Synapse Through Time

Founders Day Webinar  

The Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy (ANPT) hosted a Founder's Day webinar, Synapse thru Time, on Thursday, January 14, 2021. Four world-renowned experts: Dr. Pamela Duncan, Dr. Fay Horak, Dr. Donald Neumann, and Dr. Ann Van Sant presented their views on  the Past, Present and Future of physical therapy.

Learn more about panelists:
Dr. Pamela Duncan:

Pamela W Duncan PhD, FAPTA, FAHA is a nationally and internationally renowned expert in health policy, outcomes research and clinical epidemiology. Her expertise is in post acute management of the elderly and individuals with stroke and falls management and prevention. Dr. Duncan has led or co-led multiple studies related to falls in the elderly and stroke survivors. She has developed measures of balance and stroke outcomes, analyzed the physical determinants for falls in the elderly, evaluated the benefits of strength training to reduce falls, and developed international trials to evaluate home based exercise for those who suffered an injurious fall.  

She is currently a member of The North Carolina Falls Prevention Coalition which works to reduce the number of falls and fall-related injuries for North Carolinians. She is a collaborator on a 2 year CDC grant to increase access to evidence-based fall prevention programs for older adults and adults with disabilities to reduce falls risk and falls, and create integrated, sustainable evidence-based prevention program networks in North Carolina. She is an investigator for the PCORI Falls Prevention Grant (STRIDE) Her role in the STRIDE project is to support implementation of best practices for physical interventions to reduce falls as well as collaborate with home health agencies to implement evidence based falls prevention programs in collaboration with primary care.  

Dr. Pamela Duncan is the principle investigator of a 2015 PCORI funded large pragmatic trial to implement and evaluate an evidenced-based Pamela W. Duncan, PhD, PT, FAPTA, FAHA COMprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) model. This model of care combines CMS transitional care services provided by advanced practice providers (APP) and early supported discharge services coordinated by the APPs to develop with patients and families actionable care plans.

Dr. Fay Horak PT, PhD:

Dr. Fay Horak is a Professor of Neurology, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Bioengineering and Director of the Balance Disorders laboratory at Oregon Health and Science University. She is also Chief Scientific Officer at APDM Wearable Technology, an ERT company that sell wearable sensors to quantify balance, gait and movement disorders for clinics and research. Dr. Horak is a physical therapist and neuroscientist who is internationally known for her research on the physiology of balance disorders and their rehabilitation. Dr. Horak received a BS degree in Physical Therapy from the U of Wisconsin, a MS in Neurophysiology from the U of Minnesota and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Washington in Seattle. She has received many national awards from the American Physical Therapy Association and is the first physical therapist to receive a prestigious MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health for over 30 years of continuous funding. Dr. Horak has over 300 peer-reviewed papers and has had over 50 million dollars in federal grants. Dr. Horak has several patents for new technologies to measure and rehabilitate balance disorders and has developed a popular new clinical balance assessment tool, called the BESTest. Her novel, instrumented mobility system, called Mobility Lab, allows clinicians to quickly and accurately quantify balance and gait disorders using wireless, wearable sensors.

Donald A. Neumann. PT, PhD, FAPTA

After working as a licensed physical therapist assistant in Miami, Florida, Dr. Neumann received a B.S. in physical therapy from the University of Florida. After several years of practice and teaching in rehabilitation of persons with spinal cord injury, Dr. Neumann received a M.S. in Science Education and a Ph.D. in Exercise Science from the University of Iowa. In 1986, he joined Marquette University where he is currently Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physical Therapy. His primary area of teaching include kinesiology and anatomy. Don has received multiple national awards from the American Physical Therapy Association, including the Eugene Michels New Investigator Award, Dorothy E. Baethke - Eleanor J. Carlin Award for Teaching Excellence, and being named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA.  Dr. Neumann also received the International Service Award in Education, from the WCPT.

Dr. Neumann received a Teacher of the Year Award at Marquette University, and was named Wisconsin’s College Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation. Dr. Neumann has received Fulbright Scholarships to teach in Lithuania, Hungary, Japan, and, planned for 2021, Ireland.  He is the author of Human Kinesiology: Foundations for Rehabilitation (3rd ed), published by Elsevier in 2017, which has been translated into 8 languages.  Don has also contributed chapters on the Hip in British Gray’s Anatomy, 41st and 42ed editions (Elsevier).  Don is also co-author of Essentials of Kinesiology for the Physical Therapist Assistant, Elsevier, 2019, and served as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy from 2002-2015. 

Dr. Neumann has published several research articles and book chapters, many of which focus on the kinesiology of the hip.  Through funding from the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Don has also produced educational videos entitled: Kinesiologic Principles to Enhance the Functional and Movement Potential in Persons with Quadriplegia.

Dr. Ann Vansant PT, PhD, FAPTA

Dr. Van Sant is Professor Emeritus of Physical Therapy at Temple University. Her research and teaching at Temple focused on lifespan development of motor behavior, and movement patterns used to perform functional activities in those with a variety of disabling conditions and those who are healthy. She is Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Pediatric Physical Therapy. Dr. Van Sant is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA and has held a variety of leadership positions in the Neurology Academy (past President), Research Academy (past Vice President) and Pediatric Academy (Editor in Chief of Pediatric Physical Therapy). She has been honored with a Lucy Blair Service Award from the APTA and the Bud DeHaven Award, and the Van Sant Lectureship Award from the Academy of Pediatrics. She served as Research Committee Chair for the International Organization of Physical Therapists in Pediatrics for WCPT from 2007 to 2015, and on the II Step and IV Step Conference Planning Committees for the Neurology and Pediatric Sections of the APTA.

Moderator: Dr. Denise Gobert, PT, PhD, NCS, CEEAA

Dr. Gobert is a tenured-full professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Texas State University and has coordinated the research track in her program for over 13 years. She also has been a practicing clinician for over 25 years and practices as a board-certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy. In addition, she is well-known as a clinical researcher with several national/international presentations, published manuscripts and book chapters. Several internal and external grants totalling over $200,000 currently help support of her research agenda which addresses rehabilitation strategies for persons recovering from vestibular disorder, acquired brain injury, stroke and Parkinson’s disease. Her service and membership to the American Physical Therapy Association has for over 20 years which began as a student officer in the National Student Conclave and continued through the years in various leadership roles in the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy.  She currently chairs the ANPT Historian Committee whose mission is to “preserve the past to inform the future” of physical therapy practice.