz.edu
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@LisaABrenner
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Denver VA
Dr. Brostow is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D), with a training background in Nutrition, Dietetics, Epidemiology, and Obesity. Her current research focus is on food insecurity in the context of mental health and related social determinants. Specifically, she is investigating the influence different psychosocial factors on military Veterans' access to and use of food, as well as how their food insecurity relates to civilian reintegration and social functioning.
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Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Depressive Disorder, Diet, Body Composition, Nutritional Status
E-Mail: Diana.Brostow@cuanschutz.edu │diana.brostow@va.gov
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@DPBrostowPhD
Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Orthopaedics, Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Research interests: Improved gait analysis methods, mathematical modeling of locomotion, measurement of dynamic center of gravity displacement, and characterization of neuromuscular stiffness.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Gait, Patellar Dislocation, Knee Joint, Walking, Cerebral Palsy
E-Mail: James.Carollo@cuanschutz.edu | James.Carollo@childrenscolorado.org
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Professor, Director Interdisciplinary Movement Science Lab; Co-Director RESTORE Research Group
Dr. Christiansen completed physical therapist training at Duke University (MS) and earned a PhD in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Colorado. He is an associate professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and the Rehabilitation Sciences PhD Program at the University of Colorado (CU). Dr. Christiansen is also a rehabilitation researcher within the VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center. He directs the Interdisciplinary Movement Science Lab on the Anschutz Medical Campus and is co-director for the RESTORE rehabilitation research group at CU. His research focuses on optimizing rehabilitation for older adult populations by addressing movement dysfunction from a biopsychosocial perspective with particular emphasis on biomechanical interventions.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Gait, Movement, Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee, Osteoarthritis, Knee, Weight-Bearing
E-Mail: Cory.Christiansen@cuanschutz.edu | cory.christiansen@va.gov
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Assistant Professor
Dr. Colbert is a Pediatric Neuropsychologist and Rehabilitation Psychologist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Colbert’s clinical interests include working with patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other acquired brain injuries, spinal cord injury, and neurodevelopmental disorders. She is also particularly interested in early childhood and cross-cultural research. Her primary role is on the inpatient rehabilitation unit, though she also conducts outpatient neuropsychological assessments and evidence-based treatment. Dr. Colbert is primarily involved in the training of interns, but also supervises postdoctoral fellows and externs. Dr. Colbert received her Bachelor’s degrees (Psychology and Spanish) from Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA, and her Master’s degree in Clinical Health Psychology from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI. Dr. Colbert completed an internship in Rehabilitation Psychology, as well as a two-year fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests - traumatic brain injury, neurodevelopment, acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury
E-Mail: Alison.Colbert@childrenscolorado.org
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Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation/Children’s Hospital Colorado
Dr. Connery is a clinical pediatric neuropsychologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado and provides clinical services in the Concussion Program, the Non-accidental Brain Injury Care Clinic, and the International Adoption Clinic. Dr. Connery provides clinical services in Spanish. Her research interests include the effects of early neurological insult and deprivation on child development.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Neuropsychological tests, post-concussion syndrome, brain injuries, TBI, Brain Concussion
E-Mail: Amy.Connery@childrenscolorado.org│ Amy.Connery@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor
Dr. Coons received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his residencies at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals and the University of Colorado. Research publications include Physical activity behavior change for older veterans after dysvascular amputation and inpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation treatment for functional neurological disorder in two US veterans.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests - veterans, rehabiitation, physical medicine
E-Mail: David.Coons@cuanschutz.edu
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Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-Physical Therapy Program
Dr. Nordon-Craft is part of a research team, which recently completed a controlled trial investigating early rehabilitation for patients who required mechanical ventilation for ≥ 4 days and is a member of the APTA sponsored Critical Illness Clinical Practice Guideline Task Force. Currently, her teaching focuses on the management of patients with neuromuscular dysfunction, clinical reasoning, and interprofessional education. Dr. Nordon-Craft consistently presents at conferences such as the APTA Combined Sections Meeting and NEXT Annual Conference as well as the American Thoracic Society PM&R meetings.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Physical Therapy Modalities, Critical Care, Muscle Weakness, Critical Illness, Survivors.
E-Mail: Amy.Nordon-Craft@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor, Biostatistician, Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Director of the Data and Statistical Core at the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness,Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC)
Jeri Forster is the Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health and the Director of the Data and Statistical Core at the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC). She obtained her PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 2006. Dr. Forster has a diverse portfolio of work, including a background in HIV/AIDS studies. She is currently involved in grants and projects related to physical function in older adults as well as suicidality, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder in Veterans. Her statistical research interests include longitudinal data analysis, varying-coefficient models and methods to handle non-ignorable dropout in clinical trials and longitudinal observational studies.
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Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Veterans, Suicide, Attempted, Brain Injuries, Post-Concussion Syndrome, Executive Function
E-Mail: Jeri.Forster@cuanschutz.edu
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@jeri4ster
Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dr. Jason Friedrich is a physiatrist at UCHealth. His clinical interests include diagnosis and non-operative management of spinal disorders, musculoskeletal injuries and peripheral nerve injuries. When necessary, he performs electrodiagnostic testing (nerve studies) and spinal or other injections to help figure out the source of the problem, to reduce pain, while providing guidance on therapeutic exercise and rehabilitation. He treats both athletes and non-athletes and individualizes treatments with a goal of reducing pain and improving physical function. He believes exercise is medicine and works with individuals to create treatment plans to improve physical function, whether it be recovery from an acute injury or functioning better despite a chronic condition.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Postural balance, exercise test, radiculopathy, ulnar neuropathies, electrodiagnosis.
E-Mail: Jason.Friedrich@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Clinical Lead, Marcus Institute for Brain Health
Kathryn’s clinic focus is on improving care for individuals with ongoing cognitive-communicative changes at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health. Research interests include: characterization of the cognitive-communicative changes associated post-concussive, interdisciplinary care in protracted recovery from concussion, qualitative research, and improving outcomes for individuals with mild TBI.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: mild traumatic brain injury, concussion, Veterans, speech-language pathology, communication, interdisciplinary care
E-Mail: kathryn.hardin@cuanschutz.edu
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Dr. Michael Harris-Love is a rehabilitation scientist whose main interest is in promoting the functional independence of older adults. Current research activities include developing viable methods of assessing muscle quality and employing innovative exercise interventions for those with sarcopenia. Ongoing activities include muscle plasticity in response to training, detraining, normal aging, and chronic disease, the development of sonographic methods for sarcopenia and myosteatosis screening, and exploring the physiologic advantages of eccentric muscle actions for use in older adult rehabilitation interventions.
Dr. Harris-Love was previously a federal clinician-investigator at the NIH Clinical Center where his work included helping to establish Strength Assessment Laboratories at both the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center and the DC VAMC Clinical Research Center. His research efforts have contributed to the development of international standards for therapeutic trial outcome measures and improved understanding of muscle weakness patterns in the clinical presentation of myopathy.
Dr. Harris-Love is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. He earned his physical therapy degree (MPT) from the Mayo School of Health Sciences, completed his doctoral study at the University of Indianapolis, and post-doctoral training at Georgetown University/Children’s National Hospital.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: sarcopenia, myosteatosis, muscle performance, aging, neuromuscular disease
E-Mail: Michael.Harris-Love@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Research interests include the investigation into the causes, management and treatment of fatigue and mobility limitations in patients with MS. Jeff researches the effectiveness of treatments for the most common signs and symptoms in the MS population. Jeff uses rehabilitation-based treatment strategies such as vestibular rehabilitation, aerobic and strength training for the treatment of impairments in self-reported fatigue, upright postural control, physical activity and muscle function.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Radiopharmaceuticals, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting, Fluorodeoxyglucose F18, Multiple Sclerosis, Walking
E-Mail:Jeffrey.Hebert@cuanschutz.edu
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Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dr. Heyn has been involved in rehabilitation and gerontological research for over 20 years. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the NIDILRR from the HHS Administration for Community Living. She has extensive expertise in designing studies for individuals with complex health conditions including from minority and underserved backgrounds. Throughout her career she has published more than 80 peer-reviewed papers, abstracts, and book chapters and she has mentored successfully more than 50 trainees. She is well-known for her research on the prevention and intervention of Alzheimer’s disease through exercise treatments and her meta-analysis study is recognized as one of the most cited article from the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is Altmetric highly scored. She is the associate editor of The Gerontologist, Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, and the BMC Geriatrics in addition to serve in many highly cited peer-reviewed boards. She holds important leadership roles in the 1) Gerontological Society of America; 2) Neurodegenerative Diseases Networking Group from the ACRM; 3) Complementary and Integrated Rehabilitation Medicine Group from the ACRM; 4) Geriatric Rehabilitation Networking Group (GRNG) from the ACRM, and 5) American College of Sport Medicine. She has been involved in many international scientific activities and her research has been featured in the La Nación, Argentina's leading newspaper and is frequently cited in various media such as HealingWell.com, WIKIBOOKS, ABC 7 News and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Aging, Exercise Training, Cognitive Function, Alzheimer’s Disease, Long-Term Physical Disabilities, Health Promotion, Rehabilitation, Minority Populations
E-Mail: Patricia.Heyn@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Dr. Catie Johnston-Brooks is a Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist (ABPP-CN) and an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She was hired as the clinical neuropsychologist for the Marcus Institute for Brain Health in 2017 and prior to this she was at the Denver VA Medical Center for 18 years as the lead clinical neuropsychologist and the psychology internship training director (since 2010). Dr. Johnston-Brooks is a former present of the Colorado Neuropsychological Society and is currently the chair of the Colorado Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund Board of Directors as well as the chair of their Research and Program Evaluation committee. In her role at the MIBH, Dr. Johnston-Brooks will conduct neuropsychological evaluations, provide feedback and education to patients and family members, and will be involved in clinical research. Her research interests include psychological health in the context of brain injury, particularly among veterans. Dr. Johnston-Brooks believes that clinical neuropsychology's role is to help patients, family members and clinical teams better understand individuals' functioning so that the most effective treatments can be utilized to maximize recovery.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated, Family, Self Care, Environment, Self Efficacy
E-Mail: CATHARINE.JOHNSTON-BROOKS@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-Physical Therapy
Dr. Judd’s clinical research focus’ on investigating human movement patterns and muscle performance during functional activity, along with identifying ways physical therapists can intervene to optimize movement quality, physical function, and quality of life for patients following total hip replacement. In addition, her educational research focuses on exploring innovative technology and educational methods related to teaching evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning for entry-level DPT students.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Muscle strength, arthroplasty-hip replacement, osteoarthritis-hip, knee replacement, hip joint.
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@dana_judd
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Medical Center, RMIRECC
Dr. Adam R. Kinney is an occupational therapist who completed his PhD in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University in 2019. While pursuing his PhD he collaborated with New Start for Student Veterans, a supported education program for student Veterans, to investigate factors influencing a range of clinical outcomes, including resilience, community reintegration, and academic performance. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Rocky Mountain MIRECC, Veterans Affairs, and in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Anschutz Medical Campus.
His primary research interests include investigating factors that influence the successful implementation of guideline-concordant care among Veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury. He is also interested in understanding how determinants located at different levels (e.g., person-, provider-, system-, or societal-level) influence patterns of service delivery and successful outcomes among those with a history of traumatic brain injury.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Veterans, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Health, Implementation Research, and Health Services Research.
E-Mail: Adam.Kinney@va.gov │ Adam.Kinney@cuanschutz.edu
Twitter: @AdamKinneyOT
Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Director, CHCO Rehabilitation Psychology/Neuropsychology
Co-Director, CHCO Concussion Program
Dr. Kirkwood is a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado, School of Medicine. He is the Director of Rehabilitation Psychology & Neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital Colorado and is the founder and co-director of the hospital’s Concussion Program. He has particular interest in pediatric TBI and pediatric validity testing, presenting nationally and internationally on the topics and serving on multiple expert panels and committees. His research has been funded by numerous organizations. He has authored over 100 scientific articles and book chapters, as well as six scientific books.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Brain injuries, neuropsychological tests, malingering, post-concussion syndrome, brain concussion.
E-Mail: Michael.Kirkwood@childrenscolorado.org│ Michael.Kirkwood@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy Program
Dr. Kittelson's research focuses on improving care for people with knee osteoarthritis and people undergoing total knee replacement, through 1) a better understanding of the clinical condition, and 2) improved decision-making in day-to-day practice. Dr. Kittelson is interested in combining data collected in routine clinical practice with analytical strategies to better inform decisions in rehabilitation settings.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Quadriceps Muscle, Pyramidal Tracts, Motor Cortex, Osteoarthritis, Knee, Evoked Potentials, Motor
E-Mail: Andrew.Kittelson@cuanschutz.edu
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Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation/Children’s Hospital Colorado
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Cerebral palsy, movement disorders, neuromuscular diseases, spine diseases and conditions, stroke, nerve injuries/acquired brain injuries trauma
E-Mail: Matthew.Mayer@childrenscolorado.org│ Matthew.Mayer@cuanschutz.edu
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@pedsphysiatrist
Associate Professor
Dr. Laker received his medical degree at the University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and completed his internship at Jackson Memorial Hospital and residency at the University of Colorado. His research interests include lumbar epidural steroid injections, sports-related concussion, and thoracic outlet syndrome. Dr. Laker has published various book chapters on sports medicine and spine topics, and am often invited as a local, regional, and national lecturer on sports-related concussion, spinal conditions, and sports medicine topics.
E-Mail: SCOTT.LAKER@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU
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@drscottlaker
Dr. Magnusson’s research seeks to address racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in children’s utilization of pediatric therapy services. She is especially interested in understanding the role of social networks in influencing the early identification of children with developmental delay, and their utilization of Part C Early Intervention services. Her research also seeks to improve the coordination of the pediatric medical home with other service systems (e.g., Home Visiting Program, Part C Early Intervention, Early Head Start).
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Disabled Children, Eligibility Determination, Intelligence, Developmental Disabilities, Early Intervention (Education)
E-Mail: Dawn.Magnusson@cuanschutz.edu
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Professor, Chair Pediatric Rehabilitation, Department of Pediatrics
Dennis Jerome Matthews, MD, Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado; Fischahs Endowed Chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado Rehabilitation Center, Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Matthews research interest includes the functional outcomes of these congenital and acquired disorders and the impact on their ability to participate in the community. Dr. Matthews has written and lectured extensively on the Rehabilitation Management of Children and Adolescents. He is currently funded through grants from NIDRR, MDA, CDC and NIH. Dr. Matthews is active in the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Association of Academic Physiatrist, International Society Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and the Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. He is the past Chairman of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Matthews is the 2014 recipient of the Gabriella Molnar Lifetime Achievement Award Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Complementary Therapies, Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne, Walking, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, Cerebral Palsy
E-Mail: Dennis.Matthews@cuanschutz.edu | Dennis.Matthews@childrenscolorado.org
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@DenverDen1
Assistant Research Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Research interest: resilience training in healthcare professionals as a mechanism to mitigate psychological distress that results from the work environment
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Nursing Staff, Hospital, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Burnout, Professional, Adaptation, Psychological, Critical Care
E-Mail: Meredith.Mealer@cuanschutz.edu
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@mlmealer
Assistant Professor
Dr. Meron received her medical degree at the Albany Medical College and completed her residency at the University of Colorado. Dr. Meron’s publications include Track and field throwing sports: Injuries and prevention and Epidemiology of Cervical Spine Injuries in High School Athletes Over a Ten-Year Period.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: physical medicine, rehabilitation, physiatry
E-Mail: ADELE.MERON@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU
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@AdeleMeron
Assistant Professor, Research Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
Dr. Mohatt is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) School of Medicine; a Research Psychologist within the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (RMIRECC) at the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center; and a Lecturer in Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, Division of Prevention and Community Research. He completed his doctoral degree in community psychology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2011, where his training focused on rural Alaska Native suicide and substance abuse prevention. Following his doctoral studies, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in substance abuse prevention research at Yale. Since 2004, Dr. Mohatt has worked in rural community healthcare and research to address needs including suicide, substance abuse, housing, cardiovascular disease, and mental illness. In 2000, 2001, and 2005 he served as a legislative aide in Alaska, followed by working as the Health Promotion Manager at the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation's Juneau Medical Center, a large ambulatory care clinic serving the Alaska Native population in and around Juneau, Alaska. During his graduate studies he worked as a research assistant for the State of Alaska Division of Behavioral Health, and from 2008-2011 he served as COO and Policy Research Director for the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. Following his postdoctoral fellowship, he worked as a research scientist with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's Mental Health Program. In 2016, he joined the faculty at the UCD and the VA the RMIRECC. His work has spanned research, policy development, and health services management with American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities, state governments, low income inner-city neighborhoods, and Military and Veteran populations.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Culture, Art, Inuits, Community-Based Participatory Research, Suicide
E-Mail: Nathaniel.Mohatt@cuanschutz.edu | nathaniel.mohatt@va.gov
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@NVMohatt
Assistant Professor, Clinical Research Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry
Sarra Nazem, Ph.D. is a Clinical Research Psychologist at the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Suicide Prevention at the Denver VA. Dr. Nazem earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from West Virginia University following the completion of a clinical internship at the VA Palo Alto. She then went on to complete a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in the VA Advanced Fellowship Program in Mental Illness. Her research has focused on risk factors for suicidal behavior, with an emphasis on factors associated with the acquired capability to enact lethal self-injury. She also has an active grant-funded line of research on sleep interventions as an upstream suicide prevention approach. Dr. Nazem is a consultant for the VA Suicide Risk Management Consultation Service, and is currently leading the development of VA Provider Postvention Resources. She provides supervision and mentorship to psychology interns and fellows, as well as residents.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Veterans, Suicide, Parkinson Disease, Actigraphy, Medical Records
E-Mail: sarra.nazem@va.gov
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@SarraNazem
Associate Program Director of CU Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program
Outpatient Medical Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
William (Bill) Niehaus, MD., is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician at the University Of Colorado Hospital. His current focus is on neuro-rehabilitation and working with patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, stroke, or spinal cord injury. He is also involved with seeing patients in the ICU setting and encouraging early therapy intervention. Prior to accepting his positing at the University of Colorado Hospital he trained in the same program and was the chief resident for the 2014-2015 academic year. He completed his intern year at the Medical College of Wisconsin and his medical school training at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He also is the president of the Colorado Rehabilitation Services Volunteer Partnership Free Clinic.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Computer Literacy, Computers, Handheld, Attitude to Computers, Internship and Residency, Prospective Studies
E-Mail: william.niehaus@cuanschutz.edu
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@NHausMD
Physician
Dr. Olson is a specialist in Brain Injury Medicine and Physiatry. He completed medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and PM&R residency at the University of Washington in Seattle. At UW, he also completed the Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program funded by the NIH, and the StrokeNet Research Fellowship also funded by the NIH. His expertise is in human Brain Computer Interface and Neural Stimulation/ Modulation, and applications of technology and data science in healthcare.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Vulnerable Populations, Electrodes, Implanted, Quality Assurance, Health Care, Cerebral Cortex, Subdural Space
E-Mail: jared.olson@cuanschutz.edu
Assistant Professor, Curriculum Developer, CHA/PA Program; Secretary Treasurer, Colorado State Anatomical Board, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology
Dr. Mike Pascoe primary role is teaching anatomy to various allied health profession students (PT, PA, MD, MS). His research efforts are directed at exploring the role technology has on learning outcomes in the modern classroom. He has a passion for human body donation guides and serves as a member of the Colorado State Anatomical Board.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Recruitment, Neurophysiological, Muscle Contraction, Action Potentials, Muscle, Skeletal, Motor Neurons
E-Mail: mike.pascoe@cuanschutz.edu
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@mpascoe
Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
E-Mail: Katherine.Payne@cuanschutz.edu
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@KGPayneMD
Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Pediatric Neuropsychologist, Children’s Hospital Colorado
Dr. Peterson is a pediatric neuropsychologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She received a doctorate in child clinical psychology from the University of Denver and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology from the University of Denver and Children’s Hospital Colorado. She previously worked as director of the Developmental Neuropsychology Clinic at the University of Denver. She is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology and Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. She has clinical and research interests in neurodevelopmental disorders and pediatric traumatic brain injury. She is currently a co-Investigator for the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. She is an author on over 20 peer-reviewed publications, multiple book chapters, and the book Diagnosing Learning Disorders: From Science to Practice (3rd Edition) which was published by Guilford Press in 2019. Before studying to be a psychologist, she taught kindergarten and first grade, which sparked her interest in understanding how all children learn to read. She is active in teaching and training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Neuropsychology of learning disabilities, pediatric traumatic brain injury, and spina bifida; pediatric concussion; dyslexia; comorbidity among neurodevelopmental disorders; cognitive and psychosocial functioning in children with chronic medical conditions.
E-Mail: Robin.Peterson@childrenscolorado.org│ Robin.Peterson@cuanschutz.edu
Twitter: None
Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-Physical Therapy Program/Children’s Hospital Colorado
Aaron is currently an Assistant Professor practicing at Children's Hospital Colorado in pediatric rehabilitation. He completed pediatric rehabilitation fellowship training at the Children’s Hospital Colorado and residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of California, Davis. He received his medical doctorate from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and studied biology at the University of Arizona where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. While at University of Arizona he competed with the Men’s Track and Cross Country teams. His research interests are in acute and chronic treatment of brain injury, health literacy and medical education.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Cerebral palsy, spina bifida, exercise gait, exercise therapy, gait, torso, walking.
E-Mail: Aaron.Powell@childrenscolorado.org│ Aaron.Powell@cuanschutz.edu
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@AaronPowellMD
Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-Physical Therapy
Dr. Schenkman's research focuses on people with chronic conditions with a major focus on Parkinson's disease. Her work centers around development of interventions to improve function of individuals living with these conditions. To this end, she has developed frameworks and models analyzing the role of physical intervention for such individuals as well as studies relating impairments to functional ability. These foundational studies set the basis for the clinical trials to test the effects of interventions to reduce impairments and related functional deficits. She has been PI of randomized controlled exercise investigations for people with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and low back pain and has been a co-investigator for clinical trials for people with a range of other conditions (e.g., critical care polyneuropathy/polymyopathy, and dysvascular amputation).
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Physical Therapy Modalities, Activities of Daily Living, Spine, Parkinson Disease, Exercise
E-Mail: Margaret.Schenkman@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Pediatric Psychologist, Concussion Program, Children’s Hospital Colorado
Dr. Simpson is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is a rehabilitation psychologist who provides outpatient behavioral health services to patients with acute and/or chronic medical conditions and consultation/intervention services in a multidisciplinary spinal defects clinic. Dr. Simpson’s research interests include treatment development for youth with persistent post-concussive symptoms and evaluation of patient and family psychosocial functioning for youth with neural tube defects. She is the Director of the Rehabilitation Psychology Training Program and a clinical supervisor for predoctoral externs and interns.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Attention deficit and disruptive behavior disorders, group psychotherapy, family therapy, evidence-based practice, and aggression.
E-Mail: Tess.Simpson@childrenscolorado.org│ Tess. Simpson@cuanschutz.edu
Twitter: None
Faculty, University of Colorado Physical Therapy Program
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus | School of Medicine
Dr. Andrew C. Smith is a rehabilitation scientist whose primary interest is improving the assessment and clinical management of individuals with spinal cord injury. Dr. Smith’s secondary interest is in the quantification and characterization of skeletal muscle in health and disease states. Current research activities include: using medical imaging to to investigate the extent of spinal cord injury and its impact on motor and sensory function, using magnetic resonance imaging to improve the mechanistic understanding of responsiveness to spinal cord stimulation, and convolutional neural networks to automate segmentation processes of neuromusculoskeletal imaging.
Dr. Smith has received several notable research awards from the National Institutes of Health, Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, and the American Physical Therapy Association, including a NIH R03 Early Career Investigator Award.
Dr. Smith earned his doctor of physical therapy degree (DPT) from the University of Washington, and completed his PhD in neuroscience at Northwestern University.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: spinal cord injury, MRI, muscle imaging, spinal cord stimulation.
E-Mail: Andrew.c2.Smith@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor
Christopher received his PhD from the University of Colorado, Boulder in Integrative Physiology with an emphasis in Microbiology. His research aims to understand how the microbiota in the gut act through the immune system to influence physical and mental health. He works closely with US Veteran populations from the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center to probe at specific interactions between the immune system and mental health. He hopes to assist in the discovery of alternative and more effective treatments for mental health disorders understand how the microbiota in the gut act through the immune system to influence physical and mental health. He works closely with US Veteran populations from the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center to probe at specific interactions between the immune system and mental health. He hopes to assist in the discovery of alternative and more effective treatments for mental health disorders.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Microbiome, physical health, mental health, immunology
E-Mail: christopher.Stamper@cuanschutz.edu
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Professor, Physical Therapy Education
Dr. Stevens-Lapsley is a Professor in the Physical Therapy Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. She is focused on identifying, integrating and advancing innovative evidence-based medicine solutions for older adult rehabilitation through highly effective research methods and partnerships. She has almost 20 years of clinical research experience in patients with osteoarthritis planning joint arthroplasty, and more recently, medically complex patient populations. Her research ranges from understanding the mechanisms of skeletal muscle dysfunction to studies of implementation of best rehabilitation practices in post-acute care settings. More specifically, her research includes the evaluation of care bundling strategies for joint arthroplasty, pragmatic interventions in medically complex patient populations, and health services research to understanding how rehabilitation services impact hospitalization rates and functional performance. Her clinical research has resulted in numerous publications (100+), national and international speaking invitations, and awards such as the Jack Walker Manuscript award from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and an Excellence in Research Award. Her research has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Foundation for Physical Therapy, the American College of Rheumatology, and the Arthritis Foundation. Dr. Stevens-Lapsley earned her PT degree at the University of Delaware, where she went on to complete a PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science with a focus in Applied Physiology. She then completed post-doctoral training at the University of Florida.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Quadriceps Muscle, Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee, Electric Stimulation Therapy, Muscle Weakness, Muscle Strength
E-Mail: Jennifer.Stevens-Lapsley@cuanschutz.edu
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Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Director of AANEM and Medical Co-Director of ALS Interdisciplinary Clinic, Rocky Mountain Regional Administration Medical Center
Dr. Tahmasbi Sohi received her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado and completed her fellowship training in Neuromuscular Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine with the Department of Neurology. She is the director of AANEM certified electrodiagnostic laboratories and the medical co-director of ALS Interdisciplinary Clinic at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center.
Her primary interests include diagnosis and management of neuromuscular disorders, electrodiagnostic studies, and spasticity management. She is also interested in understanding the effects of corticosteroid injections on endocrine function.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Neurorehabilitation, Stroke Rehabilitation, electromyography, musculoskeletal disorders, electrodiagnosis, and muscle function.
E-Mail: Maryam.Tahmasbisohi2@va.gov │ Maryam.Tahmasbisohi@cuanschutz.edu
Twitter: None
Associate Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Kristin Uhler, PhD has a Specialty Certification in Pediatric Audiology. She has practiced as an audiologist since 2000, and works to refine the research tools in an effort to decrease the age at which speech perception can be assessed and how speech perception relates to later language development. Her research focuses on developing a biomarker of infant speech perception in infants with and without hearing loss. Clinically, she strives to standardize protocols to develop good clinical practices locally and nationally. She has successfully completed several research grants and project and is currently funded on a mentored K23 grant funded through the National Institute of Health/ National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. She is the Chair of Audiology, Speech Pathology, and Learning Services; Kelley Family/Schlessman Family Scottish Rite Masons Chair in Childhood Language Disorders, and Co-Chair Bill Daniels Center for Children's Hearing at Children's Hospital Colorado. Her research focus on developing a biomarker of infant speech perception in infants with and without hearing loss. Dr. Uhler continues to refine the research tools she uses in an effort to decrease the age at which speech perception can be assessed and how speech perception relates to later language development.
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Hearing Loss, Ossicular Prosthesis, Hearing Aids, Speech Perception, Cochlear Implants
E-Mail: Kristin.Uhler@cuanschutz.edu
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@Hearkristin
Associate Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Research interest: Pediatric Rehab, Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spina Bifida, Athletics in the Disabled, Sports Medicine in the Disabled
Key Words Describing Research and Clinical Interests: Urinary Incontinence, Athletic Performance, Fecal Incontinence, Spinal Dysraphism, Disabled Children
E-Mail: Pamela.Wilson@cuanschutz.edu | Pamela.Wilson@childrenscolorado.org
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Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SOM)
CU Anschutz
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