Investigators
Investigators are scientists devoted to research - developing preliminary data, testing procedures and developing hypotheses. Listed below are the investigators and research highlights of Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Physical Therapy.
Tamara Buck
Research interests include examining the effects of physical activity for children of varying abilities and exploring how different teaching and learning opportunities impact DPT students' education.
Benjamin J. Darter, P.T., Ph.D.
Research and clinical interests are in the areas of rehabilitation following extremity amputation, optimization of gait performance, and overall health promotion.
Sheryl Finucane, PT, Ph.D.
Research interests include musculoskeletal tissue healing and adaptation to exercise. Finucane teaches in the Rehabilitation and Movement Science Ph.D. program.
Michael Kiefer
Research interests include the development and validation of standardized clinical outcome assessments of health-related functioning in children with genetic and neuromuscular conditions.
Thomas P. Mayhew, PT, Ph.D.
Current research interests are associated with educational issues such as determinants of program success and licensure for DPT students.
Peter Pidcoe, PT, DPT, Ph.D.
Research interests include biomechanics and motor control aspects of human motion in sports medicine, pediatrics and elite performance settings, the quantitative assessment and design of therapeutic interventions in orthopaedic treatment settings, and the design and construction of specialized research equipment.
Daniel Riddle, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA
Research interests are in diagnostic, prognostic and intervention-based studies of persons with osteoarthritis or joint arthroplasty.
James Thomas, PT, Ph.D.
Research interests are in the area of back pain and trunk control. The Motor Control Lab brings together experts in the field of motor control science and uses Virtual Reality tools to better understand control of trunk movements and how various orthopedic or neurologic impairments alter that control.
Emma Wheeler, PT, M.S.
Research interests include risk factors for falling in the elderly, therapeutic modalities, clinical education and the use of admission data to enhance recruitment and predict success in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.