Mitchell Batavia, PT, MA, PhD, PG Dip
Associate Professor
Dr. Batavia’s sabbatical could best be described by “the 3 R’s.” The first “R” stands for “reviews,” or more precisely, systematic reviews/meta-analyses. His goal was to collaborate with as many review teams as he could in 2019/2020. It turned out to be quite the international experience. He joined a Cochrane Airway team on a COPD review in the UK, collaborated on a vision training narrative led by Dr. Rizzo at NYU Langone, and extracted for an Almond review team of researchers from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, China, Iran, and the UK. The second “R” stands for “replacement,” as in hip replacement. It was last fall that Dr. Batavia sojourned to Long Island for a replacement, not for himself, but for his nine-month-old Chinese Crested hairless dog, Max, who began showing signs of Legg Perthes and hobbling on three legs (yes, it happens to dogs too!). After the surgery, Max was bolting, jumping, and fetching without even a hint of a limp (and no, Max didn't need to sleep with an abductor pillow). The third “R” stands for “recreation,” whereby Dr. Batavia, balancing the sciences with the arts, dusted off his paintbrushes and produced a few portraits.
Elaine Becker, PT, DPT, MA
Clinical Professor
The clinical education component of our DPT program instructs physical therapist generalist practitioners on how to provide services to patients and clients across the lifespan with cardiovascular/pulmonary, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, integumentary, genito-urinary, and other system conditions. Clinical education is an integral part of the student’s physical therapy curriculum and is divided into two components: firstly, affiliations, and secondly, clinical observation courses, during which students spend one day a week observing a Master Clinician in their clinical environment.
This term, Master Clinicians are providing these observations remotely due to clinical environments limiting the number of people allowed at any given time in light of COVID-19. Our participating Master Clinicians have demonstrated that they are knowledgeable and resourceful and are continuing to provide students the opportunity to grow and be mentored. Each student learns about his or her practitioner’s journey to become a Master in a physical therapy specialty and then they are provided the opportunity to observe examinations and interventions, either on tape or in real-time. The Master Clinician provides explanations of clinical rationale and allows the students to ask questions in real-time.
Thus far, feedback from students about these virtual observations has been extremely positive!
Greg Gao, PT, DPT, MD, Dipl.Ac., L.Ac., ABDA
Clinical Assistant Professor
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world and also has changed the way we teach human anatomy almost overnight.
The study of human anatomy requires a 3D perspective to observe and understand the relationships between human structures. Traditionally, by using human cadavers, we are able to provide the 3D mapping of human structures to ensure students’ understanding and reinforce their memory of the human structure as well as the correlations to lectures and clinical manifestations.
After carefully searching and testing out different software in the face of social distancing restrictions, we have adopted appropriate 3D human anatomy model software into our lectures, labs, and also have produced many teaching 3D models and videos. We successfully delivered our first ever summer anatomy lectures, labs, quizzes, midterm, and final exam all online with 3D models. View an example of our 3D teaching materials.
Louis N. Iannuzzi, PT, DPT
Clinical Assistant Professor
We connected with Dr. Iannuzzi to discuss how the global pandemic has impacted his work as a Clinical Wound Specialist at Bellevue Hospital Center's Department of Dermatology.
Could you tell us more about your role at Bellevue and the types of conditions you’re treating? What did a typical day look like for you before the pandemic and what does it look like now?
I am an integumentary specialist responsible for treating all types of wounds across many different disease processes. During a typical day before the pandemic, I was seeing anywhere from 12-15 patients a day. Now I’m seeing anywhere from 18-22 patients a day. Work has definitely gotten busier because part of COVID-19 is that it keeps people down and stops them from moving. If you had COVID-19 and you had to spend a lot of time in bed, you had a high incidence of developing a pressure ulcer, because in addition to that, the infection tends to make the blood coagulate and so you get more sluggish skin conditions.
Physical therapy is a very hands-on profession. How has COVID-19 impacted how physical therapists approach patient care?
Well, it’s removed some of the interpersonal component of service delivery. You used to be up close with your patient in terms of hands-on techniques. Now the use of masks and PPE kind of takes that interpersonal component away, making interactions more sterile. Plus, you can no longer see your patient’s response in their face. You don’t know how they’re progressing or if they’re tolerating your treatment well. COVID-19 has had a definite impact on communication.
Another hard aspect is maintaining personal protection. I usually wash my hands 100 times a day providing wound care services, now, it’s probably twice that much!
What are the biggest opportunities for the PT profession presented by increased use of telehealth options?
I remember when I was part of the Public Health Service, I had to travel all over southwestern Texas from town to town to visit the various regional Hansen’s disease centers in person. Telerehabilitation allows you to spread yourself out more effectively and efficiently. It allows you to see a patient through the camera, look at their profile, and get a good idea of what’s going on. I may not be able to treat the ulcer, but a patient can show me their feet and their hands and I can see what’s going on. It’s also a lot easier to maintain contact with a patient through telerehab; you’re generally not going to lose them as a contact because they didn’t show up for their appointment in the clinic. You’re reaching out to patients and bringing your services to them, rather than having them come to you.
What is the biggest takeaway from your experience for aspiring PTs?
Part of my philosophy is that physical therapists are both clinicians as well as educators, and whether you’re educating your patient, your peers, or other community members, you are able to share experiences and expertise with a greater audience. COVID-19 has made me a sharper clinician because I spend more time doing more self-study. That’s what PTs have to do: we have to read the literature and stay abreast of our profession.
Anat V. Lubetzky PT, PhD
Assistant Professor
In spring 2020, Dr. Lubetzky and her team at NYU and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai were awarded a 3-year NIH R21 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders for their proposal entitled: “Sensory Integration of Auditory and Visual Cues in Diverse Contexts Given Age, Vestibular Hypofunction, and Hearing Loss.”
In April 2020, Dr. Lubetzky published an invited commentary in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, entitled: “Balance, Falls, and Hearing Loss: Is It Time for a Paradigm Shift?” Read the commentary here.
A collaboration between physical therapy, otolaryngology, and music technology has led to the publication of a narrative review entitled: “Auditory Input and Postural Control in Adults” in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Findings from this review suggest that stationary white (broadband) noise can serve as an “auditory anchor” for balance primarily when projected via speakers and when the balance task is challenging. Clinicians should also consider auditory cues and the presence of hearing loss in balance and fall-risk assessments.
Dr. Lubetzky and Dr. Moffat together with Dr. Bryan Hujsak and Dr. Jennifer Kelly at the NYEE of Mount Sinai will present an educational session at the APTA Combined Section Meeting in spring 2021 entitled: “Virtual Reality Applications for Balance Examination and Intervention: From Theory to Practice.” The session will be part of the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy programming.
When in-person research resumes in New York City, if you would like to participate in research about what we hear and balance control using virtual reality, reach out to Dr. Lubetzky at anat@nyu.edu.
Ericka N. Merriwether, PT, DPT, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Merriwether is collaborating with a lab to examine the potential role of weight and racial discrimination on pain intensity and pain interference in a cohort of adults with obesity participating in a behavioral weight management intervention. She presented findings at the NIH National Cancer Institute Cognitive, Affective, and Social Processes in Health Research (CASPHR) annual working group meeting that suggest racial and weight discrimination are highly prevalent in a cohort of adults with obesity and that more experiences with racial and weight discrimination are associated with more pain. There is still more to figure out, but Dr. Merriwether thinks this has the potential to include weight discrimination as a social determinant of chronic pain.
She is also currently working with a group conducting a bariatric surgery study at NYU Langone Health to look at mediators of metabolism and inflammation in samples of fat tissue and plasma to develop methods to find biological markers of chronic pain in adults with obesity.
This year, the American Physical Therapy Association invited Dr. Merriwether to participate in a webinar called “Health Disparities as COVID-19 Spreads: What the PT Profession Can Do” as a part of a panel of Black women. Being around other Black clinician-scientists, all of whom are physical therapists and allies, was tremendous.
Other recent items from Dr. Merriwether include the publication of “Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Reduces Movement-Evoked Pain and Fatigue: A Randomized, Controlled Trial" and holding a workshop at the United States Association for the Study of Pain (USASP) Annual Scientific Meeting entitled "Strategies for Building Interdisciplinary Collaborations To Study Musculoskeletal Pain Across the Lifespan: A T0-T4 Translational Approach."
Marilyn Moffat, PT, DPT, PhD, DSc (hon), GCS, CSCS, CEEAA, FAPTA
Professor
Dr. Moffat is serving as Chairperson of APTA’s Campaign for Future Generations Fundraising Committee, which is specifically raising funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is also currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research and serves on several committees within the Foundation.
Dr. Moffat continued her busy schedule this year traveling to conferences and PT events internationally (Poland, Greece, Trinidad) and nationally (Nebraska, Florida, and Colorado) during which she taught continuing education courses. Between her travels, Dr. Moffat contributed to several peer and non-peer-reviewed publications including “Everything You Need to Know Before Working Out in a Face Mask” in Intrigue Magazine and “The Role of Physical Therapists in Patients with Covid-19” for Covid Physical Therapy. She also authored a chapter in Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine, 2nd Ed, worked on two grant proposals (one submitted and the second in preparation), and collaborated with her peers on invited scientific professional presentations for national and international events. Dr. Moffat and Dr. Lubetsky recently presented “Virtual Reality Applications for Balance Examination and Intervention: From Theory to Practice” at the American Physical Therapy Association conference.
Smita Rao, PT, PhD
Associate Professor
Dr. Rao and her team are the inaugural awardees of the Georgeny High Priority Research Award ($240,000 over two years) from the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. This study will examine the impact of exercise on early connective tissue changes in individuals with diabetes. This project, along with her ongoing NIH-funded study ($1.4 million over two years) examining the mechanisms by which exercise reverses neuropathy-related changes in individuals with diabetes, supports the role of physical therapist-led interventions in managing diabetes and diabetic complications. Additionally, Dr. Rao was appointed as affiliated faculty at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. She also served as a reviewer for the NIH this summer. On the personal front, Smita and her family welcomed their son Rohan this summer.
John Sutera PT, DPT
Clinical Assistant Professor
Just like many of his fellow faculty, Dr. Sutera has been busy during this past year transitioning his classes to online and hybrid models to help the students remain on track to graduate.
Despite the pandemic, he has been able to continue his collaboration with Steinhardt's Educational Theatre program in providing first-year PT students with a realistic experience during their practice of patient interviews in the course PT as the Educator/Communicator. Using Zoom breakout rooms, the Educational Theatre students got to practice their acting/role-playing skills and the physical therapy students had the opportunity to think in real-time about how to address patient issues.
Dr. Sutera also had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Lubetzky and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in "Contextual sensory Integration Training via Head-Mounted Display for Individuals with Vestibular Disorders: a Feasibility Study" which was published in Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology.
Kevin Weaver, PT, DPT, MA, OCS, CEA, CIE
Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Kevin Weaver has been busy during the COVID-19 shutdown. In addition to teaching his regular class load, he also coordinated an interdisciplinary event with the NYU Steinhardt Educational Theatre program to host mock telehealth sessions for graduating students. During the sessions, students acted as patients for our aspiring PTs using a rehearsed script of aliment(s). Following each session, Dr. Weaver would give an evaluation to help both students hone their skills within their respective fields.
Dr. Weaver also reviewed a manuscript titled "Effects of Technology-Supported Exercise Programs on Improvement in Knee Pain, Physical Function, and Quality of Life for Individuals with Knee Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials" for the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
Joann Ferrara, PT, Ped
Adjunct Professor
Adjunct instructor Joann Ferrara, PT is the proud owner of Dancing Dreams, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide dance and performance opportunities for children ages 3-21 with physical or medical challenges. In keeping with this mission, Dancing Dreams hosted its annual performance this April, virtually! Coordinating with parents and their children, the show titled “Happiness” featured 20+ students showing off their best moves!
Joann also received the 2019 Dream Maker Award last November during the Fairy Godmother Foundation of New York, Inc.’s annual gala. The Fairy Godmother Foundation of New York, Inc. is a nonprofit organization with the mission of improving the quality of life for individuals with developmental challenges and supporting other organizations serving this population. Receiving this honor is very meaningful as it recognizes that Dancing Dreams makes the dream of dancing happen for all of its participants.