Lead Mentors
Candidates must choose a Lead Mentor, during the application process, whose research interests are relevant to those of the candidate.  Qualifications for Lead Mentors include:

• Active research programs relevant to rehabilitation as evidenced by a minimum of ten publications in refereed journals over the past five years
• Current external research funding
• Previous record of supervising PhD students, and mentoring postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty
• Hold a senior tenured faculty appointment (associate or full professor) at the UTMB or UF

Mentors and Research Areas

B. Abreu, PhD, OTR, Clinical Professor, Occupational Therapy, UTMB	Brain injury, virtual environment, postural control seating, cognitive rehabilitation
T. Ashizawa, MD,  Professor & Chair, Neurology, UF	Understanding pathogenic mechanisms of movement disorders, particularly spinal cerebral ataxia
A. Behrman, PhD, PT, Associate Professor, Chair, Physical Therapy, UF	Locomotor training, spinal cord injury
B. Buford, PhD, Professor, Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, UTMB	Applied biomechanics of rehabilitation
B. Byrne, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology; Director, Powell Gene Therapy Center, UF	Muscular dystrophy, gene transfer and stem cell therapies
L. Gonzales-Rothi, PhD, Professor & Director, VA  Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, UF	Cortical plasticity, functional recovery after CNS damage and response to rehabilitation
J. Goodwin, MD, Professor & Director, Sealy Center on Aging, UTMB	Aging, health services delivery and access, cancer in older adults
S. Kautz, PhD, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy; Research Scientist VA-BRRC, UF	Intermuscular coordination and gait analyses in persons with post-stroke hemiparesis
K. Light, PhD, OT, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy, UF	Motor problems of elderly patients, balance problems, cerebral vascular disease, Parkinson's disease, and frailty
W. Mann, PhD, OTR, Professor & Chair, Occupational Therapy, UF	Aging, assistive technology, rehabilitation engineering
K. Markides, PhD, Professor, Population Health Science, UTMB	Hispanic aging and minority health
D. Martin, PhD, PT, Professor, Physical Therapy, UF	Respiratory physiology and function, ventilator dependence
K. Mossberg, PhD, PT, Professor, Physical Therapy, UTMB	Physical capacity and fitness in persons with brain injury
G. Ostir, PhD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine/Geriatrics; Rehabilitation Sciences, UTMB	Positive emotions, functional performance
K. Ottenbacher, PhD, OTR, Professor & Director, Rehabilitation Sciences, UTMB	Functional assessment and outcomes in medical rehabilitation
D. Paddon-Jones, PhD, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy, UTMB	Muscle metabolism, protein synthesis
M. Pahor, MD, Professor and Chair, Aging & Geriatric Research; Director, Institute on Aging	Aging, physical exercise, sarcopenia and prevention of disability
C. Patten, PhD, PT, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy, UF	Motor dysfunction, stroke, rehabilitation interventions
R. Perez-Polo, PhD, Professor & Chair, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UTMB	Responses to CNS trauma, cell death mechanisms, aging and Alzheimer's
M. Perri, PhD, Professor & Associate Dean, Clinical & Health Psychology, UF	Obesity, physical exercise, behavioral therapy, underserved populations
E. Protas, PhD, PT, Professor, Physical Therapy; Dean, School of Health Professions, UTMB	Geriatrics, rehabilitation of adults with stroke, Parkinson's disease
B. Rasmussen, PhD, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy, UTMB	Muscle metabolism, protein synthesis, human nutrition and exercise
P. Reier, PhD, Mark F. Overstreet Professor & Eminent Scholar, Neuroscience, UF	Neural plasticity and pulmonary respiration in spinal cord injury
M. Robinson, PhD, Professor, Clinical and Health Psychology; Director, Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, UF	Management of pain, experimental pain and psychophysics, rehabilitation, psychophysiology
M. Sheffield-Moore, PhD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine/Endocrinology, UTMB	Hormone replacement, muscle metabolism
K. Vandenborne, PhD, PT, Professor & Chair, Physical Therapy, UF	Pathophysiology of muscle degeneration /regeneration, evaluation of skeletal muscle
C. Velozo, PhD, OTR, Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy, UF	Measurement models, clinical assessment and outcomes
E. Volpi, MD, PhD, Professor, Internal Medicine/Geriatrics, UTMB	Muscle metabolism, protein synthesis, sarcopenia

Mentoring Teams, consisting of a Lead Mentor, one of the Program Directors, and an Advisory Board member, will be responsible for the training programs and research projects of the individual scholars they precept and will serve as advocates for the scholar’s career development needs.

Support Faculty, primarily basic scientists or clinical researchers, have been identified at each institution to complement the training provided by the Lead Mentors. Their expertise is largely in translational research and they have experience in participating in interdisciplinary research.
 

'08 Meeting Summary