Congratulations to Claudia Senesac, PT, PhD, PCS, clinical associate professor in the Dept. of Physical Therapy, who recently received the Change It Champion Award on behalf of the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), a non-profit organization that is leading the fight to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Dr. Senesac received the award “in recognition of her years of commitment and compassion for the Duchenne community and her leadership in ensuring physical therapy is at the heart of daily care for our families,” according to the press release.
President and CEO Pat Furlong and the PPMD team presented the award to Dr. Senesac virtually over Zoom, although it is normally presented during the Annual Conference. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the PPMD Annual Conference will be held virtually this year.
According to the press release, Dr. Senesac said, “I am so honored to be recognized by such an incredible organization for my contribution to Duchenne care through physical therapy. In my experience, I have found that we have to be flexible and inherently resilient as care providers. Parents in the Duchenne community can feel overwhelmed by this diagnosis. I want to be a role model for the people I come into contact with, especially during these unpredictable times and with an unpredictable disease. Thank you Pat and the entire PPMD team for this honor.”
Dr. Senesac truly is a champion pushing for change for boys with Duchenne. Within ImagingDMD, a study that aims to learn more about the changes that occur in muscles of the arms and legs in boys with DMD, Dr. Senesac traveled around the country before the pandemic hit to educate therapists in the field by updating their understanding of Duchenne – translating what has been gained from imaging data. In addition, she has put together educational courses for families and other health professionals as the landscape is changing for this rare disease.
“This is a very hopeful time in the development of interventions and the potential for a cure in the future,” Dr. Senesac said. “I feel fortunate to have been involved with these studies, with families, boys, men, and a dedicated interdisciplinary group of professionals pushing the envelope of how we view and understand this disease.”