President: James J. Irrgang, PT, PhD, ATC, FAPTA
Dr. Irrgang is the Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh. He has practiced physical therapy for 32 years and has expertise in the evaluation and management of the knee and shoulder. Currently he practices physical therapy at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine. Dr. Irrgang's teaching centers on evidence-based practice. He has conducted extensive clinical outcomes research related to the knee and shoulder and has published and lectured extensively in the areas of rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions. For the past 3 years, he has served as a President of the Orthopaedic Section. Prior to being elected to President, he served as a Director of the Section for 4 years and as the Research Committee Chair for the Section for 2 years.
Vice President: Gerard Brennan, PT, PhD
Gerard P. Brennan, PT, PhD is the Director of Clinical Quality and Outcomes Research for Intermountain Healthcare Physical Therapy. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic and Manual Physical Therapists, and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Utah and the University of Pittsburgh. After Dr. Brennan completed a Master of Science in Physical Therapy at Duke University in 1975, he and his wife moved West, where he completed his PhD in Exercise Physiology at the University of Utah in 1985. In reflecting on his 36 years of practice, Dr. Brennan describes his philosophy of care as "rooted in quality improvement and clinical research." Dr. Brennan has made numerous scientific presentations at state and national meetings and has lectured at the graduate level on Orthopedics, Manual Therapy, Exercise Science, and Quality Improvement. He maintains an active clinical research agenda in areas related to orthopaedics, classification of patients with low back pain, spinal manipulation, quality improvement and treatment effectiveness studies. He has received research grants from the Agency for Health, Research, and Quality (AHRQ), the Deseret Foundation and private funding. Dr. Brennan has published over 20 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He is a member of the Orthopedic and Research Sections of the APTA, and has served as the Vice President of The Section on Research for the APTA. Currently, he serves as Vice-President of the Orthopaedic Section of the APTA, and is a Trustee for the Foundation for Physical Therapy. He enjoys reading and spending time with his family in the deserts and mountains near his home in Salt Lake City, UT.
Treasurer: Steven J. Clark, PT, OCS
Education: Mayo Foundation School of Physical Therapy 1977; University of Indianapolis 1997, MHS degree. Current Position: Private practice co-owner with 3 clinics in the Des Moines, IA vicinity. Professional Memberships: American Physical Therapy Association - since 1977, Orthopaedic Section APTA - since 1983, Private Practice Section - 2001 to 2006, Iowa Physical Therapy Association - since 1977, Mayo Clinic Alumni Association - since 1977. Professional Positions Held/Committee Activity: American Physical Therapy Association: Finance Committee 6/02 to 5/06. Orthopaedic Section: Board of Directors: Treasurer 2/08 to present, Finance Committee 6/02 to present, Continuing Education Task Force 06-07. Iowa Physical Therapy Association: President 6/99 to 5/01, Vice President 6/97 to 5/99, Treasurer 6/94 to 5/97, Chief Delegate 10/01 to 9/09, delegate to the APTA House of delegates 1998 to 2009. Awards/Honors Received: Olive Farr Distinguished Service Award, IPTA 2002; Orthopaedic Certified Specialist, 2001, re-certified 2011; Distinguished Teaching, Des Moines University 2000; Clinical Research Award, IPTA 1999.
Director: Kornelia Kulig, PT, PhD, FAPTA, FFAOMPT
Kornelia Kulig, PhD, PT is an Associate Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Surgery and a Co-Director of the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Laboratory at the University of Southern California. Her laboratory's research explores tissue morphology, biomechanics, physiology, and pathology in relation to degenerative processes in connective tissues (tendon, disc) and accompanying muscle activation, kinematic and kinetic movement strategies and related signs, symptoms, and loss of function. Her published research spans from pre-clinical laboratory experimentation to clinical trials. The laboratory research involves muscle and tendon morphology via magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging as well as locomotive strategies in the presence of tendinopathy. In addition to her research and teaching in the PhD and DPT programs, she is a clinical mentor in the Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency program. Dr. Kulig is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, American College of Sports Medicine and the American and International Societies of Biomechanics. Dr. Kulig serves as a reviewer for several biomechanical and clinical journals and servers as an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy and Physiotherapy.
Director: Bill O'Grady, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Bill has been a member of the Section since its inception. He has been involved invariably with the Section as member and chair of the nomination committee, member and chair of the Orthopedic Specialty council, and currently as the director of the Section since 2005. He was involved in construction of the original OCS examination, its original DSP, and the recertification process. He is the first “Life Fellow” of AAOMPT and was Chief examiner for this organization for five years. Since retiring from active patient care he became an adjunct Assistant Professor at the UNLV PT Program and is a clinical consultant for the Physical Rehab Network LLC. He continues to teach continuing education courses around the country and has written several articles and a book chapter on spine management. He is a past recipient of the Mennell Service award from AAOMPT, the Washington State Clinical Excellence Award and the coveted Lucy Blair Service Award.
Education Committee Chair: Beth Moody Jones, PT, DPT, MS, OCS
Dr. Beth Jones received her Bachelor’s in physical therapy from the University of Vermont in 1982, her Masters in Physical therapy in orthopedics and biomechanics from Old Dominion University in 1994 and her Doctorate in Physical therapy from AT Still University in 2004. She has held academic appointments at the University of St. Augustine where she was an Assistant Professor and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education from 1994 – 1997. From 1999 – 2002 she held an appointment at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine where she taught Gross Anatomy to Medical students and graduate Athletic Training students. Throughout her teaching career she has maintained a clinical practice and successfully sat for her Orthopaedic Certification Specialization (OCS) in 2002 and recertification in 2011. Dr. Jones currently teaches Gross Anatomy for the University of New Mexico Physical Therapy program and within the School of Medicine curriculum. Her other duties include being the instructor of record for Evidence Based Physical Therapy (1 & 2) and Advanced Spinal Manual Therapy. She maintains a clinical practice at a private practice in Albuquerque with a specialization in the treatment of spinal disorders. She holds the Education Chair position, a Board position of the Orthopedic Section, APTA. She is the anatomy content expert for all current monograph publications for the Orthopedic Section, recently reviewing the upcoming third edition of the Current Concepts in Orthopaedics monograph series. She is the author of the chapter “Normal Anatomy of the Upper Extremity” in A.C. Eliasson & P.A. Burtner Theories and principles for intervention of hand function in Children with cerebral palsy(2008). Dr. Jones is also a contributor to Moore & Dalley, Clinical Oriented Anatomy, 6th Edition (2009).
Research Committee Chair: Lori Michener, PhD, PT, ATC, SCS
Dr. Michener is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy with joint appointments in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at Virginia Commonwealth University – Medical College of Virginia Campus. She earned a B.S. from Lock Haven University in PA, a B.S. in Physical Therapy from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a MEd from the University of Virginia, and earned her PhD in Orthopedics and Biomechanics from MCP Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA. Lori is the director of the COOR Laboratory (Clinical biomechanics, Orthopedics and sports medicine Outcomes Research) at VCU. Her research is focused on the study of diagnosis and treatment of upper extremity orthopedic and sports injuries. Specifically, she is focused on studying the ability to diagnosis and classify rotator cuff disorders and labral pathology, treatment outcomes of treatment for patients with rotator cuff disorders, and examining mechanisms underlying the shoulder pathologies using a variety of techniques to include ultrasonography, kinematics, and electromyography. She has been invited to speak and present her research findings locally, nationally, and internationally on the diagnosis and treatment of upper extremity disorders. She publishes her findings in a variety of orthopedics and biomechanics journals, and has obtained funding to support her research.
Practice Committee Chair: Joseph Donnelly, PT, DHS, OCS
Dr. Donnelly is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Post-Professional Education, Residencies and Fellowships in the Department of Physical Therapy at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Donnelly earned his Doctor of Health Sciences Degree in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis in 2006, and his MS in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh in 1989, and his BS in Physical Therapy from Daemen College in Buffalo, NY in 1984. He is also a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and was recently recertified in February 2011. He has 27 years of clinical experience in orthopaedic manual physical therapy with a special interest in recurrent LBP. Dr Donnelly is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and Chair of the Orthopaedic Section Practice Committee. His clinical research interests are in the area of myofascial pain and movement dysfunction.
