I am a physical therapist (PT) specializing in treating children with neurodevelopmental disorders, primarily those with cerebral palsy (CP). I am also an associate professor in the College of Allied Health Science at the University of Cincinnati. My interest in PT began as a teenager when I babysat and volunteered to provide services to a child with cerebral palsy.

There is a need for more evidence to support the care we provide. As a health services researcher, I focus on learning what dose of physical therapy produces the best outcomes. Many factors play a role in determining what works for which child and when. Working with families and children to determine best practices, such as the best therapy program for each child and family, drives my research. I am also working to engage other clinicians in research.

I’m honored to be the recipient of various awards, including:

• The Jeanne Hughes Award, given by the Pediatric Physical Therapy Journal for the best manuscript published in the journal completed while the author was a student (2012)
• The Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) I Scholarship from the Foundation for Physical Therapy (2009, 2010, 2011)
• The Jayne Snyder Award for exceptional clinician from the Foundation for Physical Therapy (2011)

I am also on the Cerebral Palsy Research Network's leadership team — a multi-center, multi-discipline collaboration among patients, families and clinicians to foster high-quality, high-impact clinical research and quality improvement for treatments in CP.