Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science Grand Rounds

The Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science hosts bimonthly Grand Rounds that is open to all clinicians and researchers interested in the topic of rehabilitation. Presentations are held every other month from 7am to 8am via zoom (registration is not required.)

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 7:00 - 8:00am PST

"From Thumb Osteoarthritis to Rotator Cuff Tears: Exploring How Pain and Movement Shape Musculoskeletal Health" - Dr. Jennifer A. Nichols

For our next session, we have invited Dr. Jennifer A. Nichols who will discuss ongoing work to understand the interrelated nature of movement and pain, and explore how our work can be used to enhance patient-specific prognostics. Specifically, she will discuss work on thumb osteoarthritis and rotator cuff tears to illustrate how we integrate measurements from motion analysis, electromyography, movement-evoked pain testing, and quantitative sensory testing. She will also discuss how we use explainable artificial intelligence and other machine learning methods to enable both global (or disease-specific) and local (or patient-specific) analyses.

Dr. Jennifer A. Nichols, PhD is an Associate Professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the AI-Powered Athletics Initiative at the University of Florida. She has Affiliate Faculty Appointments in the Departments of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Before joining University of Florida, she completed undergraduate training in mechanical engineering at Tufts University, graduate training in biomedical engineering and bioethics at Northwestern University, and postdoctoral training in orthopaedic biomechanics at University of Utah.

Dr. Nichols is a cross-disciplinary researcher who works at the intersection of human movement, orthopaedic biomechanics, musculoskeletal pain, medical imaging, and artificial intelligence. The guiding vision of her lab is to create predictive simulations that cross disciplinary boundaries and improve the functional ability and quality of life for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. Through her research, she aims to create a future in which advanced computer simulations enable real-time, patient-specific prognostics in a doctor’s office. The high quality of Dr. Nichols’ research has been recognized through receipt of national and international awards, including an Early Career Achievement Award from the American Society of Biomechanics, an Outstanding Researcher Award from the National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation Research, and a Trailblazer Award from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

This session will be recorded and uploaded here. Session Moderated by Rich Souza & Cathy Hoang (meeting ID: 994 2613 9546; passcode: 887608). join us via zoom here!

Upcoming 2026 Speakers

Tuesday April 14, 2026: Dr. Katherine Boyer, PhD
Tuesday June 9, 2026: Dr. Heidi Garske, PT, PhD, DPT, MPT
Tuesday October 13, 2026: Dr. Jessica Bath, PT, DPT, PhD
Tuesday December 8, 2026: Dr. Riley Bove, MD, MSc

Eligibility to present at Grand Rounds:

People with relevant expertise in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science are eligible for this program.
This includes but is not limited to colleagues, peers, speakers from all professional levels (Junior-Senior investigators, Assistant Professors, Professors), research, clinical, basic science, etc. within UCSF or outside of UCSF.
If you have suggestions for topics to discuss or an interest in speaking at an upcoming Grand Rounds session, please contact Dr. Cathy Hoang at [email protected].

UCSF does not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process.

Recent Grand Rounds Talks:

If you missed one of our recent Grand Rounds discussions, please check out the recordings linked below!