Department Of Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation

An innovative exosuit developed by a team of Vanderbilt engineers comes full circle this semester with a pilot implementation in the Division of Administration. The pilot test includes the use of 27 Apex 2 suits over six weeks. During the pilot test, users will wear the suits in actual work conditions and provide feedback throughout the duration of the study. Read More

A collaborative team at Vanderbilt is transforming the diagnosis and treatment of lipedema, a debilitating, abnormal deposition of fatty tissue that afflicts an estimated 17 million women in the United States. Read More

A November article published in Rehabilitation Psychology reviews research on disabilities and COVID-19 to help rehabilitation psychologists mitigate the effects of the added stress of the pandemic. In addition, the work addresses how systemic discrimination against people with disabilities intersects with other forms of inequity. Read More

Early detection of lymphedema, which occurs in 20% of patients following breast cancer treatment, may improve therapeutic options for patients. Read More

Local comedian Ashley Corby, 35, overshares with her audience as part of her standup routine, including a 5-minute bit about “shady” rest areas she has visited due to interstitial cystitis (IC), a bladder pain syndrome affecting 3 million to 8 million people in the United States. Read More

As a freshman at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Jeff Johns, MD, spotted someone practicing for cheerleader tryouts. Although he had never once tumbled in gymnastics or participated in cheerleading before, Johns asked her to teach him some basics. Read More

David J. “D.J.” Kennedy, MD, clinical associate professor and residency program director in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with Stanford University’s Department of Orthopaedics, has been named chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Kennedy will join the faculty on April 1. Read More

Jeffrey Palmucci, who has served as the interim Chief Operating Officer for Vanderbilt-Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital since April, has been named the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, effective Sept. 18. Read More

Nitin Jain, M.D., MSPH, associate professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Orthopaedics, has been awarded a $7.5 million contract to determine whether surgery or non-operative therapy works better for a common age-related injury that costs the health care systems billions of dollars — rotator cuff tears. Read More

The inaugural class of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency program is making a big impact on patient care and research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Read More

Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and dean of the School of Medicine, has appointed a 14-member committee to conduct a national search for the new chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). Read More

Walter Frontera, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), will step down from his role as the department’s leader on Feb. 28. Read More

Physical therapists use questionnaires to identify patients at risk for slow recovery, but those tools aren’t tailored to assess the resiliency of injured U.S. military personnel. Read More

Lymphedema research conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) to better understand patient risk for this chronic condition and treatment responses received recognition at an international conference. Read More

David Vago, Ph.D., will join the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation on Sept. 1 as director of research. Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given clearance to market and sell the powered lower-limb exoskeleton created by a team of Vanderbilt engineers and commercialized by the Parker Hannifin Corporation for both clinical and personal use in the United States. Read More

Nitin Jain, M.D., MSPH, received the 2016 Young Academician Award at the recent annual meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists. Read More

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — recently presented Walter Frontera, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, with its 2015 Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award. Read More

Armando Colombo, president and chief executive officer of InterMedical Hospital of South Carolina, has been named chief executive officer of Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital. Read More

Roy Elam, M.D., will step down as medical director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt University following a search for a new director. Read More