UNC Division of Physical Therapy

07/26/2025

Congratulations to our second years who finished up their last day of in-person classes with their cohort this past week! We hope for the best as y’all prepare for the last year of school!

C/o ‘26 loading...🔄

07/22/2025

Congratulations to UNC Professor Emerita Dr. Vicki Mercer and the other physical therapists who were recognized at this year's APTA Leadership Congress in Washington D.C. for receiving the Catherine Worthington Fellow of the APTA award!

07/19/2025

Please join us in congratulating our fellow Tar Heels who received the Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) Scholarship! This scholarship is awarded to students and candidates who are committed to pursuing a career in research. Joel Thompson and Ben Killen are both in pursuit of their PhD within Human Movement Science Curriculum at UNC. For more information about this scholarship and its recipients, please follow the link below:

https://foundation4pt.org/foundation-announces-2025-promotion-of-doctoral-studies-awards/

07/14/2025

Alex Maturino, Hilbert Nguyen, Sophie Osada, and Morgan McKinley, 2nd year physical therapy students in our program, presented to rising 6th graders at McDougle Middle School about the physical therapy profession. They gave a short presentation and then had the kids talk through a case, perform the single leg hop test, and perform dual-tasking exercises which was a fan favorite. Our students enjoyed this opportunity to share an overview of what it means to be a physical therapist and look forward to more opportunities like this in the future!

07/02/2025

Mike Lewek was recently featured in UNC Research Stories (formerly Endeavors) for a clinical trial he is running with colleagues Eran Dayan and Nina Browner to improve walking for people with Parkinson’s disease. Read the full article: https://endeavors.unc.edu/trial-and-discovery/

06/27/2025

Use the link below to access the UNC DPT apparel sale. Website closes Monday, June 30th. All proceeds go towards UNC's Student Physical Therapy Association which organizes different events for the program, seeks professionalism opportunities, and promotes the career of physical therapy to prospective students!

https://group-orders.freshprints.com/group-order?groupOrderId=152446&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwLLbgxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp7y26DXL7dXuNuLdgkbv3IpYfwk5ALU0AcTO1IByoh89bGnG1eHkpDKowCdn_aem_qJ00eNw67Cra4_yNfEBr7w

Customize 1000+ designs, 500+ branded products, and exclusive looks that’re all inspired by the latest trends in retail fashion. We’ll get you a free mockup today!

06/13/2025

Dr. Jessica Cassidy and PhD candidate, Jasper Mark, recently had an article published in Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation. The purpose of this study is to “determine the extent to which self-efficacy predicts functional status change (motor recovery) during inpatient rehabilitation”. Please follow the link below to read more about this study!

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39292651/

06/10/2025

Congratulations to Division of Physical Therapy faculty member Dr. Dana McCarty, who recently finished her PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health. Dr. McCarty’s dissertation title was “Maternal Presence in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Understanding Unique Challenges and Assets at the Intersections of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Geography” Her PhD advisor was Dr. Meghan Shanahan, an associate professor with more than 10 years of experience as a researcher who specializes in child health and well-being.

06/04/2025

Louisa Bynum, Gray Oliver, and Regan Kraft, first year students at UNC DPT volunteered at the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Healthcare Career Fair in May. The SNMA is “committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians”. For more information about the SMNA follow the link below!

https://snma.org/

05/28/2025

Dr. Jeff O’Laughlin recently had a case report published in the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy. To learn more about this study, follow the link below!

https://www.orthopt.org/content/publications/optp

05/24/2025

We are so proud of Dr. Lewek!👏

Mike Lewek was recently featured in UNC Research Stories (formerly Endeavors) for a clinical trial he is running with colleagues Eran Dayan and Nina Browner to improve walking for people with Parkinson’s disease. Read the full article: https://endeavors.unc.edu/trial-and-discovery/

05/24/2025

We wanted to share some of the positive feedback we have received from our patients at University Physical Therapy! This is our outpatient clinic that is directly connected to UNC Health serving three different cities in the Triangle area. Many of these clinicians are not only heavily involved in research but also teach our students in the Division of Physical Therapy! We are privileged to have so many dedicated PTs working at our clinics who prioritize the quality of care provided and who are willing to teach the next generation how to be a good provider.