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, April 14, 2026 7:00 - 8:00am PST

"Fatigability and Mobility in Aging and Knee Osteoarthritis" - Dr. Katherine Boyer, PhD

For our next session, we have invited Dr. Katherine Boyer who will discuss how in old age and with knee osteoarthritis, reduced or limited mobility, is associated with loss of independence and increase risk of mortality.  Mobility challenges may be driven by fatigability, a metric that quantifies deterioration in performance and the accompanying increase in perceived effort during activity. Muscle fatigue (decrease in maximal power with activity) in older adults and to a greater degree in those with mobility impairments could contribute to greater fatigability through changes in muscle coordination, leading to altered gait mechanics and a higher metabolic cost of walking. This presentation will focus on our recent findings of the biomechanical effects of muscle fatigue in mid-life and older adults as well as those with knee osteoarthritis. The presentation will also explore the interactions of joint pain flare and muscle fatigue on mobility.   

Dr. Jennifer A. Nichols, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Orthopedics and Physical Medical at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Prof. Boyer has a B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University.  She received her PhD from the University of Calgary and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at both the VA Palo Alto and Stanford University. Her research program focuses on quantifying mechanisms of mobility declines in aging and with injury and is funded by both the NIH and industry partners. 

This session will be recorded and uploaded here. Session Moderated by Rich Souza & Cathy Hoang (meeting ID: 931 8745 2611; passcode: 162564). join us via zoom here!

Upcoming 2026 Speakers

• 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!