PhD Faculty

For a full list of faculty, clinicians, and staff in the Department, click here.

Overview

The PhD in Rehabilitation Science program includes a diverse cadre of faculty that span a range of scientific disciplines, including: anatomy, neurology, neurological surgery, pediatrics, kinesiology, epidemiology and biostatistics, radiology and biomedical imaging, chronic pain, orthopaedic surgery, physiological nursing, and anesthesia and perioperative care.

The PhD program is governed by a Steering Committee and works in cooperation with a number of other committees to run the program. The Steering Committee includes the following faculty:

PhD Program Governance & Committee Structure

 

Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Faculty

Faculty Name Title Department Research Emphasis
Victor Cheuy, PhD Assistant Professor Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science		 Lower extremity musculoskeletal
complications in diabetes
Sibel Deviren, MD Professor  Orthopaedic Surgery Chronic low back pain;
Degenerative disc disease
Brian Feeley, MD Associate
Professor		 Orthopaedic Surgery Knee and shoulder orthopedic
injuries and surgical procedures
Kate Hamel, PhD Assistant
Professor		 Kinesiology, SFSU Biomechanics and falls
in the elderly
Wendy Katzman, PT, DPTSc, OCS

Professor (Emeritus)

 Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science		 Osteoporosis;
Kyphosis
Galateia Kazakia, PhD Associate
Professor		 Radiology &
Biomedical Imaging		 Biomechanics of
bone failure to load
Thomas Lang, PhD Professor Radiology &
Biomedical Imaging		 Biomechanics of bone and
muscle adaptations to stimuli
Xiaojuan Li, PhD Associate
Professor		 Radiology &
Biomedical Imaging		 Lower extremity biomechanics
in post-traumatic osteoarthritis
Thomas Link, MD, PhD Professor Radiology &
Biomedical Imaging		 Imaging of osteoporosis
and osteoarthritis
Anthony Luke, MD, MPH Professor Orthopaedic Surgery Running overuse injuries
and osteoarthritis
Benjamin Ma, MD Professor Orthopaedic Surgery Orthopedic post-surgical
biomechanics
Sharmila Majumdar, PhD Professor Radiology &
Biomedical Imaging		 Osteoporosis;
Osteoarthritis
Robert Matthew, PhD Assistant Professor Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science		 Biomechanics; Human Movement
Richard Souza, PT, PhD Professor Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science /
Radiology &
Biomedical Imaging		 Biomechanics;
Osteoarthritis
Linda Wanek, PT, PhD Professor Physical Therapy, SFSU Musculoskeletal rehabilitation

 

Clinically Informed Neuroscience Faculty

Faculty Name Title Department Research Emphasis
Gary Abrams, MD Professor Neurology Neurorehabilitation;
Stroke
Diane Allen, PT, PhD Professor Physical Therapy,
SFSU		 Multiple Sclerosis
Allan Basbaum, PhD Professor
& Chair		 Anatomy Neurological basis
of pain and its control
Michael Beattie, PhD Professor Neurological
Surgery		 Spinal cord injury
Riley Bove, MD Assistant Professor Neurology Multiple Sclerosis
Jacqueline Bresnahan, PhD Professor Neurological
Surgery		 Spinal cord injury
Nancy Byl, PT, MPH, PhD Professor
(Emeritus)		 Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science		 Focal dystonia; Parkinson's
Disease; Stroke
Myriam Chaumeil, PhD Assistant
Professor		 Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science		 MR metabolic imaging
of neurological disorders
Dena Dubal, MD, PhD Associate Professor Neurology Mechanisms of resilience in aging
Adam Ferguson, PhD Assistant
Professor		 Neurological
Surgery		 Informatics and
spinal cord injury
Donna Ferriero, MD Professor Pediatrics Neonatal hypoxia
and ischemia
Karunesh Ganguly, PhD Assistant
Professor		 Neurology Neurorehabilitation and
machine-brain interface
Jeffrey Gelfand, MD Associate Professor Neurology Neuroinflammatory disorders and
neuroimmunological disease
Jon Levine, MD, PhD Professor Oral &
Maxillofacial Surgery		 Signaling in pain sensory
neurons; Neural-endocrine
control of inflammation
Jialing Liu, PhD Professor Neurological
Surgery		 Stroke
Mervyn Maze, MB ChB Professor
& Chair		 Anesthesia &
Perioperative Care		 Anesthesia and
brain function
Patrick McQuillen, MD Associate
Professor		 Pediatrics/
Critical Care		 Disorders of
brain development
Christine Miaskowski, RN, PhD Professor Physiological
Nursing		 Pain and symtomatology
in oncology
Srikantan Nagarajan, PhD Associate
Professor		 Radiology &
Biomedical Imaging		 Functional brain imaging;
Brain plasticity, learning,
sensorimotor control
Susanna Rosi, PhD Professor Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science /
Neurological Surgery		 Neuroinflammation; 
The aged brain;
Traumatic brain injury
Mark Schumacher, MD, PhD Professor Anesthesia &
Perioperative Care		 Treatment of chronic pain
Raymond Swanson, MD Professor Neurology Neuronal death pathways
in Parkinson's disease
Kimberly Topp, PT, PhD, FAAA Professor
& Chair Emeritus		 Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science /
Anatomy		 Chemotherapy
induced neuropathy
Zena Vexler, PhD Professor Neurology Neonatal stroke
Doris Wang, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Neurosurgery Human Neurophysiology;
Movement Disorders;
Parkinson's Disease;
Gait Control;
Motor Learning
Midori Yenari, MD Professor Neurology Stroke
 

Other Contributing Faculty

Faculty Name Title Department Research Emphasis
Robert Hiatt, MD, PhD Professor
& Chair		 Epidemiology &
Biostatistics		 Oncology and disease
prevention
Amber Fitzsimmons, PT, MS, DPTSc Associate
Professor & Chair		 Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science /
Anatomy		 Interprofessional education
Jeannette Lee, PT, PhD, CLT, CSCS Associate
Professor		 Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science		 Rehabilitation in oncology
Philip Sabe, PhD Professor

Physiology

 Sensorimotor Integration
and Learning
Betty Smoot, PT, DPTSc, MAS Associate
Professor		 Physical Therapy &
Rehabilitation Science /
Anatomy		 Breast cancer related
lymphedema