Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science

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Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science

This is the official Facebook account for the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science

The University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science develops physical therapist practitioners and scholars to restore physical function and performance, prevent physical injury and disease and promote physical wellness. We accomplish this through excellence and leadership in education, research and service. The department offers an entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and a Ph.D. in Physical Rehabilitation Science. Our students are a culturally and geographically diverse population with a variety of academic backgrounds.

04/02/2026

This week, we held a town hall with the Class of 2027!

Students got the chance to have an open dialogue with department chair Dr. Victoria Marchese along with other faculty and staff leaders.

We appreciate everyone who came and made the conversation productive and uplifting!

03/31/2026

Anke Hua, PhD, Post Doc Fellow, one of our talented researchers here at UMSOM PTRS, will be presenting at this year's Research Day!

On May 5, Dr. Hua will share her presentation, "Trip-Like Perturbations Reveal Balance Vulnerability in Parkinson's Disease."

Make sure you register for Research Day by May 1 to attend our event and hear from Dr. Hua, Dr. Katie Dondero, and a keynote presentation from Dr. Nora Fritz of Wayne State University.

Register here: https://www.eventleaf.com/e/ResearchDay2026

03/26/2026

Our second-year students recently returned from their first clinical experience and got right back to work in the lab!

This Musculoskeletal 2 lab allowed students to simulate spinal post-op rehab with a 36 week pregnant patient who had an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure and is non-weight bearing.

Thank you to Kristin Forbes, PT, DPT, Adjunct Faculty I, for sharing these photos!

03/24/2026

Congratulations to DPT student Luca Fornari, who has been selected for the UMB President's Entrepreneurial Fellowship (PEF). Luca is the first DPT student to be chosen for this program.

The PEF gives students hands-on experience advancing early-stage business ventures based on UMB faculty discoveries. Luca is working on new product research with Next Step Robotics. Managed by UM Ventures, the Fellowship has trained over 60 students since 2015.

You can read more about Luca, his journey to UMSOM PTRS, and how he became interested in this fellowship in the most recent edition of Proficio: https://pt.umaryland.edu/about-us/publications/

Please join us in congratulating Luca on this outstanding achievement!

03/20/2026

Everyone's favorite lab, Pediatric Evaluation, happened this week!

Thanks to some incredible volunteers, students got the chance to observe the ways children move and function at different stages of development.

Students got out toys, sang songs, and carefully observed the movements of children as young as 2 weeks old. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes definitely came in handy.

Thank you to all of the volunteers that came with their youngest family members to help our students learn!

03/16/2026

Last month, the University of Maryland School of Medicine celebrated their annual Faculty Promotions Ceremony.

This event commemorates the outstanding achievements and advancement of our faculty as we honor their exceptional contributions to the School of Medicine community.

At this year's ceremony Dean Mark Gladwin, MD, and Victoria Marchese, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Professor, Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, celebrated the promotions of Elizabeth Dennis, PhD, and Jason Falvey, DPT, PhD, from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor.

Congratulations to Dr. Dennis and Dr. Falvey!

03/12/2026

We are thrilled to invite you to our annual Research Day scheduled for May 5, 2026!

This year we will feature keynote speaker Nora Fritz, PhD, PT, DPT, NCS, from Wayne State University presenting, "Bridging the Gap: Translational Approaches to Assessing and Improving Mobility in Multiple Sclerosis."

Following Dr. Fritz, Anke Hua, PhD, and Katie Dondero, PhD, will showcase research from UMSOM PTRS.

Thank you to our sponsors Whiting Turner and Rehab 2 Perform for making this event possible!

Register at the link below by May 1, 2026 to attend. We hope to see you all there!

Register Here: https://www.eventleaf.com/e/ResearchDay2026

03/10/2026

Thank you to our friends at Assisted Rehab Inc. for hosting a social hour this afternoon! They fueled us with coffee and baked goods while offering our student physical therapists the opportunity to connect with a local leader in the field.

03/09/2026

Last month, the Class of 2027 got to attend Advocacy Day in Annapolis with APTA Maryland!

Led by faculty members Linda Horn, PT, DScPT, MHS, Assistant Professor; Rachel Reoli, DPT, PhD, Assistant Professor; Sarah Smith, PT, DPT, Assistant Professor; Roy Film, PT, MPT, DPT, Assistant Professor; and Lane White, PT, DPT, Assistant Professor; they met with legislators to discuss House Bill 367 regarding health insurance copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles — and how these policies directly impact access to physical therapy.

We are so proud to see our students talking to legislators and advocating for the future they want to see in physical therapy.

03/04/2026

Last month, students, faculty, and friends attended the Physical Therapy Association (APTA)'s Combined Sections Meeting (CSM), in Anaheim, California. CSM is the largest physical therapy conference in the country, with more than 15,000 attendees, 400 sessions, and 1,440 posters over the three jam-packed days.

Many of our students and faculty members presented at the conference, including Dr. Vicki Gray, Dr. Kelly Westlake, Dr. Peter Bowman, and Dr. Linda Horn (Pictured in the slides).

We are also excited to share that recent PhD graduate, Dr. Lindsey Mathis, was awarded the Best Platform Presentation Award for her presentation, "Therapy Ends, Obstacles Remain: Barriers to Community Mobility in Structurally Disinvested Neighborhoods." The Research Committee was highly impressed by Dr. Mathis' quality of research, the clarity of her presentation, and the impact of her findings on home health practice.

Congratulations to all who attended and contributed to a successful 2026!

03/02/2026

Last week, the Class of 2027 hosted a PTRS faculty and staff versus students dodgeball game to raise funds for the class.

It was a lively afternoon filled with friendly competition, community building, and plenty of dodging.

After some very close games, the students came out victorious, taking home the coveted Golden Goni Trophy.

Thank you to all who came out and participated, especially DPT student Patryk Bieganowski and the Class of 2027 for organizing the event!

02/26/2026

We are thrilled to share the latest edition of Proficio!

This publication celebrates the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science's 70th anniversary, highlights current faculty and students, and provides updates on all the latest news from UMSOM PTRS.

Visit the link below to read the full magazine. We hope you take the time to read through it and help us celebrate this milestone!

Read more here: https://pt.umaryland.edu/about-us/publications/

Address

100 Penn Street
Baltimore, MD
21201

Website

http://pt.umaryland.edu/, http://twitter.com/@UMSOMPTRS, http://www.linkedin.com/groups/PTRS-Alumni-Group-University-Mar

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