Director

Kathleen A. Sluka, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Research Associate

Lynn Rasmussen, BA

Lynn received her BA in Psychology from the University of Iowa. Lynn is our laboratory manager and has been with the team since 2006. She takes care of all operations and is actively involved in mentoring trainees and collecting data. She is currently working on the exercise-induced pain and analgesia studies, A2CPS and the Metabolic Biomarkers in Fibromyalgia study.

Research Assistant

Sandy Mostaert, BA

Sandy works for the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science as a Clinical Trials Research Assistant and Data Management. Sandy was assigned in 2019 under the direction of Dr. Sluka to assist in clinical trials for pain management. She is currently working on the Fibromyalgia Transcutaneous Electrica Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in Physical Therapy study (FM-TIPS), A2CPS, and Metabolic Biomarkers in Fibromyalgia study.

Collaborating Professors

Ruth L. Chimenti, PT, PhD

Dr. Chimenti is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science whose research focuses on Achilles Tendinopathy. She did a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Sluka and continues to collaborate on ongoing projects. She is working with the FM-TIPS study team. Visit her website for more information on her research in her laboratory.

Dana Dailey, PT, PhD

Dr. Dailey has worked with the laboratory since 2006. She received her PhD in 2013 under the direction of Dr. Sluka and has been working with the team on clinical trials. She is currently an Assistant Professor at St. Ambrose University and works on the A2CPS and FM-TIPS projects.

Laura A. Frey Law, PT, PhD

Dr. Frey Law is a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science whose research focuses on both pain and fatigue. She an Dr. Sluka have been collaborating for years and hold two grants together as MPI to examine biomarkers (A2CPS and metabolomics). Visit her website for more information on research in her laboratory. 

Carol G.T. Vance, PT, PhD

Dr. Vance has been working in the laboratory since 1996 on both animal and human studies. She received her PhD in Rehabilitation Science under the direction of Dr. Sluka and is currently a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science here at the University of Iowa. She is currently working on the A2CPS and FM-TIPS projects. 

Visiting Scholar

Kazuhiro Hayashi, PT, PhD

Dr. Hayashi received his PT degree from Magoya University and practiced in Japan for several years before he received his PhD in Medical Science from Aichi Medical University under the direction of Takahiro Ushida. He joined the laboratory in July 2020 and is working on the role of purinergic receptors in exercise-induced pain. 

Postdoctoral Scholar

Giovanni Berardi, DPT, PhD

Dr. Berardi received his PT degree from Rosalind Franklin University and practiced in Chicago for several years before returning to Marquette University to receive his PhD in Clinical & Translational Rehabilitation Health Science under the direction of Marie Hoeger Bement, PT, PhD. Giovanni joined the laboratory in November of 2020 and is working on the A2CPS and Metabolic Biomarkers for Fibromyalgia projects. 

PhD Students

Adam Janowski, DPT

Dr. Janowski received his PT degree from the University of Illinois-Chicago and worked for several years in Chicago before starting his PhD at the University of Iowa in August of 2020. He is working on the role of metabolites in mediated fatigue and pain. 

Angela Smith (Neuroscience PhD Student)

Angela received her bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science from the University of Arizona before joining the Neuroscience PhD program in August 2021. She joined the laboratory in May 2022 and is investigating the role of spinal dopamine in pain chronification.

Research Assistants

• Jonah Pedelty
• Kari Vance

Research Interns

• Greg Bernhard
• Robert Flanagan

Student Employees

• Elizabeth Gross
• Joshua Thomas

DPT Research Group

• Brianne Babcock
• Emma Braunbeck
• Kody Brinker
• Emma Brooks
• Jared DeFriend
• Kailey Heemskerk