Hannah Allgood

During one of her clinical rotations as a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student, Hannah Allgood ’23, ’26 was drawn to the complexity of treating neurologic patients. 

“I realized how much I enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of neurological physical therapy and decided that I wanted to continue learning and growing in this area,” says Allgood, who grew up in Windham, New Hampshire. 

After she graduated from UMass Lowell’s exercise science and DPT programs, Allgood was accepted into the Boston University neurological physical therapy residency program. The 14-month program includes clinical, teaching, research and community service experiences. 

“I decided to apply to a neurologic physical therapy residency because of my experiences in the UMass Lowell curriculum and research opportunities, as well as my clinical experiences in outpatient, acute care and pediatrics,” says Allgood. 

In the residency program, Allgood will enhance her clinical skills in the treatment of patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, vestibular pathologies, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and a variety of other neurological conditions. 

“One of the things I appreciated about this program is that it allows me to work with people with a broad range of neurologic conditions while I receive consistent mentorship from experienced clinicians and faculty,” says Allgood. 

Allgood has come a long way since she suffered back problems as a gymnast in middle school, an experience that motivated her to become a physical therapist. She decided to major in exercise science. Of all the universities where she applied, UMass Lowell seemed the most welcoming for undergraduates wanting to do research, she says. It also has a bachelor’s-to-doctorate program in physical therapy.

“My experience at UMass Lowell has been a significant part of my development, both academically and professionally,” says Allgood. “My undergraduate degree in exercise science deepened my appreciation for movement in a rehabilitation setting.” 

Transitioning into the DPT program allowed her to apply that knowledge in clinical settings, where she gained experience in acute care, pediatrics, outpatient neurological rehabilitation and vestibular rehabilitation — all of which helped her identify neurology as her specialty. 

“UMass Lowell has given me a really strong foundation, but more importantly, it’s helped me grow into the kind of clinician I want to be,” says Allgood. “UMass Lowell is also where I developed my interest in research, teaching and mentorship, which are things I hope to carry with me into residency and throughout my career.”