KU Rehabilitation Science

KU Rehabilitation Science Applicants are not required to be a physical therapist or possess a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Physical Therapy. while applying for permanent residency.

The mission of the doctoral program in rehabilitation science is to prepare outstanding leaders who advance innovative interdisciplinary research in rehabilitation science. Eligibility and Requirements

To be considered for admission into KU's PhD in Rehabilitation Science program, the following are required:

Degree
A baccalaureate degree must be completed prior to start of the program. Applicant

s are encouraged to have a broad background in biological sciences (including anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, biochemistry, genetics, and cellular and molecular biology), calculus and statistics. Students with degrees from a university outside the U.S. may be considered provided they meet the requirements equivalent to a bachelor's degree from a program in the U.S. Graduate Record Examination Score
Students must have taken the GRE within the past five (5) years and submit scores for sections Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing. Grade Point Average
An overall minimum 3.0 Grade Point Average (on a 4.0-scale) is required. Background Check
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires all incoming students to pay for a background check. This one-time fee must be paid directly to the company performing the background investigation. You will be asked to provide information and make the payment once you have been officially accepted into the program. For more information, please see the School of Health Professions Background Check Instructions. PhD in Rehabilitation Science program starts fall semester in August. Applications for the program must be received by February 1 to qualify for the next class. International Students:
An applicant is considered an international student if he or she requires a visa, or currently resides in the U.S. with non-immigrant status, or currently resides in the U.S. Additional requirements and documentation, such as proof of English language proficiency, are required for international students to become eligible for KU programs. Please review the information for international students before applying. The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University's programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785) 864-6414, 711 TTY.

🔥 Shoutout to Veronica Vabishchevich, a first-year PhD student in Rehabilitation Science, for earning a prestigious fell...
06/25/2025

🔥 Shoutout to Veronica Vabishchevich, a first-year PhD student in Rehabilitation Science, for earning a prestigious fellowship through the NIH-funded TOMADs T32 training program — Translating Obesity, Metabolic Dysfunction & Comorbid Disease States — right here at KUMC!

Under the mentorship of Dr. Bethany Forseth, Veronica’s research will explore how resistance training impacts glycemic control in adolescents with obesity and prediabetes — vital work at the intersection of movement science and metabolic health.

This fellowship supports emerging researchers dedicated to improving the health of future generations, and we’re so proud to see Veronica leading the charge.

Let’s hear it for future-forward science and the scholars behind it! 💪🧠

📢 Big news from the Department of Rehabilitation Science! We’re proud to share that Dr. Hannes Devos, Associate Professo...
06/18/2025

📢 Big news from the Department of Rehabilitation Science!

We’re proud to share that Dr. Hannes Devos, Associate Professor, has been selected as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Neurorehabilitation—a prestigious global appointment.

The Lancet Commission brings together top experts from around the world to address urgent challenges in global health through research-driven recommendations and action plans.

Dr. Devos will collaborate with international leaders to develop clinical practice guidelines and implementation strategies for evidence-based neurorehabilitation. The group’s initial focus includes stroke, with future work on traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases.

Congratulations, Dr. Devos—this is an incredible honor and a testament to your leadership in the field! 👏

Congratulations to Joo Hyun Lee! He will be the 2025-2026 Staudacher Fellow. The Digital Health Co/Lab serves faculty fr...
05/21/2025

Congratulations to Joo Hyun Lee! He will be the 2025-2026 Staudacher Fellow. The Digital Health Co/Lab serves faculty from all KU campuses with focused support and expertise in developing advanced diagnostic tools, evidence-based therapeutic interventions, and innovative solutions to empower health care providers with cutting-edge technology that can improve patient care.

We’d like to offer a special nod to Dr. Linda D’Silva, Joo Hyun’s mentor. We look forward to the fruits of your research, Joo Hyun!

Information on the Staudacher Innovator Research Fellowship from the Digital Health Co/Lab

Like a conquering hero, Dr. Waghmare returned last night for the department hooding ceremony. Saniya has spent the last ...
05/16/2025

Like a conquering hero, Dr. Waghmare returned last night for the department hooding ceremony. Saniya has spent the last semester in Hew Hampshire at Franklin Pierce University. She was a bit relieved to be back for the ceremonies because it’s warmer here. She reports that she loves teaching her new students and is hoping to be approved soon to conduct research of her own. Congratulations, Dr Waghmare! We are so proud of you!

This fabulous group of people are our oral presenters at APTA - Kansas in March! Our Rehabilitation Science PhD students...
04/10/2025

This fabulous group of people are our oral presenters at APTA - Kansas in March! Our Rehabilitation Science PhD students did an amazing job representing the department! 🎉🎉🎉

Exciting news! Former Rehabilitation Science PhD student, Dr Tarang Jain has made a big move and is thrilled to announce...
03/26/2025

Exciting news! Former Rehabilitation Science PhD student, Dr Tarang Jain has made a big move and is thrilled to announce that he joined Idaho State University (ISU) as the Department Chair of the PT and AT program and Program Director of the PT Program. After leaving Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, Tarang is now bringing his expertise and passion to ISU in Boise, ID! This is an amazing new chapter, and he couldn't be more excited to be part of such an incredible team!

12/09/2024
It is with the most sincere congratulations that we present the newly minted Dr. Saniya Waghmare! Dr. Waghmare defended ...
12/04/2024

It is with the most sincere congratulations that we present the newly minted Dr. Saniya Waghmare! Dr. Waghmare defended her thesis “Blood Pressure & Heart Rate Variability Responses during High Intensity Interval Exercise in Chronic Stroke” yesterday and was confirmed for her excellent contribution to Research Science! Congratulations Saniya! We are so proud of you!

11/26/2024

Amazing work Sodiq!

11/15/2024

We're celebrating PhD Student Lingjun today! Lingjun is the first author of a manuscript that has been published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. The manuscript is titled "Role of the Upper Limb in Limiting Head Impact During Laboratory-Induced Falls in Fall-Risk Older Adults". Whew! What a mouth full! The paper itself can be found here: https://shorturl.at/6xmE7 We are incredibly proud! Amazing research Lingjun!

🎉 Huge congratulations to all the incredible PhD students who were awarded the Lou Loescher-Junge Professional Developme...
09/27/2024

🎉 Huge congratulations to all the incredible PhD students who were awarded the Lou Loescher-Junge Professional Development Award tonight at the Jessie Ball Lecture & Pinning Ceremony! 🏅 Your hard work, dedication, and passion have truly paid off, and we couldn’t be prouder of your achievements! 🌟

A heartfelt thank you to Miss Loescher-Junge for her unwavering support, and to the entire department for fostering such a vibrant and encouraging academic environment. 👏 And a big thank you to everyone for the warm congratulations and all the enthusiastic applause for our awardees—it truly made the night unforgettable! 🎓✨

🎉🌟 Celebrating Success at APTA Kansas Spring Conference! 🌟🎉We're thrilled to share the fantastic achievements of our PhD...
03/29/2024

🎉🌟 Celebrating Success at APTA Kansas Spring Conference! 🌟🎉

We're thrilled to share the fantastic achievements of our PhD students who recently attended the APTA Kansas Spring conference! KUMC was truly well represented, and we couldn't be prouder of their remarkable contributions.

🏆 Platform Presentation Highlights:

- "Blood Pressure Variability Response to an Acute Bout of High-Intensity Interval Exercise" by Saniya S. Waghmare and team.

- "Effect of Age-Related Difference in Neck Muscle Activation on Avoiding Head Impact During Falls" by James R. Fang and team.

🌟 Award Winners: 🌟

James R. Fang received the Best Platform Presentation Award!

🖼️ Poster Presentations:

- "The Effect of Sensory Reweighting on Postural Control and Cortical Activity in Parkinson’s Disease" by Maryam Sadeghi and team.

- "A Scoping Review of Adaptability in Health Professions Education" by Mustapha Mangdow and team.

🏅 Mustapha Mangdow secured the Best Poster Award!

👏 Congratulations to all the students and their mentors for their dedication, hard work, and remarkable achievements. Your contributions enrich our community and inspire us all! 🎉👏

Address

KU Medical Center 3901 Rainbow Boulevard/Mail Stop 2002
Kansas City, KS
66103

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