Vision statement
The Brooks/UF-PHHP Research Collaboration will be a national leader in advancing rehabilitation science, education, and practice through patient-centered research, striving for an immediate impact on the health and well being of individuals and communities.
Primary collaboration goals
- Create a contemporary model for collaborative and interdisciplinary research between an academic center and a rehabilitation centric health care system
- Enhance the existing missions of UF PHHP and Brooks by providing opportunities for high quality rehabilitation research that positively impacts the delivery of clinical services
- Obtain external grants in order to engage in interdisciplinary research activities that are focused on studying, improving and creating new approaches to treatment that can improve the outcomes and quality of life for individuals who receive rehabilitation services
- Develop an organizational structure that fosters the advancement and productivity of UF and Brooks scholars at different stages of their career development
- Contribute to an environment that supports and promotes inquiry and curiosity in the area of rehabilitation practice and science
Accomplishments
2013-2016
- Brooks-PHHP Research Collaboration researchers have been awarded more than $2.5 million in grants from organizations such as the Veterans Affairs Administration, the American Physical Therapy Association, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the National Institutes of Health.
- Studies by collaboration researchers work have appeared in more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, including the journals Physical Therapy, PAIN, Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy Theory and Practice and Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
- Collaboration researchers have made more than 100 presentations at local, national and international professional conferences, such as the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists annual meeting and the Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association.
- Collaboration clinicians have made 34 presentations at national meetings.
About Brooks Rehabilitation

Brooks Rehabilitation, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is one of the largest independent and not-for-profit rehabilitation-centric providers of post-acute services. The inpatient hospital houses 160 beds with over 3,100 admissions annually.
The Brooks system of care also includes a network of 28 outpatient therapy centers serving approximately 27,000 patients per year, the region’s largest home health agency serving 23 counties, in addition to skilled nursing and other rehabilitation, post-rehabilitation, and community benefit programs and services.
About PHHP
Unique among its peers, the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions’ eight departments encompass both public health and the health professions, thereby providing a fertile environment for the integration of population-based problem solving and individual patient care. These opportunities for collaboration in education, research and service further the college’s mission to preserve, promote and improve the health and well-being of populations, communities and individuals.
Meet the Team
Meet the faculty and doctoral students who are members of the Brooks-PHHP Research Collaboration team.
Meryl J Alappattu DPT, PhD
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Sep 2022
ACTIVE
Phenotyping Responses to Optimize the Management of Pain Treatment in EndometriosisNATL INST OF HLTH NICHD · Principal Investigator
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Jun 2021
ACTIVE
Underserved and undertreated: musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction following gender affirmation surgeryACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC PHYSICAL THERAPY · Principal Investigator
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May 2020
ACTIVE
Mechanisms and Modification of Pain Modulatory CapacityNATL INST OF HLTH NIAMS · Co-Investigator
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Jul 2017
ACTIVE
Brain Imaging and Pain: Analysis of Placebo AnalgesiaNATL CTR FOR COMPLEM AND INTEGRATIVE HLT · Project Manager
Jason M Beneciuk
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Nov 2019
ACTIVE
The Aging and Integrative Pain Management InitiativeUF FOUNDATION · Co-Investigator
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Jan 2019
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Mar 2022
Discriminant and Predictive Validity Assessment of the Keele STarT MSK Tool for Patients with Musculoskeletal Pain in Outpatient Physical Therapy SettingsFOU FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY RES · Principal Investigator
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Jan 2018
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Apr 2021
Multi-Institutional Center on Health Services Training and Research (CoHSTAR)UNIV OF PITTSBURGH · Principal Investigator
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Jul 2015
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Jul 2020
BROOKS FUND FOR HUMAN SUBJECT PAYMENTSUF FOUNDATION · Principal Investigator
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Jul 2015
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Jun 2018
Targeted Interventions to Prevent Chronic Low Back Pain in High Risk Patients: A Multi-Site Pragmatic RCTUNIV OF PITTSBURGH · Principal Investigator
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Oct 2013
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Sep 2017
Mid-Thoracic Spine Thrust Manipulation for Individuals Status Post-Surgical Cervical FusionAMER ACAD ORTHOPAEDIC MANUAL PHYS THERAP · Principal Investigator
Joel E Bialosky
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Aug 2018
ACTIVE
Evaluating Specific and Non-Specific Mechanisms in Two Distinct Complementary/Integrative Interventions for Chronic PainRUSH UNIV MED CTR · Principal Investigator
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Jan 2013
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Jan 2017
Creation of the Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Investigative Network (OPT-IN) for the Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome (OSPRO) Cohort StudyAMER PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOC · Principal Investigator
Emily J Fox PT, PhD
Emily Fox, PT, DPT, MHS, PhD is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Director of Neuromuscular Research at Brooks Rehabilitation. She is a key member of the Brooks-PHHP Research Collaboration, an established collaboration between Brooks Rehabilitation and the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions. At Brooks Rehabilitation, she also serves as the Director of the Motion Analysis Center, a clinical and research assessment facility.
Dr. Fox’s research is focused on control and recovery following neurologic injury and disease. Her objective is to apply intrinsic neural and biomechanical control principles to enhance rehabilitation and promote recovery. As a physical therapist and researcher, she has extensive experience working with individuals with stroke, spinal cord injury, and older adults. Her research represents an interdisciplinary, translational approach to investigate mechanisms underlying motor control and the use of activity-based interventions to restore function.
The specific objectives of her research are to: 1) identify mechanisms associated with motor function and recovery, 2) develop innovative approaches to enhance walking control and recovery, including community ambulation, 3) investigate novel technologies to enhance the delivery and effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions and 4) advance strategies to enhance respiratory recovery after spinal cord injury. Dr. Fox’s current funded projects investigate novel therapeutic approaches such as transcutaneous electrical stimulation and acute intermittent hypoxia to enhance neuromuscular plasticity and recovery.
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Sep 2022
ACTIVE
Transcutaneous Spinal Direct Current Stimulation to Enhance Locomotor Rehabilitation after SCICRAIG H NEILSEN FOU · Principal Investigator
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Jan 2022
ACTIVE
Swallowing and respiratory function in chronic spinal cord injuryBROOKS REHABILITATION CLINICAL RES CNTR · Co-Project Director/Principal Investigator
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Jan 2021
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Jan 2023
Locomotor Training with Testosterone to Promote Bone and Muscle HealthNORTH FL FOU FOR RES AND EDU · Principal Investigator
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Sep 2020
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Aug 2022
Acute Intermittent Hypoxia to Improve Breathing in Humans with SCICRAIG H NEILSEN FOU · Other
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Jun 2019
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May 2021
Perceptions of individuals living with spinal cord injury toward autonomous vehiclesPARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA · Co-Investigator
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Dec 2018
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Dec 2020
VA IPA for Emily FoxUS DEPT OF VET AFF GAINESVILLE MED CTR · Principal Investigator
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Oct 2018
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Jun 2021
National Resource Center for High-Impact Clinical Trials in Medical Rehabilitation: Pilot Projects ComponentUNIV OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM · Principal Investigator
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Sep 2018
ACTIVE
Acute Intermittent Hypoxia and Respiratory Strength Training to Improve Breathing Function after SCIUS ARMY MED RES ACQUISITION · Principal Investigator
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Aug 2018
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Mar 2020
Phrenic Afferents and Neuromuscular Plasticity Following Spinal Cord InjuryNATL INST OF HLTH NHLBI · Consultant
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Jul 2018
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Jun 2020
Neuromodulation of spinal circuits to enhance practice-related performance on a complex walking task (Pilot Project).MEDICAL UNIV OF SOUTH CAROLINA · Principal Investigator
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Sep 2016
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Jul 2022
Functional mapping of peripheral and central circuits for airway protection and breathingNATL INST OF HLTH OD · Project Manager
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Sep 2015
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Dec 2019
Intramuscular pacing to enhance voluntary diaphragm activationCRAIG H NEILSEN FOU · Principal Investigator
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Jul 2007
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Aug 2016
Clinical and Translational Science InstituteUF RESEARCH FOU · Project Manager
Dorian K Rose
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Jan 2023
ACTIVE
Cortical Processes during Walking Post-strokeAMER HEART ASSOCIATION · Other
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May 2022
ACTIVE
Synergizing home health rehabilitation therapy to optimize patients activities of daily livingNATL INST OF HLTH NIA · Co-Investigator
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Jun 2020
ACTIVE
Augmenting a PostStroke Wellness Program with Respiratory Muscle Training: A Randomized Controlled TrialFL DEPT OF HLTH BIOMED RES PGM/J&E KING · Principal Investigator
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Jun 2019
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May 2021
Extension 2 IPA for Sudeshna ChatterjeeUS DEPT OF VET AFF GAINESVILLE MED CTR · Other
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Feb 2019
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Jul 2020
Data Coordinating Center for Parkinson Foundations PDGENE StudyPARKINSONS FOU · Project Manager
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Mar 2018
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May 2019
IPA for Sudeshna Chatterjee*NF/SGVHS Malcom Randall VA Medical Cent · Principal Investigator
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Sep 2017
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Jan 2018
National Descriptive Study of the Home Health Physical Therapy EnvironmentOHIO STATE UNIV · Principal Investigator
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Jun 2017
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May 2020
Combining tDCS and neurorehabilitation to treat age-related deficits of mobility and cognitionNATL INST OF HLTH NIA · Co-Investigator
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Jul 2015
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Jun 2018
Novel Strategy to Improve Gait and Fall-Related Efficacy Post-StrokeAMER HEART ASSOCIATION · Principal Investigator
Doctoral students supported by the Collaboration

