Member Spotlight

 APTA Emerging Leader

Randy Trumbower, PT, PhD

Neurology Section member Randy Trumbower received the APTA Emerging Leader Award in 2009.  Dr. Trumbower serves on the Membership and Public Relations Committee of the Neurology Section, helping to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice.  He developed and now manages the Section's monthly email publication Research in Review, which summarizes the most current advancements in the field of neuroscience.  Referenced articles cover topics on motor control, clinical neurophysiology, rehabilitation, and emerging technologies.

Dr. Trumbower is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy within Emory University's School of Medicine, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine where he directs the Sensorimotor Control and Plasticity Laboratory.  His primary research interest is to understand spinal mechanisms underlying the control of movement and posture in individuals with neuromotor deficits.  Because the spinal cord contributes to normal function of the limb during voluntary motor tasks, much can be understood about how it contributes to impaired limb function following spinal cord injury or stroke.  This knowledge may be especially beneficial in neurologic rehabilitation where treatment strategies result in variable outcomes and often focus on sensorimotor retraining without a firm basis of the underlying mechanisms that promote recovery of function.  Dr. Trumbower's focus is on performing clinical studies to improve the knowledge of neurophysiological mechanisms contributing to motor dysfunction and to critically examine novel therapeutic interventions that target those mechanisms and improve whole limb function.

Dr. Randy Trumbower's perspective on the Neurology Section:

"The Neurology Section is an excellent medium for translating knowledge.  It provides an access point for sharing resources and provides a communication bridge for researchers, students, clinicians, teachers, and clients.  Strengthening these links is key to the advancement of neurologic rehabilitation, which will continue to rely on translation to develop and sustain an evidence-base for delivery of care in physical therapy."