The University of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Therapy has established the Excellence in Evidence-Based Practice Fund to memorialize the professional life and legacy of former Assistant Professor Christine McDonough, who passed away in December 2024 after a short battle with cancer. Christine’s passion for promoting evidence-based practice, her critical thinking and her practical and collaborative approach to teaching and research were valued by many in the physical therapy profession and beyond.
Awarding Third-Year DPT Students
In honor of her work in the field of evidence-based practice, the Excellence in Evidence-Based Practice Fund will provide a monetary merit-based award to third-year University of Pittsburgh Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students who demonstrate excellence in the practice of evidence-based care based on their Performance Improvement Project paper, the capstone project in the DPT students’ final term.
The award announcement will be made at the conclusion of the Performance Improvement Project presentations in December. The awardee will be picked by the faculty who teach the Evidence-Based Practice course sequence and by two visiting faculty who serve as moderators for the presentations. Students receiving the award will also be recognized on a plaque that will be displayed in the Department of Physical Therapy.
Christine McDonough’s Legacy
Christine McDonough received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Vermont in 1985. After a short time as a clinician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, she opened her own physical therapy practice in Needham, Massachusetts, which she operated for 15 years. With a mission to have a larger impact on the field of physical therapy, she returned to school at Dartmouth College and completed her Master of Science degree in evaluative clinical sciences in 2007 and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in health care decision sciences and measurement in 2011.
After working on the faculty at Dartmouth College and Boston University, McDonough came to the University of Pittsburgh in 2018 with an appointment as an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.
McDonough made many contributions to the profession of physical therapy and the field of rehabilitation through her scholarly work in several areas including outcome measurement, work disability and falls prevention, but she was most passionate about evidence-based practice. She helped develop several clinical practice guidelines for the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and other academies of the American Physical Therapy Association, investigated barriers and facilitators to the implementation of evidence-based practice, and led the reorganization and enhancement of the evidence-based practice curriculum for the DPT program at the University of Pittsburgh. Colleagues valued McDonough for her critical thinking, her ability to distill complex problems into practical solutions, and her thoughtful and collaborative approach to every project.
Contribute to the Fund
Contributions to the fund are welcome. Please visit the Pitt School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Giving page and choose Excellence in Evidence-Based Practice Fund as the designation.