The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Education summary
I received my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from The Ohio State University and completed my residency training at The Nisonger Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital paediatric physical therapy residency in Columbus, Ohio.
Career summary
I am a researcher specialising in the care and evaluation of patients with neuromuscular disorders, and a principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health and an Associate Professor of Paediatrics at The Ohio State University. I serve an integral role in planning and designing clinical trials and contribute to protocol development, outcome measure selection, statistical analysis, and interpretation for ongoing clinical trials within the Jerry R. Mendell Center for Gene Therapy and throughout the wider research community.
My research goals focus on incorporating the standardised use of clinical outcome assessments to proactively monitor and manage disease progression, while elevating the standard of care for patients. In addition, I strive to develop and optimise assessment tools to measure meaningful change in function while minimising the burden of testing.
What is the personal or professional achievement you’re most proud of?
Mentoring! Over the years, I have personally benefitted from having great mentors. I am thankful for the privilege to formally and informally mentor others and truly value the opportunity to help others find their passions that harness their superpowers! There is so much work still to be done to change the lives of patients with neuromuscular disorders, we'll get there faster by growing our community of committed and driven clinicians, researchers, and advocates.
Why did you first join the WMS?
I first joined the WMS to learn about the latest scientific breakthroughs in neuromuscular disorders and with the small hope that I could meet some of the amazing clinicians and researchers whose publications I had been studying and absorbing. The size and structure of the WMS Congress make it so easy to meet others and build collaborations.
What is your goal in joining the Executive Board?
The WMS has been instrumental in my career development, and my goal is to use my unique perspective to help expand resources, access, and opportunities within this Society for all around the globe! I had the privilege of serving my first term on the current WMS Executive Board and chairing the newly developed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee. In this role, I have had the opportunity to elevate the voices of the WMS membership to drive development of EDI initiatives. We've made great strides to improve access to the Congress and to create speaking opportunities that highlight early career researchers, expertise in our membership across disciplines, and important global perspectives. The WMS has grown over the past three years, and I'm eager to continue to build upon our momentum to shape the future of the WMS. Working togethe,r we can advance the WMS values to build educational, scientific, collaborative, and inclusive opportunities and resources for myologists across the globe to advance both the science and clinical care for people with neuromuscular disorders.
