PhD Graduates

• Dan Wang, PhD 2020 (Rehabilitation Science)
• Shannon Merkle, MOT, PhD 2016 (Rehabilitation Science)
• Monica Paliwal, PhD 2015 (Biomedical Engineering) Co-advisor
• John Looft, PhD 2014 (Biomedical Engineering)
  • Heartland Ergonomics Fellowship
• Keith Avin, PhD 2012 (Rehabilitation Science)
  • Awarded NRSA Fellowship (2008-2011)
  • Awarded Kendall PhD Scholarship from APTA (2009)
  • Awarded APTA PODS I Fellowship (2009-2010)
  • Awarded FPT PODS II (2012)
• Jennifer Lee, PhD 2008 (Behavioral Medicine)
  • Awarded Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship in Aging (2007)
  • Awarded Seashore Dissertation Fellowship (2008)

MS Graduates

• Andrea Laake, MSE 2008 (Mechanical Engineering)
  • Awarded 1st Place in Biological and LIfe Sciences Division for James F Jakobsen Conference (2008)
  • Awarded Best Poster for College of Engineering Research Day - Mechanical Engineering (2008)
• Gary Pierce, MSE 2009 (Biomedical Engineering)
  • Awarded Best Poster for College of Engineering Research Day - Biomedical Engineering (2008)
• Monica Paliwal, MSE 2013 (Biomedical Engineering)
• John Looft, MSE 2012 (Biomedical Engineering)
• Aruna Tumulura, MSE 2011 (Biomedical Engineering)
• Allison Stockdale, MSE 2011 (Biomedical Engineering)

Postdoctoral Trainees

• Ting Xia (Biomedical Engineering)

Other Student Researchers

• Tara McMullen, DPT (2005-2008)
  • Awarded IREU undergraduate scholarship in lab (2006)
• Ayanna Porter, BS (SROP Summer Student 2007)
  • SROP summer program student (2007)
• Myles Melyon
  • Awarded ICRU undergraduate scholarship (2007-2008)
• Devon Smith, M3
  • Student Medical Student Research (2008)
• Alex Wittry, M3
  • Summer Medical Student Research (2008)
• Harris Hamsukuttym, PhD
• Tiffanie Duong (2018, undergraduate honors project)
• Lauren Hillman (2016-2017, research assistant)
• Chris DeBlois (2014-2017, research assistant)
• Brandon Uribe (2015, Iowa Biosciences Academy)
• Emma Greimann (2014)
  • ICRU undergraduate fellowship
• Eric Allen (2012-2014)
  • CSM Outstanding Poster Award (2014)
• Charlie Paul, M3 (2014)
  • Summer Medical Student Research
• Elaine Rodriguez (2013)
  • SROP Summer Program
• Desmond Adeniji (2013)
  • SROP Summer Program
• John Bonilla (2012)
  • SROP Summer Program
• Jackie Wells (2011-2012, undergraduate research assistant)
• Sara Hussain (2010)
  • ICRU undergraduate fellowship

Director

Laura Frey Law, PhD, PT

DPT Student Research Group

• Anneliese Barton
• Brittany Hegstad
• Maddie Jansen
• Kyla Kessler
• Cody Rickard
• Ben Smogard
• Allen Vis

Graduate  Students

• Omid Khoshavi Najafabadi, MS
• Robert Wiederien, DPT

Undergraduate Research Students

• Christine Budil
• Harper Dunne
• Elizabeth Reardon

The Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory is a newly renovated space (~600gsf) aimed at studying neuromuscular (e.g. muscle activation strategies, EMG, reflex responses) and biomechanical (e.g. motion and force production) aspects of human movement. Major equipment includes:

• Biodex System # with Researcher's Toolkit
• 16 channel Bagnoli-16 (Delsys, Inc.) surface EMG
• Digitimer DS7A stimulator
• 100 Hz digital camera (Basler A602f)
• Infusion pump
• pH meter
• Somedic Pressure Pain Algometer
• Labview, Matlab, and MaxTraq 2D software packages
• Dell Precision Workstation, with dual SATA hard-drives (RAID configured)
• National Instruments M-series DAQ
• Dell Latitude 600 laptop
• National Instruments E-series DAQcard for portable EMG 

Director

Laura Frey Law, PT, PhD

Research Interests

Musculoskeletal Pain and Fatigue

• Experimental pain models in humans to investigate individual differences
  • Sex-differences
  • Personality
  • Genetics
  • Using intramuscular infusions, cold pressor task or muscle fatigue
• Factors contributing to fatigue differences
  • Sex-differences
  • Between-joint differences
• Joint Strength and Fatigue
  • Modeling 3D strength surfaces
    • Males vs. Females
    • Strength percentiles
    • Major joints: knee, elbow, shoulder, wrist, trunk, hip, ankle
    • For digital human modeling application in collaboration with the Virtual Soldier Research Group and Center for Computer-aided Design
  • Muscle activation strategies
    • Muscle co-contraction during strength testing
  • Modeling Fatigue
    • Joint-level 3-compartment model< >Joint-specific modelsInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP, International Collaborative Research Grant)
    • National Institutes of Health (NIH, K12, K01, NRSA for student)
    • American Pain Society (APS, Future Leaders in Pain grant)
    • Department of Defense (through Virtual Research Soldier, VSR, program)
    • United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR, subcontract through VSR)
    • Foundation for Physical Therapy (graduate student support in lab)
    • Carver College of Medicine (Carver Medical Research Initiative Grant) 

Funding Sources

• International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP, International Collaborative Research Grant)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH, K12, K01, NRSA for student)
• American Pain Society (APS, Future Leaders in Pain grant)
• Department of Defense (through Virtual Research Soldier, VSR, program)
• United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR, subcontract through VSR)
• Foundation for Physical Therapy (graduate student support in lab)
• Carver College of Medicine (Carver Medical Research Initiative Grant) 

• Director: Richard K. Shields, PT, PhD
• Clinical Associate Professor: Shauna Dudley-Javoroski, MPT, PhD
• Clinical Assistant Professor:  Michael Petrie, BSE, DC, PhD
• Engineer:  Jason Wu, BS, MS
• PhD Students: Chishan Shiao, PT; Olga Dubey, MA; Michael Shaffer, MPT, OCS, ATC
• DPT Research Group:  Caroline Brosnahan, Andrew Charney, Kaitlin Feda, Anthony Gaziano, Mackenzie O'Neil, Rowan Schlarmann, Ryan Spence

Front Row: Jinhyun Lee, PhD; Olga Dubey, PhD Student; Shauna Dudley-Javoroski, Clinical Associate Professor

Back Row:  Michael Petrie, Clinical Assistant Professor; Richard Shields, Director; Jason Wu, Engineer

• Kristin Johnson (PhD, 2022, University of Iowa)
• Jinhyun Lee (PhD, 2022, University of South Florida)
• Amy Kimball (PhD, 2019; University of Iowa)
• Keith Cole (PhD, 2017; George Washington University)
• Chu-Ling Yen (PhD, 2016; Chang Gung University, Taiwan)
• Michael Petrie (PhD, 2016; University of Iowa)
• Colleen McHenry (PhD, 2015; University of Iowa)
• Andrew Littmann (PhD, 2012; Regis University)
• Nora Riley (PhD, 2010; St. Ambrose University)
• Masaki Iguchi (PhD, 2009; Tsukuba University of Technology, Japan)
• Shauna Dudley-Javoroski (PhD, 2009; University of Iowa)
• Kim Eppen (PhD, 2007; University of Iowa)
• Sangeetha Madhavan (PhD, 2007; University of Chicago-Illinois)
• Preeti Deshpande (PhD, 2007; University of California)
• Bryon Ballantyne (PhD, 2006, St. Ambrose University)
• Laura Frey Law (PhD, 2004, University of Iowa)
• Sheila Schindler-Ivens (PhD, 2001, Northwestern University)
• Ya-Ju Chang (PhD, 1999, Chang Gung University)
• Andy Messaros (PhD, 1998, Medical College of Ohio)
• Debbie Heiss (PhD, 1997, Ohio State University)
• Sangeetha Madhavan (MA, 2003)
• Andy Littmann (MA, 1998)
• Lori Enloe (MA, 1996)
• Janet Ruhland (MA, 1996)
• Ya-Ju Chang (MA, 1995)

Director 

Richard K. Shields, PT, PhD

Contact Information

Locations: 

0716B University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics 

Medical Education Building 

McMillan Lecture

Richard Shields, PT, PhD, FAPTA, delivered a powerful and provocative message as part of the 48th Mary McMillan Lecture “Turning Over the Hourglass” at the June 2017 American Physical Therapy Association’s NEXT Conference in Boston.  Receiving the Mary McMillan Lecture is the most distinguished honor a physical therapist can receive and recognizes demonstrated exemplary skills in the areas of administration, education, patient care, management and research.  Faculty, staff, students, physical therapists and leaders from across the country attended the NEXT conference to hear the talk.  He challenged all physical therapists to “turn over the hourglass” and extend life to those who need our services.  Specifically, he addressed two frontiers that will impact the future of physical therapy:  understanding the principles of “precision physical therapy” and appreciating “the human experience of our patients and students”.  Through high quality illustrations, videos, and classic clinical examples, Dr. Shields carefully communicated concepts about optimized movement that captivated the audience and challenged them to think about their future as physical therapists.  Please click to view the video of  his lecture.

Current Research Projects

Neuromusculoskeletal Plasticity following Spinal Cord Injury

The effects of disuse from spinal cord injury are studied with respect to skeletal changes (bone density), muscular adaptations, fatigue, contractile properties (fiber type), and reflex excitability (H-reflex, withdrawal reflex). The extent to which these adaptations are influenced by training under acute and chronic conditions are examined during longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.

Electrical and Mechanical Stress on Post-SCI Muscle and Bone

The objective of this project is to determine whether mechanical loads induced via electrical stimulation, mechanical oscillation, or the combination thereof can trigger genetic changes and preservation of bone mineral density after SCI.  The study examines both the short term (1 bout) and long term (6 months) effects of these types of training.

Novel Intervention to Influence Muscle Plasticity in Veterans with SCI

The long-term goal of this project is to establish the optimal dose of muscle and bone stress during functional exercise in order to improve the health of veterans with complete paralysis.  Outcomes include muscle physiologic performance, adaptations of genes that regulate atrophy and muscle fiber type, systemic markers of inflammation and insulin regulation.

Mechanical Stress and Skeletal Plasticity after Spinal Cord Injury in Humans

The objective of this project is to determine whether mechanically induced stress, via compression of vibration, in the absence of electrically-evoked muscle contractions, can maintain bone integrity longitudinally after SCI.  The long term aim is to develop therapies to enhance bone integrity in subacute and chronic SCI, including individuals who cannot electrically activate their musculature.

Cortical Excitable and Motor Learning

The objective is to test if novel movement tasks, with unexpected perturbations, enhance motor learning in individuals with compromised human performance (aging, athletes due to injury, CNS disorders, fatigue).

Heat Stress and Protective Extracellular Chaperones

The goal of this project is to examine if passive heat stress, with and without various doses of exercise, may enhance protective proteins associated with cell health.  We are examining if these interventions impact insulin sensitivity in humans who are sedentary.

Current Funding

• NIH R01 NR-010285
• NIH R01 HD-062507
• UL1 TR002537
• APTA Academic of Education
• NIH R01 NS094387

Part of the mission of the Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Scienceis to develop new knowledge that aids in the advancement of human health. This is the central focus of the faculty’s research.

Ongoing investigations cover a variety of topics (e.g., pain, neuromuscular plasticity, fatigue, gait) in a number of patient populations including spinal cord injury, stroke, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and ACL injury. The work is accomplished through basic, applied, and/or clinical approaches, and is funded by a variety of sources including the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, industry, and several prominent research foundations (e.g., the Foundation for Physical Therapy, International Association for the Study of Pain, the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation). A unique feature of the program is its integration with both the Carver College of Medicine and the Graduate College, fostering broad collaborations that span departments and disciplines such as neuroscience, pharmacology, anesthesia, internal medicine, engineering, orthopaedics, and radiology.

The following research laboratories are directed by Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science faculty members: 

Human Movement Control/Performance Laboratory

Director: Richard K. Shields, PT, PhD 

Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory

Director: Laura A. Frey Law, PT, PhD 

Neurobiology of Pain Laboratory

Director: Kathleen A. Sluka, PT, PhD 

Human Integrative and Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory

Director: Darren P. Casey, PhD

Applied Neuroplasticity Laboratory

Director:  Stacey L. DeJong, PT, PhD

Human Performance and Clinical Outcomes Laboratory

Director:  Jason M. Wilken, PT, PhD

Movement, Imaging & Rehabilitation Laboratory

Director:  Ruth L. Chimenti, DPT, PhD

The PhD Program in Physical Rehabilitation Science is focused on preparing students for a career in research and teaching. In addition to discovering new knowledge, the Program offers an exceptional opportunity for graduate students to train and conduct their own original research under the mentorship of an experienced faculty member.

The PhD program is designed to advance the student's abilities to independently develop and carry out research projects that strive to establish the scientific basis for the prevention, evaluation and treatment of impairments, functional limitations, and disability. The curriculum is sufficiently flexible to accommodate research needs that focus on basic, applied, or clinical studies in the rehabilitation sciences. At the completion of the program graduates will be positioned to assume academic appointments that emphasize research, scholarship, and teaching. The specific objectives are listed below.

On completion of the Doctoral Program the student will:

• Possess the theoretical and scientific knowledge to perform original research at the basic, applied or clinical level leading to scientific presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and the potential to compete for extramural funding through scientific grant writing.
• Possess a breadth of knowledge in the cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, or neuromuscular specialty areas as they relate to impairment, functional limitation, and disability.
• Possess the theoretical and practical skills required to teach at the professional entry and advanced graduate levels within the academic community.

In order to achieve the above objectives, a PhD plan of study is developed on an individual basis between the student and the faculty adviser. A preliminary plan of study is developed within the first nine semester hours of graduate study and is submitted to the PhD Program Committee for review with recommendations to the Program director for approval. A final (official) plan of study is submitted to the Graduate College at the time of scheduling the PhD Comprehensive Examination.

• Plan of Study

To ensure desired breadth of knowledge, specific scientific area core courses are required of all students. Elective courses are selected to provide in depth study of a defined specialty focus complemented by an advanced specialty specific seminar course taken in preparation of the comprehensive examination. A minimum of 20 semester hours, excluding research, is required in the defined specialty area. Specific core tools and practicum courses are required to provide background knowledge and skill acquisition for teaching and research. Twelve semester hours of thesis research with an oral examination serves as the culminating doctoral graduate study experience.

Admission Requirements

Students are considered for admission based on:

• Grade point average of 3.0 [B=3.0]
• Graduate Record Examination (Aptitude Test): At or above the 50th percentile for each section is recommended
• Statement of purpose (which identifies a focus or interest area)
• Three letters of reference
• International applicants are required to score a minimum of 100 on the computerized TOEFL exam.
• A minimum of two years of clinical experience may be considered highly desirable, depending on the area of research interest.

Admission Procedures

The applicant must complete the online Graduate College application. The Admissions Office evaluates application materials to ensure that minimum Graduate College standards are met. Once the Graduate College application is submitted, the applicant will receive an email with instructions on how to upload the required supporting documents including letters of reference.  Deadlines for the completed written applications are October 15 (notification by December 15); March 15 (notification by May 15); and May 15; (notification July 15). Following a review of the applications by the PhD Admissions Committee, a decision is made whether or not to interview the applicant. An on-site interview at The University of Iowa is preferred, but a telephone interview may be conducted when extenuating circumstances prevail. The PhD Admissions Committee recommends to the faculty those applicants to whom acceptance into the program is offered. It is highly recommended that applicants accepted into the program commence their studies in the summer or fall academic semesters.

Grade-Point Average Requirement

Students pursuing the PhD degree are required to meet the general academic requirements and minimum academic standards of the Graduate College which includes maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 on all graduate work undertaken at this University. Additional information can be found in the University's Graduate College Manual.

Advising

Students pursuing the PhD degree are advised by a program adviser in the area of specialization in which the student is interested (see listing of graduate faculty by specialty area). PhD degree candidates should arrange meetings with their program adviser for the purpose of preparing a preliminary plan of study during the first session in which they are enrolled. When the preliminary plan of study is completed, a signed and dated copy by the faculty adviser and the candidate is submitted to the PhD Program Committee for review/approval. Copies of the signed preliminary plan of study will be sent to the candidate and the faculty adviser for their records.