Rehabilitation Science Doctoral Program
Rehabilitation Science Doctoral program
The Rehabilitation Science doctoral program is the only one of its kind in the Southeast, and the largest in the United States. It is designed to prepare rehabilitation scholars committed to advance the science of rehabilitation. Students are given the opportunity to develop skills in teaching, research, and interdisciplinary teamwork. Students are mentored by excellent faculty with extensive experience in both teaching and in research. Many of the research projects in which the students participate are funded by federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the NIDRR and the VA. Participating departments in the program include: occupational therapy, physical therapy, rehabilitation counseling, and communicative disorders.
Most
physical therapist interested in the Rehabilitation Science PhD Program
(RSD) participate in the movement science track offered as one of the disciplines
within that degree. Movement science, the study of human movement and postural
control, serves as the foundation for the development of evidence-based
rehabilitation practices, and reflects the converging knowledge from multiple
disciplines. These disciplines include motor control and learning, anatomy,
biomechanics, exercise physiology, muscle physiology, neurophysiology, and
neuroscience. The aim of the research in this area is to develop scientifically-based
assessment and treatment strategies to promote 1) maintenance of movement,
2) restoration of movement, and 3) compensation for movement loss or dysfunction,
secondary to the consequences of aging, injury, disease, or developmental
disorders. Movement science research focuses on the impact of these processes
by the evaluation of impairments, disability (activity), and handicap (participation).
The movement science program at UF consists of faculty and students with
diverse backgrounds and training with the common goal to improve the quality
of life for individuals with disabilities. Students interested in movement
science may be physical therapists, occupational therapists, exercise physiologists,
athletic trainers, neuroscientists, rehabilitation engineers or bioengineers.
Student
applicants have the opportunity to compete for diverse sources of funding,
including prestigious University-wide and College-wide fellowships, NIH
predoctoral training grants, research assistantships funded by faculty research,
and teaching assistantships.
Students have the opportunity to attend and present their research at national and regional conferences, the College of Public Health and Health Professions Research day, a Neuronoons seminar series for neuromuscular plasticity research, and several different journal clubs. The RSD program makes a special effort to be sure that travel awards are available for students to attend and present their research at national and regional conferences. Students also have the opportunity to attend a large number of seminar series focused on rehabilitation research, including the Rehabilitation Research Seminar series sponsored by the Department of Physical Therapy, as well as seminars sponsored by the UF Brain Institute, UF Institute on Aging, VA Brain Rehabilitation Research Center and VA Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center.
A description of the research projects of the faculty of the Department of Physical Therapy can be found here.
