SLU Program in Physical Therapy Welcomes PhD Student Samantha Price, PT, DPT, to the Integrated Applied Sciences – Health Sciences Program

Hello, my name is Samantha Price. I will be a PhD student within the Integrated Applied Sciences – Health Sciences program at Saint Louis University. I received my bachelor’s degree in human health sciences, pre-physical therapy at the University of Kentucky, and my doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Dayton. I have since been working clinically as a neurodevelopmental physical therapist at Dayton Children’s Hospital. Additionally, I have 5 years experience working in biomechanics/motion analysis labs and am so excited to get started on this new journey.

Pursuing a PhD at SLU with a focus in lower extremity biomechanics and motion analysis will enable me to deepen my current knowledge/training as well as achieve my long-term goals. These goals include becoming an independent researcher with aspirations of becoming a lab director and securing a physical therapy faculty position. This specific PhD program creates more autonomy in program setup and will prepare me to become a well-rounded, collaborative researcher. Furthermore, the overall message of the university including a call to service and focus on God is very important to me. 

I was initially introduced to Dr. Pat Corrigan’s research as a third year PT student as he presented at our research symposium. After being connected through a mutual professor, I quickly found that our research interests and previous training in biomechanics align. More importantly, I am eager to challenge my current research knowledge through investigating musculoskeletal pathologies with ultrasound, working with epidemiological data, exploring motor learning during functional tasks, and adding the additional avenue of pediatric orthopedic injuries.  

As a current physical therapist, I am constantly searching for evidence-based treatment methods to produce the best patient outcomes. Practicing in pediatrics, these questions commonly come up short due to the lack in current research. As a result of my previous training in motion analysis orthopedics along with my current focus in neurodevelopmental pediatrics, I frequently utilize all aspects of physical therapy specialties to treat the whole person. Having both clinical experience and working to grow in my knowledge of biomechanics will uniquely position me to become an expert in pediatric treatment methods.

SLU Physical Therapy PY1 Students Present Research at the 2022 Senior Legacy Symposium

2022 Senior Legacy Symposium

Featuring SLU Program in Physical Therapy students in the DPT Class of 2024: Meena Chetty, Abby Hanselman, and Paula Buendia Lanchas.

Meena Chetty with faculty mentor Dr. Kim Levenhagen and student Paula Buendia Lanchas.

Meena Chetty

Meena Chetty presented her poster "The Power of Storytelling" which explores how storytelling can be an adjunctive intervention in physical therapy rehab and how physical therapists can be better listeners to their patients. 

Meena Chetty discusses her project with an attendee at the poster presentation.

As a part of this project, Chetty created and self-published a 30-day guided journal for patients with chronic illnesses who are going to physical therapy rehab titled "Chronicles of Rehab". Physical Therapy Associate Professor Kim Levenhagen, PT, DPT, WCC, CLT, FNAP, was Chetty’s mentor throughout the project.

Abby Hanselman discusses her research at the interdisciplinary panel.

Abby Hanselman

Abby Hanselman participated in the interdisciplinary research panels where she discussed her research "An Assessment of Sleep Disturbance in Division 1 Collegiate Soccer and Basketball Athletes". Physical Therapy Assistant Professor Oluwatoyosi Owoeye, BPT, M.S., Ph.D., was Hanselman's mentor throughout the project.

Abby Hanselman and Paula Buendia Lanchas at the interdisciplinary research panel.

Paula Buendia Lanchas

Paula Buendia Lanchas presented her research with "The Ins and Outs of Pelvic Floor PT" to answer the questions of what pelvic health physical therapy is, what common dysfunctions are often seen, why many have not heard of it, and how we can raise awareness and educate society. 

Paula Buendia Lanchas discusses her research at the interdisciplinary panel.

This project’s purpose is to raise awareness of what this specialty can do and educate to be an advocate for others. Buendia recognized Chetty, Levenhagen, and Dr. Brea Rhein for their support in the project.

Physical Therapy Associate Professor Kim Levenhagen, PT, DPT, WCC, CLT, FNAP, was a moderator for Session 1 of the interdisciplinary panels for Allied Health.

Student projects are represented on the 2022 Senior Legacy Symposium website. If you have any questions or concerns for Senior Legacy Symposium staff, please reach out to legacy@slu.edu. 

Photos submitted by Meena Chetty, Kim Levenhagen, and Gretchen Salsich

Story by Kristin Hrasky

SLU Program in Physical Therapy Annual Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Event Focused on Innovation in Physical Therapy Research

The Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy hosted its annual Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Event on site with a simulcast on Zoom on Thursday, March 24, 2022. We welcomed Dr. Terry Ellis and her presentation entitled “Innovative Approaches to Optimize Performance in the Real World in Persons with Neurological Conditions”. 

The Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Series was the vision of Irma Ruebling, former chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training. It was her goal to bring nationally renowned speakers to Saint Louis University to highlight ongoing research and important topics and to foster a dialogue with faculty, students, and guests about the importance of research in advancing our profession.

Saint Louis University Professor Dr. Gretchen Salsich hosted the event and acknowledged leadership in the Doisy College of Health Sciences for their ongoing support for physical therapy research. Dr. Salsich recognized Dr. Tricia Austin, interim Dean, Dr. Jesús García-Martínez, Associate Dean for Research, and Dr. Chris Sebelski, interim Chair for the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training. Efforts to strengthen the research profile of the Doisy College of Health Sciences are central to the college’s strategic plan. Events like this inform, inspire, and connect us to research. The Department’s ongoing support of this event since its inception nineteen years ago has contributed to its growth and success.

Also acknowledged were the 2022 Ruebling Research Fund recipients. The Irma Ruebling Endowed Research Fund was established in 2006 to ensure the continued development of research activities fostering the growth of the profession, improvement of the health of patients and clients, and enhancement of the education of physical therapy students and practicing physical therapists. Three Program in Physical Therapy Faculty were recognized as the 2022 Irma Ruebling Endowed Research Fund Recipients. 

• Dr. Ann Hayes received funding to support her project titled, “What Additional Radiographic Measures Taken Pre and Post Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis Specific Exercise Better Demonstrate Successful Outcomes for Adults with Spinal Deformity?” 
• Dr. Jason Longhurst received funding for his project, titled, “Mapping brain activity preceding freezing of gait episodes in individuals Parkinson’s disease”. 
• Dr. Elissa Held Bradford received funding for her project titled, “Breaking Down Barriers to Rehabilitation Outcome Measurement in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis”.

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Terry Ellis, Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, and director of the Neurological Physical Therapy Residence program at Boston University. Her research focuses on investigating the impact of exercise and rehabilitation on the progression of disability in individuals with Parkinson's disease. 

Following the keynote presentation, there was a question and answer session with clinicians, faculty, and students. The decision to simulcast the event ensured that it was more inclusive of our community members who could not attend in person. It was a memorable evening of inspiring discussion and special recognition of SLU PT faculty!

2022 Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Series

Join the Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy for the annual Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Series:

Innovative Approaches to Optimize Performance 

in the Real World in Persons with Neurological Conditions

presented by

Terry Ellis, Ph.D., PT, NCS 

Dr. Ellis is an Associate Professor at Boston University, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College in the Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training. Her research focuses on investigating the impact of exercise and rehabilitation on the progression of disability in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Ellis is also the Director of the Center for Neurorehabilitation at Boston University where she conducts research, provides clinical consultations and education to healthcare professionals and to persons with neurological disorders. Dr. Ellis also directs the American Parkinson Disease Association National Rehabilitation Resource Center housed at Boston University and teaches examination and treatment of patients with neurological disorders. In addition, Dr. Ellis is a board-certified specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy. She has published numerous articles and lectures internationally on topics related to rehabilitation in persons with Parkinson's disease.

This event is complimentary but registration is required to receive the event link. Please register by March 22.

If you are having troubles accessing the registration site, you can copy and paste this link into your search bar: https://alumni.slu.edu/ruebling22

Researcher Spotlight - Oluwatoyosi (Olu) Owoeye, PhD, MSc, BPT

Hi! I am Olu Owoeye, a Nigerian-Canadian residing in the United States. I am an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) at the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, Saint Louis University, MO. I am a research physical therapist with expertise in sports injury epidemiology and prevention. Before moving down south to work in the United States, I was a postdoctoral fellow at the International Olympic Committee funded Sport Injury Prevention Research Center, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada for 4 years. This position provided me the opportunity of leading research projects funded by the NBA and GE and other funding agencies. 

Studies from my postdoc projects and my previous research efforts have produced several scientific publications informing best practices and future research directions in the field of sports injury prevention and knowledge translation. Specifically, my research is focused on the discovery and translation of knowledge that informs the prevention of sport-related injuries and associated consequences in youth and young adults. 

My current project at the Saint Louis University – RICHLoad, meaning Reducing Injuries in Collegiate atHletes through Load Management, aims at developing an athlete monitoring system (mobile app and dashboard) for the daily tracking of psycho-physiological load (RPE) and weekly prediction of injury risk based on multivariable regression models in collegiate soccer and basketball athletes (details here: https://cs.slu.edu/projects/richload/). We are hopeful this innovative tool would be useful to college soccer and basketball coaches and sports medicine professionals in mitigating the risk of overuse and traumatic injuries among student-athletes in the United States.

Find me on Twitter at @owoeye_oba

Researcher Spotlight is a regular feature that highlights faculty research in the Saint Louis University Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training.  

SLU PT Faculty Member Oluwatoyosi Owoeye Presents at the 6th Annual IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport

Dr. Oluwatoyosi (Olu) Owoeye presents at the IOC Conference

 

SLU Physical Therapy faculty member Dr. Oluwatoyosi (Olu) Owoeye attended the 6th Edition of the IOC World Conference of Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport in Monaco from November 25 to November 27, 2021 and presented a workshop and two oral (podium) research talks.  You can view the full program of the conference on the International Olympic Committee's website.

Workshop Presentation 

Title: Making it Stick: Adherence Research in Sports Injury Prevention 

This was an engaging one-hour workshop that introduced participants to key concepts in implementation and adherence research, including research design and theories specific to adherence research. Dr. Owoeye was the sole instructor/facilitator. 

Research Presentation I 

Title: The Effectiveness of Neuromuscular Training Warm-up Program to Reduce Knee and Ankle Injuries in Youth Basketball: A Historically Controlled Study 

Research Presentation II 

Title: Supervised implementation of a neuromuscular training warm-up program to improve adherence and reduce injuries in youth basketball: A cluster-randomized trial  

Dr. Owoeye was also the sole presenter of the two abstracts above. These two research presentations emerged from the Youth Basketball Injury Prevention Project at the University of Calgary in Canada. This research work was funded by NBA/GE research grant and Dr. Owoeye was the project lead. The two studies have been combined into one large publication that recently was accepted in the Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy. Collaborators on the paper are Carolyn Emery, Anu Räisänen, Kimberley Befus, Tate HubkaRao, Luz Palacios-Derflingher, and Kati Pasanen. 

Learn more about Dr. Owoeye and his research on the Saint Louis University website.

SLU PT and MD Students Engage in Research to Keep Student-Athletes Safe

Several undergraduate and graduate Physical Therapy and Medical students at Saint Louis University have seized the opportunity to work part-time and gain research experience in Dr. Oluwatoyosi (Olu) Owoeye’s lab.

Student assistants: Jemma Kim, Meena Chetty, Mark Moyer, Dr. Oluwatoyosi (Olu) Owoeye, Natania Nguyen, Ian Modde – Not pictured: Emily Redpath, Kendall Cunningham, Michael Illes, Abigail Frech

Jemma Kim (Class of 2023), one of the student project leads, conducting an isometric strength test on a student athlete's quadriceps muscle during a baseline testing session.  Jemma is also a co-author on a systematic review in preparation for Dr. Owoeye's lab.

The students have had the opportunity to assist Dr. Owoeye with enrolling participants, conducting baseline testing, data collection and management, and results dissemination for the RICHLoad project. The RICHLoad Project (Reducing Injuries among College atHletes through Load management) aims to investigate the relationship between weekly cumulative load (i.e., training, practice and game load) and musculoskeletal injury risk among soccer and basketball student-athletes using a multivariable prediction model (which considers other established risk factors for injury). Among other novel findings, the project will determine reference values for “safe” cumulative load thresholds that will be used to develop an algorithm in collaboration with the Computer Science Department for the RICHLoad Software.  This algorithm will comprise a mobile app and an athlete monitoring dashboard that will be implemented and evaluated in subsequent collegiate soccer and basketball seasons. Ultimately, the RICHLoad Software will guide coaches and medical staff in evidence-informed load management decisions and related interventions to minimize fatigue, reduce the risk of injury, and maximize performance among student-athletes. Further information about the RICHLoad Project and the preliminary RICHLoad - SLU data collection app can be found here.

This RICHLoad Project is a multidisciplinary and collaborative project and has required the assistance of many from the St. Louis community. Co-investigators include Dr. Jamil Neme (team physician for the Saint Louis Billikens) from the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Dr. Flavio Esposito from the Computer Science Department & School of Engineering, Dr. Paula Buchanan from the Center for Health Outcomes Research and Dr. Anthony Breitbach from the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, Robert Hornnet from the Department of Athletics and Andy Florian Irakoze from the Computer Science Department. This project has partnered with SLU and Harris Stowe Athletics and has received funding through the Applied Health Research Grant. Dr. Owoeye is the principal investigator on the RICHLoad Project and he directs the Injury Prevention and Health Promotion (P2) Lab within the Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Department.

SLU PT Alumna Dr. Elanna Arhos Receives Two Grants to Support her PhD Work

Elanna Arhos, PT, DPT (SLU DPT Class of 2018), was awarded the F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Health for $46,036. Arhos is a Ph.D. candidate in Biomechanics and Movement Sciences at the University of Delaware. You can learn more about the grant and Arhos' work in ACL research on the University of Delaware website.

In addition to the grant from the NIH, the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research has awarded a PODS II Scholarship to Arhos for a project titled: "Can we modify gait asymmetry after ACL reconstruction?" To learn more about the scholarship, or to contribute to the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, please visit their website.

SLU Program in Physical Therapy Annual Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Event Provided Insights and Priorities for Physical Therapy Research

The Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy hosted its Annual Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Event virtually via Zoom on Thursday, March 25, 2021.

The Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Series was the vision of Irma Ruebling, former chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training. It was her goal to bring nationally renowned speakers to Saint Louis University to highlight ongoing research and important topics and to foster a dialogue with faculty, students, and guests about the importance of research in advancing our profession.

Saint Louis University Professor Dr. Gretchen Salsich hosted the event and acknowledged leadership in the Doisy College of Health Sciences for their ongoing support for physical therapy research. Dr. Salsich recognized Dr. Tricia Austin, interim Dean, Dr. Jesús García-Martínez, Associate Dean for Research, and Dr. Lisa Dorsey, interim Chair for the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training. Efforts to strengthen the research profile of the Doisy College of Health Sciences are central to the college’s strategic plan. Events like this inform, inspire, and connect us to research. The Department’s ongoing support of this event since its inception eighteen years ago has contributed to its growth and success.  

The Irma Ruebling Endowed Research Fund was established in 2006 to ensure the continued development of research activities fostering the growth of the profession, improvement of the health of patients and clients, and enhancement of the education of physical therapy students and practicing physical therapists. Two Program in Physical Therapy Faculty were recognized as the 2021 Irma Ruebling Endowed Research Fund Recipients. Dr. Chris Sebelski received funding to support her project titled “Evaluation of non-cognitive behaviors reflective of positive leaders in the clinical context”. Dr. Oluwatoyosi (Olu) Owoeye received funding to support his project titled “How Much is Too Much in Youth Team Sport? A Systematic Review”.  

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley, professor and director of the Rehabilitation Science Ph.D. Program in the Physical Therapy Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. The title of her presentation was: “Building a Clinical Research Program: The View is Different from the Inside”. 

Following the keynote presentation, there was a question and answer session with clinicians, faculty, and students. Though it was held virtually this year, it was a memorable evening of inspiring discussion and special recognition of SLU PT faculty!

SLU Program in Physical Therapy Collaborates with the Department of Fine Arts in Teaching and Research

Scholarship Spotlight: SLU faculty present "What Do You See? Arts-Based Education to Facilitate Observation and Clinical Reasoning Skills" at the 2021 American Physical Therapy Association's Combined Sections Meeting.

Presented by Chris Anne Sebelski, PT, DPT, PhD, Elissa Claire Held Bradford, PT, PhD, Barbara Lynn Yemm, PT, DPT, Olubukola Gbadegesin, PhD, Cathleen Fleck, PhD, and Ann Marcolina Hayes, PT, DPT, MHS

This presentation at the Virtual CSM2021 is representative of the ongoing teaching and research collaboration between the Program in Physical Therapy and the Department of Fine Arts.  The SLU art historians facilitate a deeper “seeing” of fine art which transfer to greater observational skills by the physical therapist students. 

Students’ beliefs in their observational skills and their clinical reasoning were improved post-session as determined by pre-post survey data.  Qualitative analysis of narrative descriptions of observations yielded the following results: students improved in documentation of the descriptive context and interpretation of the situation.  This suggests that transfer of learning was achieved for observation of more static constructs.  

The research in the Program in PT with the Fine Arts Department continues.  The findings of this study are in alignment with other studies completed in other healthcare disciplines.  Arts based education, facilitated by art historians, results in a positive impact on student’s confidence in observation skills.   

Learn more about their research on the conference's programming website: https://apta.confex.com/apta/csm2021/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/29963

Story by Kristin Hrasky

Join the Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy for the annual Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Series

Join the Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy for the annual Irma Ruebling Distinguished Speaker Series:

Building a Clinical Research Program: 

The View is Different from the Inside

presented by

Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley, PT, Ph.D.

Dr. Stevens-Lapsley is a professor and director of the Rehabilitation Science Ph.D. Program in the Physical Therapy Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center.

She is focused on identifying, integrating and advancing innovative evidence-based medicine solutions for older adult rehabilitation through highly effective research methods and partnerships. She has 20 years of clinical research experience in patients after joint arthroplasty, and more recently, medically complex patient populations.

Her research ranges from understanding the mechanisms of skeletal muscle dysfunction to studies of implementation of best rehabilitation practices in post-acute care settings. More specifically, her research includes the evaluation of pragmatic interventions in medically complex patient populations and health services research to understanding how rehabilitation services impact hospitalization rates and functional performance.

Her clinical research has resulted in numerous publications (100+), national and international speaking invitations, and awards such as the Marian Williams Award from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Over the past decade, she has received over $14 million dollars to support her clinical research.

This event is complimentary but registration is required to receive the event link. Please register by March 23.

If you are having troubles accessing the registration site, you can copy and paste this link into your search bar:

https://alumni.slu.edu/s/1264/17/interior.aspx?sid=1264&gid=1&pgid=7113&cid=11396&ecid=11396&crid=0&calpgid=413&calcid=8723&_ga=2.144135733.1494167921.1615212459-1443491473.1530289337

SLU PT Faculty Publishes Research in Sports and Exercise Medicine and Sports Physical Therapy

Oluwatoyosi Owoeye, PhD, MS, PT from the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training published “Dissemination and implementation research in sports and exercise medicine and sports physical therapy: translating evidence to practice and policy” in the BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine Journal.

To read more about his research, visit https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000974

SLU PT Faculty Members Accomplish Outstanding Research

SLU PT Faculty members Drs. Chris Sebelski, Elissa Held Bradford, and Ann Hayes published their article “The Intersection of Movement and Clinical Reasoning: Embodying “Body as a Teacher” to Advance the Profession and Practice” in the Physical Therapy Journal.

To read the full research article, visit https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzz137

SLU PT Faculty Serves in the APTA Covid-19 Resource Panel Task Force

Kim Levenhagen, DPT, of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, is serving as a representative from the Academy of Acute Care PT to the APTA COVID-19 Resource Panel Task Force. 

Her service has resulted in the creation of several resources for practitioners in the field related to the COVID-19 pandemic including:

A co-written report, “The Aerosol Generating Procedure,” as well as  series of webinars to respond to the needs from Outpatient to Inpatient shift and COVID 19, including:

APTA Learning Center Series

Productivity vs. Value: Why We Need to Change the Discussion, and How YOU Can! CEUs:  0.2 CEUs/2 contact hours/CCUs (including assessment)

Arterial Blood Gases (0.1 CEU)

Putting the Value Back in Lab Results (0.1 CEU)

Tips on Drips- Integrating ICU Pharmacology into PT practice (0.1 CEU) 

To learn more about our Physical Therapy Program, visit https://catalog.slu.edu/colleges-schools/health-sciences/physical-therapy-athletic-training/physical-therapy-program/

SLU PT Faculty Achieves Research in Sports Medicine

Oluwatoyosi Owoeye, Ph.D., of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, recently published an article, "Epidemiology of All-Complaint Injuries in Youth Basketball," in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.  

To read the full research, visit https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/sms.13813

SLU PT Faculty Member Presents at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine

SLU Program in Physical Therapy Faculty Member, Dr. Kim Levenhagen's proposal entitled, "Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Clinical Practice" was accepted by the 97th American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (#ACRM2020) conference for presentation on Wednesday, 10/21/20. Learn more about guidelines surrounding diagnosis and intervention by registering on the link below.

To learn more, visit here www.ACRM.org 

SLU PT Faculty Member Accomplishes Research Publication in Sports Sciences

Hats off to SLU Program in Physical Therapy, Dr. Olu Owoeye, who recently published the article. "How much, how often, how well? Adherence to a neuromuscular training warm-up injury prevention program in youth basketball" in the Journal of Sports Sciences (of @BASESUK) late last month on June 26, 2020.

To read the full article, visit https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2020.1782578?scroll=top&needAccess=true