Jennifer Brach, PT, PhD
	Office Location 6056 Forbes Tower Office phone 412-383-6533 E-mail address jbrach@pitt.edu

Academic Appointment

Assistant Professor

Education

PhD, Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, 2000
MS, Physical Therapy–Neurology Focus, University of Pittsburgh, PA, 1994
BS, Physical Therapy, East Carolina University, NC, 1992

Research Interests

Aging, Physical activity, Physical function

Dr. Brach’s research focuses on an important indicator of impaired mobility of aging, variability of walking. Variability of walking is defined as inconsistency of step length, step width, and/or walking pace. Her research will extend current knowledge of the causes and consequences of variability of walking, and will involve the development and testing of measures of walking variability and interventions to improve variability of walking.  Dr. Brach’s ultimate goal is to prevent and treat mobility limitations of older adults by improving walking variability in order to promote physical activity, independence, and quality of life.

Recent Publications

VanSwearingen JM, Brach JS.  Making geriatric assessment work: Selecting useful measures. Phys Ther 2001;81:1233-1252.

Brach JS, Kriska AK, Newman AB, VanSwearingen JM. A new approach of measuring muscle impairment during a functional task: Quadriceps muscle activity recorded during chair stand.  J Gerontol Med Sci 2001;56:M767-70.

Newman AB, Brach JS. The gender gap in morbidity and mortality. Epidem Rev 2001;23:343-350.

Brach JS, Berthold R, Craik R, VanSwearigen JM, Newman AB. Gait variability in community dwelling older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 2001;49:1646-1650.

Brach JS, VanSwearingen JM, Newman AB, Kriska AM.  Identifying early decline of physical function in community-dwelling older adults: Performance-based and self-report measures.  Phys Ther 2002;82:320-328.

Brach JS, VanSwearingen JM. Physical impairment and disability: Relation to physical function in community-dwelling frail older men. Phys Ther  2002;82:752-761.

VanSwearingen JM, Brach JS. Changes in facial movement and synkinesis with facial neuromuscular reeducation. Plastic Reconstr Surg 2003;111:2370-2375.

King W, Brach JS, Belle S, Killingsworth R, Fenton M, FitzGerald S, Kriska A. Convenience of Locations is Associated with Walking in Elderly Women. Amer J Hlth Promotion 2003;18:74-82.

Brach JS, FitzGerald S, Newman AB, Kelsey S, Kuller L, VanSwearingen JM, Kriska AM.  Physical activity and functional status in community-dwelling older women: A fourteen-year prospective study. Archives Intern Med 2003;24:2565-2571.

Brach JS, Simonsick EM, Kritchevsky S, Yaffe K, Newman AB, for the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study Research Group.  Lifestyle Activity and Exercise: The Association with Physical Function in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:502-509.

Brach JS, VanSwearingen JM, FitzGerald SJ, Storti KL, Kriska AM. The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Obesity, and Physical Function in Community-Dwelling Older Women. Preventive Medicine. 2004;39:74-80.

Winters-Hart CS, Brach JS, Storti KL, Trauth J, Kriska AM.  Validity of a Questionnaire to Assess Historical Physical Activity in Older Women. Med Sci Sports Exer 2004;36:2082-2087.

Colbert LH, Visser M, Simonsick EM, Tracey RP, Newman AB, Kritchevsky SB, Pahor M, Taafe D, Brach JS, Cummings SR, Rubin S, Harris TB.  Physical Activity, Exercise, and Inflammation in Older Dults: Findings from The Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:1098-1104.

Sayers SP, Brach JS, Newman AB, Heeren T, Guralnik JM, Fielding RA.  Use of self-report and proxy-report to predict 400 meter walking ability in mobility limited older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:2099-2103.

Rosano C, Simonsick EM, Harris T, Kritchevsky S, Brach J, Visser M, Yaffe K, Newman AB.  Association between physical and cognitive function in healthy elderly: The Health Aging, Body Composition study.  Neuroepidemiology 2005;24:8-14. 

Visser M, Simonsick EM, Colbert LH, Brach JS, Rubin SR, Kritchevsky SB, Newman AB, Harris TB.  Type and Intensity of Activity and Risk of Mobility Limitation: The Mediating Role of Muscle Parameters. J Amer Geriatric Soc 2005;53:762-770.

Katsiaras A, Newman A, Kriska A, Brach J, Krishnaswami S, Feingold E, Kritchevsky S, Li R, Harris T, Schwartz A, Goodpaster B.  Skeletal Muscle Fatigue, Strength and Quality in the Elderly: The Health ABC Study. J Appl Physiol 2005;99:210-216.

Brach JS, Berlin JE, VanSwearingen JM, Newman AB, Studenski SA.  Too much or too little step width variability is associated with a fall history in older persons who walk at or near normal gait speed.  J Neuroengineering Rehabil. (In Press)

King WC, Belle SH, Brach JS, Simkin-Silverman LR, Soska T, Kriska AM.  Neighborhood Environment and Physical Activity in Older Women.  Amer J Prev Med (In press).

Sayers SP, Newman AB, Guralnik JM, Brach JS, Fielding RA. Comparison of the 400 meter walk to Self-reported Function and a Short Physical Performance Battery. Aging Clin Exp Res (In press)

Storti KL, Brach JS, FitzGerald SJ, Zmuda JM, Rexroad AM, Cauley JA, Kriska AM.  Physical Activity and Decreased Risk of Gallbladder Disease among Post-Menopausal Women.  Preventive Medicine (In Press).

Cesari M, Kritchevsky SB, Pennix BWHJ, Nicklas BJ, Simonsick EM, Newman AB, Tylavsky FA, Brach JS, Satterfield S, Bauer DC, Visser M, Rubin SM, Harris TB, Pahor M.  Prognostic Value of Usual Gait Speed in Well-Functioning Elders: Results from the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. J Amer Geriatric Soc (In Press).

Courses Recently Taught 

PT 2071 Research Methods in Physical Therapy
PT 2059 Geriatric Physical Therapy

Biographical Profile

Employment and Positions Held:

Staff Physical Therapist, Lancaster General Hospital,  Lancaster, PA, 1992–93

Graduate Student Assistant, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 1993 -94

Physical Therapist II, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 1995

Physical Therapist IV (June 1995–August 1998), Team Leader Acute Medicine (June 1995–August1996), CORE Network, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA,1995–98

Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 1995–2001

Research Assistant, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 1998–2000

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 2000–01

Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 2000–04

Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 2004–present

Memberships in Professional and Scientific Organizations

Member of American Physical Therapy Association and Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association

Awards and Honors

Chattanooga Research Award, American Physical Therapy Association, 1996

Doctoral Opportunities for Clinicians and Scholars. PODS I award Foundation for Physical Therapy, 1998–99

Adopt-A-Doc Award   AP, Geriatric Section, 1998, 1999, 2000

Best Written Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Epidemiology, 2000–01

Outstanding Doctoral Student, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Epidemiology, 2000–01

Induction into Delta Omega National Honor Society for Schools of  Public Health 2001

Geriatric Award of Excellence, Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association, Geriatric Special Interest Group, 2002 

New Investigator Award, American Geriatric Society, 2005

External Service and Assignments 

University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board, 2003–present
University Senate–Student Affairs Committee, 2004–present

Manuscript Reviewer

Journal of Gerontology Medical Sciences, 2002–present
Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 2002–present
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2001–present
Physical Therapy, 2001–present