The University of Colorado (CU) is delighted to welcome Dr. Michael Harris-Love to serve as Professor and Program Director of the Physical Therapy Program. Dr. Harris-Love will also serve CU Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) as the Associate Dean of Physical Therapy Education and continue his role as a Veterans Affairs (VA) investigator through his affiliation with the Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center.

Dr. Harris-Love succeeds Dr. Margaret Schenkman in her direction of a program ranked within the Top-15 nationally. Dr. Harris-Love was previously the Associate Director of the Human Performance Research Unit and founding Co-Director of the Rehabilitation Research Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program at the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center (DC VAMC). In addition, he held faculty appointments at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and George Mason University Department of Rehabilitation Science.  

Dr. Harris-Love’s clinical career began as a physical therapist at the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, following his graduation from the Mayo School of Health Sciences in 1997. He completed his doctoral study at the University of Indianapolis and post-doctoral training at Georgetown University/Children’s National Hospital. Dr. Harris-Love has participated in multiple clinical trials involving participants with myopathy and neuromuscular disease within the NIH Intramural Research Program, and he helped to establish strength assessment laboratories at both the NIH Clinical Center and the DC VAMC. He has also served as a faculty member with physical therapy programs at the University of Indianapolis, George Washington University, and University of Maryland Medical School. Dr. Harris-Love’s recent service activity with the National Institutes on Aging, and his funding through the VA Office of Research, reflects his interest in promoting the functional independence of older adults. His current research activities include developing viable methods of assessing muscle quality and employing innovative exercise interventions for those with sarcopenia. 

Dr. Venu Akuthota, Chair of CU PM&R, remarks, “Dr. Harris-Love’s leadership career has spanned the development of research laboratories, mentoring junior investigators, and teaching the next generation of physical therapists. Michael will spark innovative curriculum and research into an already top-tier Physical Therapy Program.”