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, PT, MPT, Ph.D.
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, PT, Ph.D.
Mary Beth Brown is an associate professor 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, PT, DPT, CMPT, OCS
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.
Jenny Chang, DPT
Jenny Chang is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is also the assistant director of clinical education. Chang is a board certified geriatric clinical specialist and has more than 10 years of clinical experiences working in the hospital and outpatient setting. Her clinical interests include treatment and management of people with neurological conditions, as well as balance training and fall prevention in the geriatric population. Chang earned her doctorate degree in physical therapy from Washington University in St. Louis.
Claire Child, PT, DPT, MPH
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, PT, DPT, Ph.D.
Kathleen Cummer is a physical therapist and an assistant teaching professor in the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She teaches foundational courses within the DPT program. Cummer’s doctoral work focused on return-to-sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in the athletic population. She assists with biomechanics and musculoskeletal research within the department. She has a continued research interest in the ACL patient population. Cummer is also investigating the implementation of faculty development training for junior faculty in rehabilitation programs. She received her doctor of physical therapy from Ithaca College and a doctorate in biomechanics and movement science from the University of Delaware.
Gretchen Deutschlander, PT, DPT, OCS
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, MS, PT
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, PT, PCS, Ph.D.
Heather Feldner is a physical therapist and an associate professor in the UW 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, DPT, Ph.D.
Torey Gilbertson is an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, he is involved in anatomy and pediatric 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. Gilbertson 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, PT, Ph.D.
Lin-Ya Hsu is an associate 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.
Laura Johnstone, MPT, Ph.D.
Laura Johnstone is an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and the assistant director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Her primary teaching role is in the anatomy series. 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 and a doctorate in rehabilitation science, both from the University of Washington.
Sarah Kaiser, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Sarah Kaiser is a physical therapist and teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She has been in clinical practice since 2008 and currently specializes in treating complex spine conditions, with a special interest in clinical instability. Kaiser is a fellow in manual therapy and clinical diagnostics through the American Academy of Manual Physical Therapists and a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist. She teaches foundational and advanced musculoskeletal courses in the physical therapy program. Her research interests include diagnosis and intervention for hypermobility syndromes. Kaiser earned her doctor of physical therapy from Washington University in St. Louis.
Deborah Kartin, PT, Ph.D.
Deborah Kartin is a physical therapist and a professor emeritus in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Prior to retirement, she was the director of the interdisciplinary doctoral program in rehabilitation science. As a physical therapist and researcher, she specialized 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, PT, Ph.D.
Valerie Kelly is a physical therapist and an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She works with people who have Parkinson's disease in her clinical practice and research. She teaches and mentors students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science doctoral programs. Kelly's research focuses on balance and walking in people with Parkinson's disease and other neurologic conditions. One major aspect of her research examines impacts of cognitive impairment and genetic variants on gait and the response to gait rehabilitation in people who have Parkinson's disease. Kelly is also developing a virtual reality platform for the study and treatment of freezing of gait in people who have Parkinson's disease. She 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, PT, DPT
Stacia Lee is a physical therapist and a teaching associate 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 currently serves as the director of the physical therapy residency programs. Lee has a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Boston University and a doctor of physical therapy from The College of St. Scholastica.
Brooke Lindsley, PT, DPT
Brooke Lindsley is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is a competency certified vestibular therapist with clinical experience in outpatient, acute care and inpatient neurological rehab. Lindsley's clinical interests include treatment and management of people with vestibular conditions, and particularly those with persisting symptoms post-concussion. She holds a master's degree in teaching and earned her doctorate degree in physical therapy from the University of Washington.
Murray Maitland, PT, Ph.D.
Murray Maitland is an associate professor in the Division of Physical Therapy. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia in physical and occupational therapy. After a few years of clinical practice, he returned for a master's degree in anatomy. He obtained his doctorate in clinical biomechanics from the University of Calgary. Maitland has published many peer-reviewed academic papers, as well as presented nationally and internationally in the fields of biomechanics, orthopaedics and prosthetics. He teaches orthopaedic physical therapy and differential diagnosis for UW DPT students. In addition, he is the American Physical Therapy of Washington Chief Delegate and actively participates on editorial boards and other committees.
Full profile | Published research | mmaitlan@uw.edu
Patricia Matsuda, PT, Ph.D.
Patti Matsuda is a physical therapist and an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is the director of service learning and community engagement for the Division of Physical Therapy and the co-director of the UW-EvergreenHealth Physical Therapy Neurologic Residency Program. 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 DPT program, she teaches second-year courses in the neurologic and life span tracks. She serves on the Interprofessional (IP) Service Learning Advisory Committee and assists in organization of IP opportunities for students such as mobile health outreach, participation in health fairs and IP fall prevention events in the community. 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, PT, Ph.D.
Sally Westcott McCoy is a physical therapist and a professor emeritus in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Prior to her retirement, she was the physical therapy division director. McCoy continues to mentor colleagues on both research and clinical projects related to pediatric physical therapy. As a researcher, her interests are 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, DPT, OCS, OTR/L, COMT
Janis McCullough is a physical therapist and an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She has 20 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 through the North American Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy and a board-certified orthopedic specialist through the American Physical Therapy Association. McCullough has a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of British Columbia and a doctor in physical therapy from the University of Nebraska.
Chet Moritz, Ph.D.
Chet Moritz is a professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and enjoys teaching exercise physiology to first-year DPT students. A post-doc at the University of Colorado introduced him to the neural control of dexterous hand movements, while a second post-doc at the University of Washington began his interest in neural devices to treat paralysis. He is now the CJ and Elizabeth Hwang endowed professor in the departments Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rehabilitation Medicine and Physiology & Biophysics at the University of Washington. He directs the Restorative Technologies Laboratory, which develops and tests neurotechnology to improve movement and quality of life after a spinal cord injury or stroke, and for children with cerebral palsy. He also serves as the co-director for the Center for Neurotechnology, an interdisciplinary group of engineers, neuroscientists and clinicians developing next-generation neural technologies to treat disorders of the nervous system. He received his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, studying the neuromechanics of human movement.
Full profile | Published research | ctmoritz@uw.edu
Mark Nelson, PT, MPT
Mark Nelson is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, he leads teaching the acute care and exercise physiology course content. 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.
Elizabeth Ostrand, DPT
Elizabeth Ostrand is a physical therapist and a clinical teaching assistant in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She works as a physical therapist at an outpatient clinic treating a wide range of orthopedic conditions across the life span. She also worked as a travelling physical therapist for many years, gaining experience in several different settings. Ostrand currently volunteers for the Washington public health reserve corps and is a board member for Run Haiti, an international NGO. Her clinical interest is to help individuals here and abroad meet their movement goals and return to the activities they love. Ostrand has a doctor of physical therapy from Regis University.
Sujata Pradhan, PT, Ph.D.
Sujata Pradhan is a physical therapist and an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Her research interest is in the area of applications of technological advances for the physical therapy management in individuals with Parkinson's disease and has completed post doctoral training in advanced rehabilitation research at the University of Washington. Her work has focused on the use of wearable sensors, exergaming and virtual reality for rehabilitation. Pradhan’s work has been supported by funding from the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Royalty Research Fund – University of Washington, Institute of Translational Health Sciences – University of Washington and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Her teaching responsibilities in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine include coordinating and teaching neurobiology for rehabilitation, and in the Division of Physical Therapy include coordinating and teaching a physical therapy seminar as well as serving as a guest lecturer in several other courses. She mentors several students in the DPT program and serves on dissertation committees for several students in the rehabilitation science doctoral program. Pradhan also chairs the Doctor of Physical Therapy program’s admissions committee, serves as the graduate program coordinator and co-chairs the Rehabilitation Equity, Diversity and Inclusion council. She has a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Bombay and a doctorate in rehabilitation science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Full profile | Published research | sujatap@uw.edu
Sean Rundell, PT, DPT, Ph.D.
Sean Rundell is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. He also has an adjunct appointment with the Department of Health Systems and Population Health within the School of Public Health, and is the associate director of the Resource Core for the UW CLEAR Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders. He conducts epidemiologic and health services research of musculoskeletal conditions, with a focus on low back pain and chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions in older adults. He is a former faculty fellow with the Center on Health Services Training and Research. He was a K12 Scholar in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and completed the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Orthopaedic Physical Therapy residency. Rundell earned his doctor of physical therapy degree from Duke University and his doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Washington.
Full profile | Published research | srundell@uw.edu
Shawn Rundell, PT, DPT, PCS
Shawn Rundell is a physical therapist and a teaching associate 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
Soshi Samejima, DPT, Ph.D.
Soshi Samejima is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. His research focuses on neuromodulatory and rehabilitative approaches for autonomic and motor function following spinal cord injury. Samejima earned his bachelor's degree in physical therapy from Kanazawa University in Japan and a transitional doctor or physical therapy from MGH Institute of Health Professionals. He received his doctorate in rehabilitation science at the University of Washington, supervised by Chet Moritz.
Megan Scudder, PT, OCS
Megan Scudder is a physical therapist and a teaching associate in the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She has more than 30 years of clinical experience in outpatient orthopedic settings and inpatient rehabilitation, with a focus on treating spine and extremity conditions. She is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist (OCS) through the American Physical Therapy Association. Her clinical interests include the treatment and management of orthopedic injuries, as well as outpatient neurologic conditions. She received her bachelor's degree in physical therapy from the University of Washington.
Kurt Williams, PT, DPT, MA, DHSc
Kurt Williams is a physical therapist and teaching associate in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. He teaches foundational courses within the DPT program and has more than 20 years of clinical experience in outpatient orthopedic and sports medicine. His doctoral work focused on bicycle fitting and repetitive stress injuries. He received his transitional doctor of physical therapy from Shenandoah University, his master's degree in exercise physiology from the University of Oregon and his doctorate of health sciences from the University of St. Augustine.
Bernadette Williams-York, PT, GCS, DSc
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.