ANPT Member Awards

The Academy is proud of our members' Academy and National contributions both to the profession and the patients we serve. We extend our heartfelt appreciation and admiration for the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Award and national American Physical Therapy Award recipients.

• Nominations are open May 1- August 1 each year.
• The ANPT Awards Committee does not carry nominations from the previous year over to the next so new submission are needed each year.
• ANPT Partner Members are not eligible for ANPT Awards.

2023 Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Award Recipients

The Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy celebrates excellence in research, scholarship, clinical practice and service activities by honoring our members for their achievements and successes over the past years at the annual Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy Business Meeting held at APTA CSM.

Service to the Academy

Miriam Rafferty, PT, DPT

Dr. Rafferty has been a member of the Evidence-Based Practice Committee, the Clinical Practice Guideline Advisory Committee, and the Parkinson's Clinical Practice Guideline Committee as well as co-chair of the Knowledge Translation Taskforce for the Parkinson's Clinical Practice Guideline. In addition, she has served as co-chair of the Health Promotion and Wellness Taskforce and has contributed a significant amount of continuing education to the Academy and publications in JNPT. Her service to the Academy has impacted its members in innumerable ways.

Click here for a list of previous Service to the Academy Awardees

Excellence in Neurologic Education

Lauren Szot, PT, DPT

Dr. Szot has demonstrated excellence across a range of educational activities in the classroom, in the clinic, and in the community with her research and presentations. She has made consistent and significant contributions to the development of the neurologic residency program at The Institute for Research and Rehabilitation (TIRR) in Houston, TX and her doctor of physical therapy coursework at Texas Women’s University. As described by one of her colleagues, she has a “Let’s go do it” attitude, where she helps others to achieve their most right along side them.

Click here for a list of previous Excellence in Neurologic Education Awardees

Excellence in Neurologic Research

Michael Schubert, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Dr. Michael Schubert is an internationally recognized expert in vestibular hypofunction and has contributed to both clinical and basic science research that has led to an understanding of recovery mechanisms and development of improved physical therapy treatment. He translates his research into clinical practice, educates individuals across disciplines in vestibular topics, and has led to the emergence of vestibular rehabilitation as a physical therapy specialty area. Furthermore, he is described as a “PT Allstar” in a recommendation letter written by his colleague.

Click here for a list of previous Excellence in Research Awardees

PT Clinical Excellence in Neurology

Laura Lenhart, PT,  DPT 

Throughout her time at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Dr. Lenhart has been a key contributor to both knowledge translation and research not only in her department, but in her entire organization. She has formed multiple diagnosis-specific task forces in her clinic that include interdisciplinary members of healthcare teams. Her innovative thinking and commitment to overcoming obstacles to implement best practice make her a respected clinician throughout her organization.

Click here for a list of previous Clinical Excellence in Neurologic Physical Therapy Awardees

PTA Clinical Excellence in Neurology

Lauren Whilden, PTA 

Lauren Whilden has made significant contributions to her organization through the roll out of a high intensity gait training program for their neuro centers and even co-authored a quality improvement project at CSM in 2022. Since graduating in 2015, she has gone beyond minimal requirements for continuing education and participated in a significant amount of courses to best provide for her patients.

Click here for list of previous PTA Clinical Excellence in Neurology Award Winners.

Outstanding Clinical Innovator

Hallie Zeleznik, PT, DPT *

Dr. Hallie Zeleznik is recommended by the Awards Committee to receive the Outstanding Clinical Innovator in Neurologic Physical Therapy Award for 2023. Dr. Zeleznik is currently the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Professional Development at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where she leads evidence-based projects and programs to enhance rehabilitation practices. She has written several peer reviewed publications and has presented at various national conferences about implementation of clinical practice guidelines.

*Dr. Hallie Zeleznik is a Board Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist

Click here for a list of previous Outstanding Clinical Innovator Award Winners

Outstanding Advocacy in Neurology

Kaci Handlery, PT, DPT *

Dr. Kaci Handerly has spearheaded advocacy efforts that are having a strong positive impact on individuals with neurologic disorders in her region in rural Arkansas. She has founded a Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, bringing resources and support to her rural community. Realizing that there were no adaptive exercise opportunities in the area, she sought out significant funding to provide accessible exercise equipment and has partnered with CrossFit to expand classes for individuals with neurologic disorders.

* Dr. Handlery is a Board Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist

Click here for list of previous Outstanding Advocacy in Neurology Award Winners

Early Career Award

Jordan Birdsong, PT, DPT 
Uzair Hammad, PT, DPT 
Jeff Schmidt, PT, DPT

Jordan Birdsong, PT, DPT

Dr. Jordan Birdsong is recommended by the Awards Committee to receive the Early Career Professional Award. She has had the opportunity to participate in research and teaching within her role in the SCI and Neuromuscular team and has expanded her impact to national and state level conferences. She is described in her letters of recommendation as also having a “heart for service,” deeply involved in volunteer work in school, residency and as a therapist. 

Uzair Hammad, PT, DPT

Dr. Uzair Hammad is recommended by the Awards Committee to receive the Early Career Professional Award. As a DPT and neuro residency graduate, he has had substantial experience in research and teaching. He is very active in the academy, serving on many task forces and special interest groups and was the 2022 recipient of the UCF 30 under 30 Alumni Award for all of his accomplishments following graduation.

Jeff Schmidt, PT, DPT

Dr. Jeffrey Schmidt is recommended by the Awards Committee to receive the Early Career Professional Award. He has multiple recognized certifications including NCS, MSCS and LSVT-BIG. More notably, he has multiple peer reviewed presentations and publications at state and national levels. He continues to conduct research now in BFR with patients with MS.

Click here for a list of prior Early Career Award recipients

SIG Service & Research Awards

To acknowledge a member of a particular SIG who goes above and beyond through contributions in research within the SIGs diagnoses or service to the SIG. These awards were first given out in 2021.

CSM Abstract

Post Professional Student Abstract

Anne Shumway-Cook Lectureship

The Anne Shumway-Cook lectureship is designed to acknowledge and honor an individual who has made a significant contribution to neurologic physical therapy research and practice. Recipients of the lectureship have distinguished themselves as an esteemed neurorehabilitation scientist whose work has influenced neurological physical therapist clinical practice. The lecture provides an opportunity for the honoree to share experiences related to the translation of neuroscience and neurorehabilitation research into neurological physical therapist clinical practice. 

Dr. Edelle Field-Fote, PhD, PT, FAPTA 

Dr. Field-Fote leads a team dedicated to improving motor function in persons with SCI through the development of neuromodulation and neurorehabilitation approaches informed by the latest neuroscience research and guided by outcomes that have meaning for persons with SCI.

Click here for list of previous Anne Shumway Cook recipients

Leahy & Barnes Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) Awards

Patricia Leahy Award for outstanding PODS I application in post-professional studies within neurology:

Chelsea Parker Duppen, PT, DPT from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Project Title: “Enhanced Motor Learning of gait behaviors in Parkinson’s disease.”

Chelsea “CJ” Duppen PT, DPT is  PhD candidate in the Human Movement Science program at UNC Chapel Hill, and is the recipient of the Patricia Leahy Award. Duppen’s project, “Enhanced motor learning of gait behaviors in Parkinson disease” is supported through the Neurology Endowment Fund made possible through the generosity of the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy. She works primarily in the Recovery of Gait and Neurorehabilitation (ReGaiN) Lab under Dr. Michael Lewek with a research focus on maximizing the learning and retention of improved gait behaviors for people with PD. Dr. Duppen in a licensed physical therapist, having received her physical therapy degree from UNC Chapel Hill in 2016. Following graduation, she practiced full time in a rural outpatient clinic, where she was motivated by her patients to pursue a PhD and address gaps in research impacting quality of life for people with PD. Duppen’s career goals are to assist in reducing the burden of rehabilitative care for people with Parkinson disease, so they can spend more time doing what brings them joy, and less time inside clinic walls. Dr. Duppen presented preliminary findings associated with her funded project on Thursday morning as a Neurology Platform Session.

Mary Lou Barnes Award for outstanding PODS II application in post professional studies within neurology:

Jenna Zajac PT, DPT from Boston University

Project Title: “Does a personalized music-based digital therapeutic increase walking performance and automaticity in people with Parkinson’s disease”

Jenna Zajac PT, DPT is a PhD Candidate in the Rehabilitation Sciences program at Boston University and is the recipient of the Mary Lou Barnes Award. Dr. Zajac’s project, “Does a personalized music-based digital therapeutic increase walking performance and automaticity in people with Parkinson's disease,” is supported through the Neurology Endowment Fund made possible through the generosity of the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy. She works primarily in the Center for Neurorehabilitation under the mentorship of Dr. Terry Ellis and her research focuses on investigating the effectiveness of music-based interventions and wearable sensors to enhance quantity and quality of walking in persons with Parkinson disease. Dr. Zajac is a licensed physical therapist having graduated from Nazareth College in Rochester NY in 2019. She has published several articles and presentations nationally and internationally on topics related to rehabilitation and exercise in Parkinson disease.

David Rowland, PT, DPT from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Project Title: “Ankle exoskeletons as daily assistive devices to augment gait post-stroke”.

David Rowland, PT, DPT of UNC Chapel Hill focuses on improving mobility of people with stroke with an emphasis on the biomechanics and motor learning of gait. His project, "Ankle exoskeletons as daily assistive devices to augment gait post-stroke," is supported by the Neurology Endowment Fund made possible through the generosity of the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy. David is completing his PhD in Human Movement Science under the guidance of Dr. Michael Lewek, PT, PhD at UNC Chapel Hill. He is working to develop the techniques that will enable people with stroke to learn to use an ankle exoskeleton as a daily assistive device for improved mobility once in the chronic phase of stroke recovery. With both clinical and research experiences in neurological patient populations, David is determined to provide meaningful improvements in the quality of life of his patients.

Click here for a list of previous Barnes and Leahy Promotion of Doctoral Studies Awardees

Click here for a list of Academy members who are APTA Award Recipients