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January 12, 2023

Lori Cherok, program director of the Nutrition Science program, lists the top 5 reasons to join the SHRS Nutrition Science program! ...

January 4, 2023

For a PA who is also an educator in Pennsylvania, the change in seasons brings more than just cooler temperatures, it also brings conference season. Having attended two, almost back-to-back, conferences I feel a renewed energy and sense of purpose. Coming together with PA educators from across the country, and later with practicing PAs and PA students from across the state, allowed me to better appreciate the many dimensions of the PA profession. As I reflect on those experiences, I feel grateful and honored. ...

December 22, 2022

What is Rehabilitation Psychology? About two years ago, I asked this question myself while selecting an elective course to complete my undergraduate psychology degree at Pitt. At the time, my heart was set on becoming a mental health counselor, and I didn’t understand how “rehabilitation” could factor into counseling and therapy. Nevertheless, this course in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) broadened my interests by providing a well-informed, holistic and functional approach to counseling and mental health. 

December 19, 2022

For many decades, the medical community has been wrestling with ways to eliminate health inequities across different segments of our society by diversifying the health care workforce. As far back as the 1960s, in the midst of the community health and civil rights movement, there was a call for responsiveness to cultural differences in health attitudes, beliefs, behavior and language. In 2003, the Institute of Medicine published “Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care.” The study highlights the potential of cross-cultural education to improve provider-patient communication and offers a detailed look at how to integrate cross-cultural learning within the health professions. ...

December 19, 2022

The University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) has received international recognition for its bold moves in advancing health care. Department of Physical Therapy Associate Professor Michael Schneider was awarded the Sheikh Zayed International Award for Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine for his academic expertise in chiropractic research and education. The award gives recognition to eminent TCAM (Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine) academics and scientists for their distinguished contributions to improve the quality of life for humanity, and who have contributed significantly in enhancing TCAM knowledge and practices around the world. ...

December 16, 2022

“Each of the roles Dr. Katie Belardi carries out in her position are vital for the success of many programs and initiatives in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders (CSD),” says Bharath Chandrasekaran, professor and vice chair of Research. Belardi, CSD research administrator in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), is the recipient of the Chancellor’s 2022 Exceptional Early Career Achievement Award. ...

December 16, 2022

At Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), the Master of Science in Sports Medicine offers a limited number of Experiential Opportunities positions that combine academic scholarship and professional practice. The positions offer a scholarship or funding support that varies each year. The early application deadline for these competitive positions is in mid-January, well ahead of the regular Sports Medicine admission deadline in mid-March. These invaluable opportunities provide qualified students with real-world experience during the Sports Medicine program, putting them ahead of the game as they work hands-on with local Pittsburgh sports clubs, research labs and community centers. ...

December 15, 2022

An important component of the University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Hybrid offering is the integration of immersive laboratory sessions within each of the first five terms of the program. ...

December 12, 2022

Groundbreaking research, investment in education, community engagement, clinical excellence and advocacy are all areas that Professor Elizabeth Skidmore embodies in her work as an occupational therapist. Her leadership in the field and her dedication to the mission of the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) has made her a tremendous asset to the school as associate dean for Research. Her own extensive research portfolio has recently earned her the 2022 Women in Rehabilitation Science Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. ...

December 9, 2022

University of Pittsburgh alumni and students share a special bond. Those in the same academic program are connected in an even closer circle. But Florida resident, former SHRS Instructor and Physician Assistant Guy Guimond (BS ’01, MS ’05 and ’13) and Madelyn Czekalski (BS ’20), current student in the Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) program, are forever joined because of one life-saving gift. ...

December 8, 2022

When I came to the University of Pittsburgh in the fall of 2020 I had plans to go into sports medicine. “Sports medicine” is an umbrella term with many different specialties under it, such as athletic training, physical therapy, and sports physicians—really it describes any clinician treating athletes. When planning my classes for the second semester of my first year, I saw a course called Basic Athletic Training that looked interesting, but unfortunately, I had a conflict. When it came time to schedule courses for my third term at Pitt, I knew I had to take it. Through the course, I quickly fell in love with athletic training. ...

December 7, 2022

In her documentary “Pittsburgh’s Lost Chinatown,” Lydia Ott shares the story of her grandmother, also named Lydia Ott, who grew up at 510 Third Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Chinatown in the 1930s. She hopes it will open the eyes and hearts of others to the unique values, character and strengths that immigrant families bring to any community. And also the challenges they faced.

December 2, 2022

For over twenty-five years, the University of Pittsburgh has been training new generations of disability advocacy and health care leaders as part of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Related Disorders (LEND) Center of Pittsburgh. This training grant brings together graduate students from different corners of Pitt’s campus to form an interdisciplinary training cohort. ...

December 1, 2022

“She is the epitome of what a professor should be…a gifted lecturer who manages the classroom with poise.” 

Every year since 1999, SHRS has awarded the Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award in recognition of a faculty member’s excellence and dedication to the school’s teaching mission. Lori Cherok, interim director of the Nutrition Science program and assistant professor in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition, was announced as this year’s winner ...

November 30, 2022

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) continued its bold moves across the academic landscape as two faculty members earned prestigious awards at the 2022 Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants (PSPA) conference. ...

November 18, 2022

I graduated with my master’s degree nine years ago. Nine years is a long time to be out of the swing of taking exams, meeting deadlines, writing papers, etc. Having been a preceptor and educator myself, I was nervous about being a student again when I enrolled in the SHRS Doctor of Physician Assistant Studies (DPAS) online program. 6 months into the one-year program, I feel like I am finally adjusting to my new normal and I want to share what I’ve learned. ...

November 9, 2022

Eric Meyer, professor and director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, has worked as a researcher and clinician treating veterans and emergency responders with PTSD for nearly 20 years. Like so many who experienced the events of September 11, that day turned out to be a pivotal turning point in his career. ...

November 4, 2022

As students on the pre-health track, we all know how important it is to keep our grades up and achieve high scores on the graduate school admissions tests. This alone places a lot of pressure on students looking to go into health care fields and at times it can seem like we’re just keeping our head above water. In my first year of college, I remember being shocked to learn that I had to seek out clinical, volunteer, and research experiences in addition to all the work required to achieve a high GPA. It seemed impossible to balance everything at the time and I remember being completely lost on where to start. I had no idea where to find these experiences or how to start looking.

November 2, 2022

Change comes from within. Its implementation doesn’t happen overnight and can be even more difficult in an environment as complex as the health care industry. Pamela Toto, however, is leading a new paradigm of change as director and professor of the University of Pittsburgh online post-professional Doctor of Clinical Science (CScD) in Occupational Therapy (OT) program. ...

October 31, 2022

Establishing the Master of Science in Athletic Training program at the University of Pittsburgh came at a time when evolution was necessary to ensure professional prosperity and health care competence. As an allied health care provider, athletic trainers possess a wide variety of skills that are unique and unlike any other health care profession. Athletic trainers provide care under the direction of a supervising physician in accordance with their education, training and state’s rules and regulations. ...

October 31, 2022

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) has received special recognition from the Pennsylvania Counseling Association (PCA). During this year’s PCA Conference, the Counseling program was named the 2022 PCA Outstanding Counselor Education Program. ...

October 24, 2022

The University of Pittsburgh is one of seven institutions awarded funding through the distribution of $5.7 million in research grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. The University’s Schools of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), Public Health and Engineering, and community partners Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE) and the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging (AAA), received a grant of $918,709 to reduce environmental hazards in residential settings to allow more people to age safely in their homes.

October 14, 2022

Only one month after graduating with his PhD in Rehabilitation Science, Proessl moved into his new position as director of Sports Science at Pitt Athletics in June 2022. It was a position he seemed destined for ten years after he first began looking into how science could improve his own athletic performance. He is continuing his work with the men’s soccer team, but he is now also a resource for all other sports. He explains, “My task is to centralize data, ensure it’s collected and processed at the ‘gold standard’ and then create digestible reports to inform the decision making of coaches and the support staff.”

October 13, 2022

For students interested in graduate studies in sports science at Pitt, Proessl is in a perfect position to remark on the strengths of the program as well as to make the distinction between the master’s and PhD programs. The Master’s in Sports Science (MSSS) program was just being developed as he worked on his PhD. Proessl watched it grow into the European model he had envisioned for himself as a master’s student years before. Now “It’s a one-of-a-kind program,” he says. “Pitt SHRS is in a very unique position. It’s one of the few schools with a master’s degree in Sports Science. The MS has a one-year internship with a team or lab of interest, which is very special in the U.S., it’s something I never had a chance to get. I had to create my own program. It’s the same model as in Europe. If you want to be a sports scientist, the practical experience can’t be underestimated.” 

October 13, 2022

Drive and passion. The University of Pittsburgh has become a nexus for students who live by these traits to fulfill their academic and professional goals. Felix Proessl, 2022 graduate of the Rehabilitation Science PhD program, is the embodiment of drive and passion and the success they can lead to. They have taken him from the small town of Weiden in southeast Germany where he grew up, to the wide-open ranges of Nebraska and Colorado, and finally to the research and sports haven of Pittsburgh where he is pushing the boundaries of athletic performance as the new Director of Sports Science at Pitt Athletics.