Research Overview

The Department of Physical Therapy conducts clinical and scientific research that enhances the well-being and quality of life of humans by focusing on mechanisms for improving health. There is a developing research agenda within the department that links to collaborators both within the School of Health and Environment and in the community.

Graduate students in Physical Therapy contribute to the Department’s research agenda through participation in research courses and group-based research projects. Undergraduate Exercise Physiology students are introduced to research in required statistics and methodology courses and have opportunities to participate with faculty during their Independent Study in their senior year.

Faculty Research Areas

Sean Collins	Clinical epistemology – integration / practice Reviews to establish evidential base and/or gaps for clinical decision making Methodologies for understanding complexity in clinical practice Human performance modeling Heart rate variability & stress physiology
Danielle Day	Sex differences in, and sex hormone influences on: whole-body metabolism & fat metabolism in humans, the physiological response to changes in energy balance, endocrine regulation of appetite and energy expenditure Adipose tissue micro dialysis techniques to assess hormonal milieu in vivo (humans)
Gerard Dybel	Golf swing analysis of collegiate golfers using K-Vest Quantification of biomechanical exposure to PT's working in a rehab environment Quantification of physical activity levels i.e. total movements, caloric expenditure, heart rate, RPE of rehab patients using accelerometery Analysis of CPR using the Motion Monitor, accelerometers and force plates
Cynthia Ferrara	Cardiovascular risk factors in college students. Community-wide interventions and environmental changes to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles. Biomarkers of stress and the relationship to performance, illness and injury, and disability. Evaluation of programs to promote student academic success and retention.
Linda Kahn-D’Angelo	Infant activity & relationship to positioning Physical therapy in the special care nursery Positional head deformity in infants Pain in infants & children Use of clinical exemplars & mission, vision, path reflection in physical therapy education Pediatrics, especially 0-3 years Neuroscience topics Reflective practice?)
Erika Lewis	Hand and Upper Extremity Clinical Outcomes Laser Treatment and Lateral Epicondylitis Outcomes Figure-of-8 and Volumetrics to Measure Hand Edema Trigger Finger Outcome Study Novel Splint Material
Deirdra Murphy	Physical fitness and obesity in children and adults with developmental disabilities, including autism Service learning as a teaching pedagogy in physical therapy Health promotion and wellness in communities Special Olympics & fitness outcomes
Connie Seymour	Community based participatory research with neurologically involved (UML Fitness Center for Neurologic Dysfunction) and at-risk elders (Healthy Elder Living Program) Community prevention programming/interventions for movement disorders in at-risk pre-elders Impact of interventions in reducing disability in neurological dysfunction and elders Evaluation of energy expenditure & perceived exertion during different types of activities/interventions in physical rehabilitation (geriatric population & neurological disorders) Evaluation of actual treatment time during conventional vs. alternative therapy (I.e. electronic gaming)
Joyce White	Establishing normative data for ROM measurements at the CMC joint of the thumb - or MCP joints of the fingers; this could involve issues of gender & age differences, as well as reliability and validity of the measurement methods Evaluation of upper extremity nerve stretching procedures proposed by David Butler. Establishing normative data for ROM measurements at the glenohumeral joint in comparison to shoulder complex: are GH measurements as reliable as total shoulder complex motions? Examination procedures, injury prevention or treatment related to musculoskeletal conditions
Bruce Young	The biophysics and neurophysiology of multimodal sensory integration The functional couplings between vertebral mechanics and locomotor performance The evolution of limbless locomotion, particularly as it relates to neural control

Ongoing Research

Balance and Fall Prevention in the Elderly
Differences and EMG and perceived difficulty of using different computer mice by the elderly
Predictors of risk for ACL injury in female adolescent basketball players
Kinematic analysis of jumping mechanics of adolescent female players
Incidence of muscle injuries in middle aged females participating in strength training
Effects of music on pediatric exercise
Reliability of Peabody Developmental Motor Scales
Leaning Centered Teaching
Reliability and validity of tests and measurements in orthopedic physical therapy
Intervention strategies in the management of low back pain
Collaboration with Center for Health and Disease Research
- Soy Protein and Resistance Training: Impact on Sarcopenia, Muscle Strength, Functional Limitations and Disability in Community-Dwelling Elders
- Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in College-Aged Population
- Healthy Impressions: Exercise Interventions in Elementary School Children
- New Recruits Police Officer Training Program
- D’Youville Nursing Home Project
- Physical Activity and Health Among People with Disabilities
Collaboration with Center for Public Health and Health Promotion
- Qualitative study of parents of children who participate in therapeutic horseback riding
Collaboration with Ironstone Farm for studies on therapeutic horseback riding
Collaboration with Kerr Ergonomics Institute
- Job Strain and Heart Rate Variability
- Approximate Entropy of RR Interval and Vagal Modulation Time Series: An indication of exhausted systems?
- Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Variability: Acute and Long Term Stressor Responses
Collaboration with University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Division of Preventive Cardiology
- Job Strain and Heart Rate Variability
- Heart Rate Variability in Perimenopausal Women with Moderate to Severe Vasomotor Symptoms
Collaboration with Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital
- Clinical Reasoning and characteristics of expert practice in physical therapy in the area of patient and family teaching
- Evaluation of Lifting Strategies used by health care workers
- Predictors of Stress, Dissatisfaction and Burn Out Among Health Care Professionals in Rehabilitation Settings
Collaboration with Northeastern University
- Indicators of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Variability in Patients with Systolic versus Diastolic Heart Failure during Positional Changes

Student Research Projects

The effects of aqua PT treatment on delayed onset muscle soreness in collegiate athletes
Effects of counterforce bracing versus non-bracing on grip and wrist extensor strength in a healthy population
Adherence in pediatric early intervention
Ankle range of motion & incidence of injury in collegiate distance runners
The effects of sub-maximal exercise on physical fitness in school-aged children
The effect of personality type on running injuries in recreational runners
The effect of a therapeutic horseback riding program on pulmonary function in children with developmental disabilities
Interrater reliability of the Tinetti balance assessment tool: Expert vs. novice clinicians
A comparison of student preferences using two forms of pedagogy - distance learning and traditional classroom based instruction
A novel approach for the six-minute walk test: A simulation study
The effects of aqua PT 3:1 treatment time on lumbar flexion and hamstring extensibility
Determining the reliability and validity of a passive knee extension test
Effects of the Aqua PT 3-in-1 therapy system plus stretching protocol versus a stretching protocol on hip flexor extensibility
Computer mouse use: differences in actual and perceived exertion of computer users over the age of 55
The influence of hip positioning on internal and external range of motion measurements

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Department of Physical Therapy - 3 Solomont Way, Suite 5, Lowell, MA 01854-5124
Phone: 978-934-4517 Fax: 978-934-3006 Contact us