KU Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, & Athletic Training

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KU Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, & Athletic Training

Our mission is to achieve excellence and leadership in education, research, & healthcare through collaborative, innovative, & evidence-based approach.

A unit of the School of Health Professions, the KU Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training is located on the University of Kansas Medical Center campus in Kansas City, Kansas. In collaboration with The University of Kansas Hospital adjacent to KUMC, students benefit from the opportunity to interact with a large number of health care professionals and leading r

esearchers in real-world environments. KU offers the following degree programs in the fields of physical therapy and rehabilitation:

Master's Degree in Athletic Training
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
Post-professional DPT
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Rehabilitation Science

09/01/2026

🎉 Welcome to KUMC, New PhD Students in Rehabilitation Science! 🎓

We are thrilled to welcome our newest cohort of PhD in Rehabilitation Science students to KUMC! 💙

As you begin this exciting journey, we look forward to seeing your curiosity, dedication, and passion for advancing rehabilitation science shape the future of our field. Your ideas, perspectives, and commitment to improving the lives of individuals and communities will make a meaningful difference.

Here’s to new beginnings, meaningful discoveries, inspiring mentorship, and a successful journey ahead! 🌟

Welcome to the KUMC Rehabilitation Science family! 🧑‍🔬👩‍🔬

08/29/2026

OTs— Want to Put Your Expertise to Work? 👀

KUMC PT is looking for OT consultants to join a fun interdisciplinary learning experience with our hybrid DPT students!
And the best part? It’s completely virtual!
We’re looking for OTs who can bring their clinical perspective to a PT case discussion. No prep-heavy commitment—we provide the case and talking points, and you bring your OT expertise!

Here’s what it looks like:
🧠 Case #1: Acute Care
Review an acute care case with the PT students and discuss it from the OT perspective.
• What did the PT students miss?
• What questions would OT ask?
• What information could the family provide to help fill in the gaps?

🏠 Case #2: Discharge Planning
Two weeks later, the students follow the same patient into inpatient rehab and begin planning for discharge. We provide the case and a link to the patient’s home environment.

From an OT perspective:
• What concerns do you have?
• What should PT be thinking about?
• What might impact the patient’s safety and independence at home?
🎙️ And it’s PODCAST STYLE!

Everything is virtual, conversational, and recorded. No formal presentation required! Each meeting should take about 20 minutes!

If you’re a KUMC OT alum who would enjoy sharing your perspective and helping future PTs think more collaboratively, we’d love to have you!

👉 Interested or know other OTs who might be interested? Send Crystal a message to learn more at [email protected]!

Your clinical expertise is all you need! You do not have to be a KUMC alum or be licensed in the state of Kansas for this!💙

08/24/2026

Last week KU Teaching Summit showcased the incredible work of educators committed to advancing teaching and learning across the university.

Highlights included our very own Dr. Mary Crouch Young's "The Other AI," and Dr. Stephen Jernigan's engaging session, "Teach at Your Best: Harness Your Strengths in the Classroom."

Thank you to the Center for Teaching Excellence for bringing together faculty from across KU to share innovative, evidence-informed approaches that strengthen teaching and student success.

08/19/2026

📢 Publication Alert!

For far too long, standard EEG systems have struggled to capture reliable brain activity from individuals with textured hair, contributing to the underrepresentation of many communities in neuroscience research.

This newly published study demonstrates that inclusive EEG technology, combined with culturally sensitive research protocols, produces statistically equivalent EEG data quality across racial groups—even during active standing and movement tasks.

The findings reinforce an important message: the historical lack of diversity in EEG research is not an unavoidable limitation—it is a solvable problem. By designing research methods that are inclusive from the start, the field can improve both the quality of science and its impact.

Congratulations to an outstanding interdisciplinary team:
👏 Hannes Devos
👏 Sodiq Fakorede
👏 Kai (Tony) Cheng
👏 Lydia Pemberton
👏 KathleenMae Rogers
👏 Ke Liao
👏 Dr. Laura Martin

This work represents another important step toward building neuroscience research that better reflects and serves diverse populations.

08/10/2026

Join us for our KU Physical Therapy Virtual Info Session to learn about admissions, our PT curriculum, and the differences between our On-Campus and Hybrid pathways. You'll have the opportunity to hear about the program and get your questions answered by faculty.

📅 Tuesday, August 11
⏰ 5:00–6:00 PM CST

✨ Applications are now open!

Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/266753728158431?p=gmrIHvm5ZZTrVOMlfC

08/05/2026

Congratulations to former PhD student Dr. Maryam Sadeghi on being first author of our newly accepted paper in Gait and Posture!

📄 Wearable Gait Analysis for Differentiating Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Parkinson’s Disease: Clinically Interpretable Digital Biomarkers Using Machine Learning

This study leveraged wearable gait sensors and machine learning to distinguish between Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) PSP and Parkinson’s disease. The best-performing model, Gradient Boosting, demonstrated excellent classification performance while identifying clinically meaningful gait biomarkers.

Key findings showed that individuals with PSP exhibited:
✅ Greater double-support time
✅ Increased mediolateral sway
✅ Reduced stride length
✅ Slower gait speed
✅ Reduced trunk range of motion

These results support the use of wearable sensor technology and interpretable machine learning as practical tools to enhance diagnostic decision-making in movement disorder clinics.

07/29/2026

Please join us in congratulating Katie Siengsukon, Ph.D., PT, DBSM, CHWC, professor and director of research for the KU Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, & Athletic Training department, who was recently honored with the Excellence in Neurologic Research Award from the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy.

As the only board-certified physical therapist in behavioral sleep medicine in the United States, Dr. Siengsukon has pioneered a research agenda demonstrating the critical role of sleep in neurologic recovery, function, fatigue, and quality of life — particularly for individuals with multiple sclerosis.

This award highlights sustained contributions to neurologic physical therapy research and work that not only advances clinical practice but also improves outcomes for individuals living with neurologic conditions.

The ANPT noted on their website, "Through rigorous science, sustained mentorship, and exceptional knowledge translation, Dr. Siengsukon exemplifies the highest standard of excellence in neurologic research." Learn more: https://www.neuropt.org/about-us/anpt-awards

07/25/2026

Way to go Sadie!!

07/21/2026

As Semester 4 courses wrap up, our 2nd year Hybrid PT Pathway students wrapped up the term by showcasing their clinical reasoning through final case presentations. These presentations highlighted not only their growing knowledge, but also their ability to synthesize evidence, collaborate with peers, and apply patient-centered decision making to complex clinical scenarios.

We also explored one of today's most rapidly evolving topics in healthcare—GLP-1 medications—and discussed their implications for physical therapists. From exercise tolerance and nutrition considerations to muscle mass, recovery, and patient education, our students examined how emerging evidence can inform clinical practice across a variety of patient populations.

What a great way to finish the semester—celebrating growth, embracing current evidence, and preparing to provide exceptional care in an ever-changing healthcare landscape. We're proud of all you've accomplished and can't wait to see what you achieve next! 👏🎉

07/17/2026

Dr. Jernigan is spending this weekend with about 30 colleagues from across the nation engaging and learning at the profession’s first Summit to Advance Education Research in Physical Therapy at Creighton University.

This photo is one of the “Assessment” groups collaborating to consider possible educational research scholarly projects that will have meaningful impact on physical therapy education. Their team name is “Beyond the Bell Curve - The Trajectory Team”! Photo includes (left to right) Drs. Jernigan, Briggs, Osborne, McDevitt, Cochran, Tappan and Hartley. Other groups’ foci include the learning sciences and faculty development.

At this summit, expert researchers (Drs. Patricia O’Sullivan, Carrie Chen, Bill Cutrer, Maria Mylopoulos, Sally Santen) from across the health professions are prompting attendees to Explore, Engage and Elevate education research in Physical Therapy!

Address

3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS
66160

Telephone

(913) 588-6799

Website

https://www.kumc.edu/school-of-health-professions/academics/departments/physical-therapy-rehabilitation-science-and-athl

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