Biography
Jessie Va Swearingen is a professor in her 44th year in the Department of Physical Therapy. Dr. VanSwearingen teaches graduate courses in neuroscience, neuromotor control and clinical neurological decision-making. Jessie has served research as a long-standing member of the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board for human subject research, in peer-review of manuscripts for clinical and applied science journals and research abstracts for Gerontological Society of America and the American Geriatric Society annual research meetings and international congresses, as well as Research Chair for the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy. Jessie has been honored as a Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association, and a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.
Education
- Bachelor of Science, University of Delaware
- Master of Science, The Ohio State University
- Doctor of Philosophy in Neurobiology, Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Pittsburgh
Research Interests
- Neural efficiency and walking efficiency, mechanisms underlying motor skill of walking
- Assessment and intervention to restore motor skill (neuromotor control) of walking in older adults
Professional Organization Appointments
- Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association
- Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America