The CU Physical Therapy Program (CU PT) congratulates Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley PT, PhD, FAPTA, on her recent appointment as Section Director of Research & Development. Dr. Stevens-Lapsley joined the CU Physical Therapy faculty in 2006 and established the RESTORE Laboratory. She was promoted to full Professor with tenure in 2015 and was named the Director of the Rehabilitation Sciences PhD Program the following year. Her clinical research is centered on advancing innovative evidence-based medicine rehabilitation solutions for older adults. This work has been supported by multiple R01 grants through the National Institutes of Health as well as major funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Dr. Stevens-Lapsley has been recognized by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research as the #3 largest recipient of NIH grants in the United States for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Dr. Stevens-Lapsley has also been prolific with academic publications, as the author or co-author of over sixty publications in the last 5 years.

In addition to Dr. Stevens-Lapsley’s leadership roles at CU PT, she serves as the Associate Director for Research of Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center. Dr. Stevens-Lapsley’s many professional contributions have been recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association when she received the Marion Williams Research Award in 2019 and Catherine Worthingham Fellowship status in 2020. 

Dr. Stevens-Lapsley brings her considerable expertise and leadership experience to further advance the research mission of the CU Physical Therapy Program. While CU PT has the primary purpose of educating excellent entry-level practitioners, the academic program is housed by the CU Anschutz Medical Campus which is a “R1” research institution (i.e., a university with “very high research activity” per the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education). Therefore, the program remains committed to adding to the knowledge base of physical therapy and training future investigators and faculty members. Dr. Stevens-Lapsley’s new role with CU PT will include working with the CU PT Program Director, Dr. Michael Harris-Love, to evaluate and develop new research partnerships, enhance research support services, manage research infrastructure and resources, and promote the career development of faculty through scholarship and clinical research activity.

“I have been grateful for the opportunity to continue to invest in the growth of our rehabilitation research program alongside talented faculty and trainees whose contributions continue to be recognized nationally. My hope is that our collective research program will not only advance clinical practice but will concurrently elevate the visibility and value of rehabilitation in our medical communities across the world,” says Dr. Stevens-Lapsley.

“Dr. Stevens-Lapsley’s contributions to rehabilitation research are recognized nationally and she continues to provide excellent leadership to the Rehabilitation Sciences PhD Program”, stated Dr. Harris-Love. “Her new position better defines her role across our academic programs and ensures that we have a clear research vision as we recruit new faculty, meet the challenges associated with a growing medical center, and build upon our previous research accomplishments.”