Faculty
The UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine’s Division of Physical Therapy has an outstanding faculty with extensive clinical and research expertise in physical therapy. To learn about the valuable research being done by faculty, see the Research page.
DPT Faculty
Cristine Agresta
Cristine Agresta is a physical therapist and assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is interested in studying determinants of physical resilience, longevity and performance sustainability in athletes and physically active individuals. Her research focuses on utilizing wearables and out-of-lab technology to improve assessment and monitoring techniques in real-world settings. She has a master's in physical therapy from Youngstown State University and a doctorate in movement science from Temple University and also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in kinesiology at the University of Michigan.
Full profile | Published research | cagresta@uw.edu
Mary Beth Brown
Mary Beth Brown is a faculty member in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Before joining the UW, she was an associate professor at Indiana University, teaching in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Her recent research focuses on exercise responses in patients and rat models of pulmonary vascular disease. Brown earned her doctorate in applied physiology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She was a postdoctoral fellow in IU’s pulmonary and critical care medicine program, where she investigated the role of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in pulmonary endothelial barrier breach and performed novel intravital two-photon microscopy of rodent lungs. Before her career in academia, Brown worked as a licensed physical therapist for almost a decade, practicing primarily in a hospital-based outpatient setting as a staff therapist and as a clinic director.
Full profile | Published research | mbbrown1@uw.edu
Michelle Cangialosi
Michelle Cangialosi is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is also the acting director of clinical education. She has 18 years of clinical experience in outpatient orthopedic settings with a focus on treating spine and extremity conditions. She is a certified manual therapist (CMPT) through the North American Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy and a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist (OCS) through the American Physical Therapy Association. Michelle has a doctor in physical therapy from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston.
Claire Child
Claire Child is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is an American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties-certified clinical specialist in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy with clinical interests in advanced heart and lung diseases, adoptive cell therapy for hematologic malignancies, and COVID-19 infection. She does research on health systems innovations and the use of technology and behavioral economics to augment physical activity in at-risk populations. Child has 10 years of clinical experience in large urban academic medical centers and critical care settings. She previously taught at Alvernia University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Child earned her doctor of physical therapy from the MGH Institute of Health Professions and a master of public health in health care policy and management from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Kathleen Cummer
Kathleen Cummer is a physical therapist and lecturer in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Cummer teaches and assists in orthopedic courses such as musculoskeletal clinical management, kinesiology, modalities and basic procedures. She previously taught in a physical therapist assistant program and managed the program as its director. Cummer’s doctoral work focused on return-to-sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in the athletic population. She received her doctor of physical therapy from Ithaca College and a doctorate from the University of Delaware.
Gretchen Deutschlander
Gretchen Deutschlander is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. A board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist, she has practiced in Seattle for more than 10 years. She has worked in multiple clinical settings, including private practice, the Regional Burn Center at Harborview and the hospital-based outpatient orthopedics clinic at Harborview. Her clinical interests include the treatment and management of orthopedic injuries, as well as injuries associated with complex trauma. Deutschlander earned her doctor of physical therapy from Washington University in St. Louis.
Lisa Barton Diller
Lisa Barton Diller is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She works as a physical therapist at an outpatient clinic treating patients with orthopedic and neurologic diagnoses, and in private practice serving patients with residual impairments related to neurologic diagnoses. Her clinical interests include working with patients with neurologic impairments across the life span and helping them meet their changing needs. She has worked with a variety of patient diagnoses in acute, rehab, sub-acute, home health, outpatient and transitional living settings. Diller has a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Texas Women’s University and a master of medical science in clinical neuroscience physical therapy from Emory University.
Heather Feldner
Heather Feldner is a physical therapist and an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. A board-certified pediatric clinical specialist, she specializes in working with pediatric populations in inpatient, outpatient and community-outreach settings and with children and families living with neurologic, genetic or orthopedic conditions. She also has a special interest in low- and high-tech positioning and mobility technology for children with mobility impairments. In her research, Feldner has focused on the intersections of disability, mobility technology and community accessibility and participation in children with disabilities and their families. She is the director of the Impact Collaboratory, an interdisciplinary lab that fosters community partnerships to enable research that contributes important insights into issues such as accessibility, mobility and inclusion. She is also the co-director of Go Baby Go Seattle, a community-based mobility and socialization program that provides safety and accessibility modifications to commercially available toy ride-on cars for young children with disabilities. Feldner has a master’s in physical therapy from Marquette University and a doctorate in disability studies and a certificate in assistive technology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed a postdoctoral research position in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington.
Full profile | hfeldner@uw.edu
Torey Gilbertson
Torey Gilbertson is a lecturer in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, he teaches primarily in the anatomy, kinesiology, pediatrics and modalities courses. He is a board-certified specialist in pediatric physical therapy and is interested in the use of technology and gaming to improve movement in children with disabilities. Torey received a doctor of physical therapy from Pacific University and a doctorate in rehabilitation science from the University of Washington.
Full profile | Published research | gilbet@uw.edu
Lin-Ya Hsu
Lin-Ya Hsu is an acting assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Her primary research focus is pediatric physical therapy. She is particularly interested in early assessment and intervention in infants and toddlers with neuromotor disabilities who have difficulties in motor functions and in cognitive and adaptive behavior domains. She is also a team member of START-Play, a multi-site study that focuses on motor and cognitive intervention protocols in young children with disabilities. Hsu also does research on developing diagnostics and interventions for children with developmental coordination disorder and using active video games and virtual reality in pediatric rehabilitation. She has a master's in rehabilitation sciences from Chang-Gung University, Taiwan. She earned her doctorate and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington.
Jill Jandreau
Jill Jandreau is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Jandreau has a broad clinical background, including experience in orthopedics and neurology across the life span in acute care, acute rehab, outpatient, home health and industrial settings. She has a special interest in ergonomics and women’s health. In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, Jandreau is the primary instructor in the first-year acute care practice course and the pathophysiology courses, and assists in multiple other courses. She has a master’s in physical therapy from the University of Rhode Island.
Full profile | jandreau@uw.edu
Laura Johnstone
Laura Johnstone is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, she teaches and assists in a variety of courses. Johnstone has more than a decade of clinical experience, including a focus on acute care physical therapy at the University of Washington Medical Center and outpatient physical therapy at Edmonds Orthopedic Physical Therapy. Johnstone has a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Washington.
Deborah Kartin
Deborah Kartin is a physical therapist and a professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is also the director of the interdisciplinary doctoral program in rehabilitation science. As a physical therapist and researcher, she specializes in infants and children who have or are at risk for developmental disabilities. Kartin has a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Boston University and a master’s in rehabilitation medicine and a doctorate in education from the University of Washington.
Full profile | Published research| kartin@uw.edu
Valerie Kelly
Valerie Kelly is a physical therapist and an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is a co-director of the Amplifying Movement and Performance (AMP) Laboratory, a collaborative facility run by the College of Engineering and the School of Medicine that seeks to amplify human and robotic movement and performance. Kelly is also a didactic faculty member in the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program. In her physical therapy practice, she specializes in treating people with neurologic disorders, particularly Parkinson's disease. In her research, Kelly studies the interaction between cognitive impairments and mobility in a variety of neurologic populations, with an emphasis on people who have Parkinson's disease. Her current projects examine the impact of cognitive impairment and genetic variants on gait and the response to gait rehabilitation in people who have Parkinson's disease. Kelly has a master’s in physical therapy and a doctorate in movement science from Washington University in St. Louis.
Full profile | Published research | vekelly@uw.edu
Stacia Lee
Stacia Lee is a physical therapist and clinical teaching assistant in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She has almost 30 years of clinical experience, primarily with neurologic patients, her area of passion. She is an American Physical Therapy Association board-certified neurologic clinical specialist. In addition to her clinical practice, Lee has nearly 20 years of supervisory and managerial experience in a large academic medical center. She has been actively involved in establishing the first two physical therapy residencies at the UW. Lee has a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Boston University.
Murray Maitland
Murray Maitland is a physical therapist and an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In his clinical work, Maitland specializes in musculoskeletal dysfunction caused by overuse, trauma and disease. His research focuses on the clinical biomechanics of musculoskeletal injury, particularly relating to joint replacement and artificial limbs. He has a bachelor of science in recreation in physical therapy and occupational therapy and a master’s in anatomy from the University of British Columbia and a doctoral in medical science from the University of Calgary.
Full profile | Published research | mmaitlan@uw.edu
Patricia Matsuda
Patti Matsuda is a physical therapist and an acting assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Her clinical expertise is in the neurorehabilitation of patients with neurologic diagnoses and the treatment of older adults with balance and musculoskeletal problems. Her research focuses on falls and fall prevention in older adults and those with neurologic diagnoses. In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, she teaches courses in the neurologic and life span tracks. She is currently the faculty adviser to the interdisciplinary UW Fall Prevention Team, which organizes fall prevention events in the greater Seattle area. The team is comprised of students from the UW Doctor of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy programs, UW School of Pharmacy and the Group Health Optometry Residency Program. Matsuda has a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Washington, a transitional clinical doctorate in physical therapy from A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Health Sciences, and a doctorate in rehabilitation science from the University of Washington.
Full profile | Published research| pmatsuda@uw.edu
Sarah (Sally) Westcott McCoy
Sally Westcott McCoy is a physical therapist and a professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In addition to teaching in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, McCoy mentors students on research and clinical projects related to pediatric physical therapy. As a researcher, her interests include evaluation of pediatric interventions, longitudinal development of children with cerebral palsy, and the use of technology and gaming devices in motor learning interventions for children with cerebral palsy and development coordination disorder. McCoy has a master’s degree in physical therapy and a doctorate in behavioral neurosciences from the University of Washington.
Full profile | Published research | westcs@uw.edu
Janis McCullough
Janis McCullough is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She has 15 years of clinical experience in outpatient orthopedic settings with a focus on treatment of spine and extremity conditions. She is a certified orthopedic manual therapist (COMT) through the North American Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy and a board-certified orthopedic specialist (OCS) through the American Physical Therapy Association. McCullough has a doctor in physical therapy from the University of Nebraska and a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of British Columbia.
Kevin McQuade
Kevin McQuade is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. His research interests include factors that influence joint stability and methods for quantifying manual therapy techniques. McQuade received his bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from California State University, Long Beach, his master’s degree in public health at the University of Washington and his doctorate in exercise science from the University of Iowa. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland studying the biomechanics of shoulder injury in manual wheelchair users.
Full profile | kmcquade@uw.edu
Chet Moritz
Chet Moritz is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In addition to teaching in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, he mentors students in research. As the principal investigator of the Moritz Lab, he’s working to develop neuroprosthetic technology for the treatment of paralysis and other movement disorders. Moritz has a doctorate in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Full profile | Published research | ctmoritz@uw.edu
Mark Nelson
Mark Nelson is a physical therapist and a clinical teaching assistant in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, he assists teaching the acute care and exercise physiology courses. Nelson has clinical experience in inpatient, outpatient and acute care settings. He has a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Puget Sound.
Sujata Pradhan
Sujata Pradhan is a physical therapist and an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Her clinical interest is in the evaluation and treatment of neurologic deficits in older adults. Her research focuses on using technology to develop objective measures and design interventions for people with Parkinson’s disease. She has a master’s degree in physical therapy and a doctorate in rehabilitation science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Full profile | Published research | sujatap@uw.edu
Sean Rundell
Sean Rundell is a physical therapist, an epidemiologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. He conducts epidemiologic and health services research of musculoskeletal conditions, with a focus on lower back pain and chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions in older adults. Rundell earned his doctor of physical therapy degree from Duke University and a master’s and a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Washington School of Public Health. He completed the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Orthopedic Physical Therapy residency, and he was a K-12 Scholar in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Full profile | Published research | srundell@uw.edu
Shawn Rundell
Shawn Rundell is a physical therapist and a clinical teaching assistant in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, she teaches pediatrics and applied neuroscience courses. Rundell is an American Physical Therapy Association board-certified clinical specialist in pediatric physical therapy. She also does outreach and community engagement activities with high school and college students who are considering physical therapy careers. Rundell has particular interest in increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the physical therapy profession and is involved in multiple projects centered around this theme. She has experience working as a physical therapist in preschools, in programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and delays, in an outpatient pediatric and home-based clinic, and with adults and children with cancer. She is also interested in global health and has mentored and trained students and physical therapists in the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. Rundell earned her doctor of physical therapy at the University of Washington.
Full profile | smisrael@uw.edu
Megan Scudder
Megan Scudder is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She has more than 28 years of clinical experience in outpatient and inpatient settings, with a focus on treating orthopedic musculoskeletal rehabilitation and neurologic pathologies such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. Her research interests include the neuroscience of chronic pain and gait and balance retraining. Scudder has a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Washington.
Bernadette Williams-York
Bernadette Williams-York is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and a director of the Division of Physical Therapy. Her research, teaching and service interests focus on health disparities and inequities and health promotion in underserved older adult populations. She has explored disparities related to health care access and utilization by underrepresented minorities, as well as factors that play a role in disparate health outcomes. In addition, as a licensed physical therapist for over 30 years, Williams-York has worked in multiple health care settings with diverse patient populations, including geriatric home care, acute hospital care, assisted living and long-term care facilities. Her clinical expertise with primarily a geriatric population has earned her recognition as a certified specialist in geriatric physical therapy through the American Physical Therapy Association. Her research interests are primarily focused on workforce diversity in physical therapy and health promotion in older adults.