As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I specialize in treating adolescent athletes. Within this population, I have a particular interest in treating patients who have undergone anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstructions (i.e., knee injuries/surgeries) and weightlifters.

I first became interested in physical therapy (PT) because I spent a lot of time in the training room when playing high school football. I saw how athletic trainers and physical therapists worked to get athletes back on the field. I felt that being able to help others and still be around athletics was an excellent fit for me. I learned so much during PT school about specialty care, and my love of athletics further fueled my desire to work with this population.

Working with kids is great because most kids play some type of sport, and their identity and social life often get wrapped into it. Getting them back to their sport goes deeper than just playing a game; it's getting them back to being with their friends and developing many important life skills.

I meet patients and families where they are currently, establish goals based on what they want to accomplish and use exercise to help them reach them. I tend to use strengthening exercises to achieve these goals whenever possible.

I’m the leader of our weightlifting team at Cincinnati Children's. Working as a team, we perform clinical evaluations for injured and non-injured athletes — those who know how to lift, and those who are learning for the first time. We also engage in community outreach activities with local schools to help teach proper lifting techniques.

As a researcher, I'm trying to find out how to make better decisions for when to return athletes who have had major knee surgery, such as an ACL or MPFL reconstruction, to their sport.

When I'm not at work, my family and I like to stay active, walking with our dog or taking our twin daughters on a National Parks road trip. We spend time outdoors in the spring and summer — gardening, hiking and playing sand volleyball. In the fall, we watch the Bengals every week (WHO DEY)!