Krista Vandenborne, PT, PhD

Basic Science/Clinical Research Mentor

Distinguished Professor and Chair
Department of Physical Therapy

Krista Vandenborne, PT, PhD, is Research Foundation Professor (2007-2010) and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. She is also an associate of the Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute, the Brooks Center for Rehabilitation Studies, and the Institute on Aging. Dr. Vandenborne’s work presents a multidisciplinary, integrated research approach to study muscle degeneration/regeneration from a pathophysiological level to functional impairment. The specific objectives of her program are to 1) develop novel noninvasive techniques for the evaluation of skeletal muscle, 2) investigate the ability to enhance muscle function using modalities ranging from gene transfer, to exercise training and pharmacological treatment and 3) examine the physiological process(es) essential to the repair of skeletal muscle and return of functional ability. Dr. Vandenborne’s lab is unique in that it incorporates both human and animal studies with clinical and basic science approaches. Her current funded projects focus on the use of viral-mediated gene transfer of IGF-I to enhance muscle rehabilitation, identifying the molecular signature of muscle atrophy and rehabilitation, and the development of MRI for clinical trials of muscular dystrophy. Dr. Vandenborne’s research is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. She collaborates with many of the faculty mentors and serves as the NMPT Program Director.