Discover how the College of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Florida is advancing the field through cutting-edge research that transforms lives. Our faculty, students, and collaborators engage in innovative studies that span clinical, translational, and basic science, addressing critical challenges in rehabilitation and movement science. From improving patient outcomes to pioneering new therapies, our research is dedicated to shaping the future of physical therapy and enhancing health and well-being for all.
Brooks Research Collaboration
The Brooks-UF PHHP Research Collaboration is a dynamic, interdisciplinary partnership between UF PHHP and Brooks Rehabilitation, dedicated to advancing high-quality rehabilitation research that enhances clinical care and outcomes.
Spinal Cord Injury
By inducing neural plasticity through physical rehabilitation or other novel treatment strategies, our team at UF is devoted to harness plasticity as a means of restoring walking, arm movements, core strength and breathing ability.
Cancer
Work led by Dr. Andrew Judge is focused on understanding the regulation of cell signaling pathways in skeletal muscle that appear to be important in the progression of cancer-mediated muscle wasting.
Neuromuscular Disease
The Neuromuscular Disease research team at UF is recognized worldwide for its translational work in muscular dystrophy and the development of noninvasive imaging techniques to advance the field. This team consists of physical therapists, exercise physiologist, pediatricians, neurologist, physicists and engineers.
Imaging
Non-invasive quantification of skeletal muscle plasticity from disease, disuse, and aging is a key area of research to the fields of physical therapy, physiology, rehabilitation, muscle biology, aging, and imaging. Our research team currently leads national efforts to develop magnetic resonance imaging as a noninvasive biomarker for clinical trials in muscular dystrophy.
Neurophysiology
Researchers in the Department of Physical Therapy use neurophysiological methods to examine mechanisms underlying neurological rehabilitation.
Locomotor Training
Scientists addressing walking recovery after neurologic injury are addressing a continuum of research including: muscle degeneration and regeneration, pairing neurophysiological approaches with training, developing outcome measures, expanding the populations served, assessing mechanisms for change, and evaluating behavioral change and in both experimental models (animal research) and the human condition (post spinal cord injury, stroke, and other neurological conditions).
Respiratory Research and Rehabilitation
One major feature of our program is to harness respiratory plasticity as a therapeutic modality to treat breathing deficits encountered with spinal injury or neuromuscular diseases (Pompe, ALS, DMD). Finding treatments for breathing impairment is critical since respiratory failure is the major cause of death with nearly all neuromuscular clinical disorders.
Biomechanics
Biomechanical methods are used in our rehabilitation research to quantify movement.
Of particular interest are movement dysfunction in an uninjured healthy person that may lead to injury, as well as those dysfunctions that result after injury or impede optimal clinical outcomes during rehabilitation, and movement dysfunction in persons with neurological disorders such as stroke, spinal cord injury or Parkinson’s Disease.
Neurorehabilitation
Our research in neurorehabilitation targets developing and testing rehabilitation interventions to improve movement function for people post-stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease or other neurological disorders.
Pain and Rehabilitation Science
Our work aims to improve rehabilitation approaches for pain and movement disorders that have an adverse impact on society.
Muscle Atrophy and Regeneration
Our work is focused on understanding the regulation of cell signaling pathways in skeletal muscle that appear to be important in the progression muscle wasting. Our laboratories use genetic, pharmacological and rehabilitative tools to manipulate these pathways to identify targets and countermeasures to treat this deleterious condition.
Neural Control of Movement
Research in this area addresses: behavioral outcomes, neural mechanisms contributing to motor impairment, mechanisms of adaptation, neural plasticity and motor recovery.
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
The focus of the Cardiorespiratory Rehabilitation laboratory is to study methods to prevent or reverse respiratory muscle weakness in patients experiencing difficulty weaning from mechanical ventilation.