The Foundation for Physical Therapy recently awarded Florence P. Kendall Doctoral Scholarships for 2017 to Rachel Bican, PT, DPT, The Ohio State University; Kristina M. Kelly, PT, DPT, EdM, Ohio State; Jesse L. Kowalski, PT, DPT, University of Minnesota; Dana R. Mathews, PT, DPT, MS, University of Delaware; and Lauren M. Pacho, PT, DPT, board-certified neurologic clinical specialist, Ohio State.
The $5,000 Kendall Doctoral Scholarship is awarded annually to outstanding physical therapists as they begin their first year of graduate studies toward a postprofessional doctoral degree.
Four researchers also were awarded a total of $230,000 in research grants from the Foundation in support of their projects to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapist interventions. Awardees and grants are:
Stephanie Di Stasi, PT, MSPT, PhD, board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist—Mercer-Marquette Challenge Research Grant. Di Stasi was awarded a $40,000 grant for a study on load modification vs standard exercise for individuals with greater trochanteric pain.
Kenneth J. Harwood, PT, PhD—Health Services Pipeline Grant. Harwood was awarded a $50,000 grant to pursue a 1-year research project titled "The Effects of Timing of Physical Therapy on Health Care Costs, Utilization, and Opioid Use." The grant was made possible through a donation from APTA.
Victoria G. Marchese, PT, PhD—Snyder Research Grant. Marchese was awarded the $40,000 Snyder grant for a 1-year research project focused on a strengthening intervention for childhood cancer survivors of lower-extremity sarcoma.
Charles A. Thigpen, PT, PhD, MS—Magistro Family Foundation Research Grant. Thigpen was awarded $100,000 for a 2-year project titled "Effectiveness of a Physical Therapy First Musculoskeletal Pathway."
"As the Foundation continues to open doors to deserving physical therapist researchers, we are certain that the emerging generation of investigators will change the face of rehabilitation research and physical therapeutic interventions," said Foundation Board of Trustees President Edelle Field-Fote, PT, PhD, FAPTA, in a Foundation press release. “We look forward to seeing the growth of our funding recipients as they go on to develop innovations that will transform the field.”