Our Annual Physical Therapy Research Symposium was presented to a standing room only audience on October 24, 2015 in Commencement Hall. The event was fully orchestrated by our third-year Class of 2016 DPT students! It showcased the group research projects they have been pursuing over the past two years.

This year, for the first time, the symposium was opened to the professional community as a free continuing education offering. Physical therapists and allied clinical professions from across the Pacific Northwest region attended.

The symposium kicked off with each of the twelve research groups presenting an oral "teaser" to introduce their work. This was followed by a two-hour interactive session, where all attendees toured poster presentations of each study, visited with the student investigators about their work, networked around common interests, and discussed clinical implications. The event concluded with a keynote talk by Dr. Roger Allen, "Psychogenic stress and the delayed modulation of pain," which highlighted the ongoing combined work of several generations of Puget Sound faculty/student collaborative research investigations. Great event!

The majority of the student research projects completed this year are also being presented at national or international conferences, including the 2015 AAOMPT National Conference in Louisville, KY and APTA's 2016 Combined Sections Meeting in Anaheim, CA.

As an added benefit from this year's symposium, you can access abstracts and complete posters from all the studies presented via Sound Ideas. To see the breadth of work presented and dive into the details of our students' most recent research findings just follow this link:

http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/ptsymposium/

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Hope to have you on hand in October 2016 to experience the innovative ideas and fresh insights revealed by the Class of 2017's research work!

2015 Annual Physical Therapy Research Symposium
Topics and Presenters

Salutogenesis: Implications for Maintaining a Psychologically Informed Physical Therapy Practice.

  • Maximillian Gorchels, Thomas Molyneux-Elliot, Christina Phillips. Mentor: Dr. Danny McMillian

Effectiveness of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Non-Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review.

  • Aynsley Muller, Elizabeth Murphy, Sarah Brownstein. Mentor: Dr. Robert Boyles

Ability to Maintain a 0.22 m/sec Gait Speed as Directed by an Auditory Metronome in Adults.

  • Stacey McCutchan, Samantha McDaniel, Brady Christoph. Mentor: Dr. Julia Looper

The Effectiveness of Desensitization Therapy for Individuals with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

  • Kira L. Donnelly, Lauryn M. Helmers, Olivia M. Verberne. Mentor: Dr. Roger Allen

Determining Leg Dominance Using the Unipedal Stance Test (UPST).

  • Nia Jennings, Jordan Nakamura, Sheree Reed. Mentor: Professor Ann Wilson

The Effect of Symmetrical, Hand-held Load Carriage on Thoracic Rotation during Gait: An Observational Study.

  • Robert C. Bennett, Claire E. Tenenbaum, Daniel C. Winnwalker. Mentor Dr. Danny McMillian

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) on The Tibialis Anterior Muscle and the Effects on Strength and Gait Mechanics on Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review.

  • Katherine M Chan, Rachel A Milhem, Casey M Hampton. Mentor: Dr. Robert Boyles

The Impact of Electrical Stimulation and Exercise on Independent Static Standing Balance.

  • Jennifer R. Briant, Elizabeth L. Goldstein, Denise A. Gyselinck. Mentor: Dr. Julia Looper

Clinical Pain Scale Assessment Compendium.

  • James Aiken, Tiffany Crow, Nicholas Pilch. Mentor: Dr. Roger Allen

Effect of Early Mobilization Programs in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A Review of Systematic Reviews.

  • Nicholas C. Higa, Stephanie J. Pelham, Rondamarie B. Smith. Mentor: Professor Ann Wilson

The Immediate Effects of Kinesio Taping Versus Thoracic Manipulation in Subjects with Mechanical Neck Pain: A Pilot Study.

  • Brynn A. Blickenstaff, Jenae L. Perman, Ashley N. Rojan. Mentor: Dr. Robert Boyles

Arm Positioning and Walking Style of Children During First 5 Months of Independent Walking.

  • Lauren Poole, Katrina Brett, Alison Gunselman, Bernadette Schrempf. Mentor: Dr. Julia Looper