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Kathy Sullivan

Dr. Katherine Sullivan, PhD, is Associate Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy and Associate Chair and Director of the Professional Doctorate in Physical Therapy in the Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy at USC.

Positions & Honors

Positions
2008-present Associate Chair & Director, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California
2007-present Associate Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy, Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California
2003-present Program Director, Professional Doctorate in Physical Therapy, University of Southern California
2001-2007 Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy, Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California
1998-2000 Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Biokinesiology Department, University of Southern California

Selected Honors & Awards
2009 Chattanooga Research Award, American Physical Therapy Association
2008-present Stroke Rehabilitation, Prevention and Recovery Committee American Stroke Association/American Heart Assoc.
2008 Lucy Blair National Service Award, American Physical Therapy Association
2007 Fellow of the American Heart Association and the Stroke Council
2007 Fellow, American Stroke Association of the American Heart Association
2006-present National Stroke Association Professional Advisory Council
2006-2008 Stroke Rehab Advocacy Advisory Panel, American Stroke Association/American Heart Association
2005-present President, Neurology Section, American Physical Therapy Association
2005-2007 Stroke Council, Leadership Committee, American Stroke Association
2003 Sydney & Elizabeth Licht Scientific Writing Award, Editorial Board, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Education

University of California, Los Angeles Postdoc 2001 Psychology, Neurology
University of Southern California Ph.D.. 1998 Biokinesiology
Northwestern University M.S. 1987 Physical Therapy
Marquette University B.S. 1978 Physical Therapy

Current Research Support

NIH/NINDS/NCMRR (R01 NS05056-01A1) 2005-2010
Locomotor Experience Applied Post-Stroke (LEAPS)
Duncan, P.W. (PI); USC award, Sullivan, K.J. (PI)
Phase III, single-blind, multi-site randomized clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions specifically designed to improve walking in the first year after stroke.

California Physical Therapy Fund, Inc. 2007-2009
Motor Learning in Children with Cerebral Palsy: Effects of Feedback Frequency
Sullivan, K.J. (PI)
Pilot study investigating how children with cerebral palsy use feedback to learn motor skills.

Selected Publications

  1. Anne Leonard RN, MPH Chairman, Nannette Hock RN, MSN, Judy Spilker RN, BSN, Jo Simpson RN, BSN, Debbie Summers RN, MSN, Diedre Wentworth RN, MSN, Elaine Miller DNS, RN, Barbara Fletcher RN, MSN, Tami Bakas, DNS, RN, Katherine J Sullivan, PhD, PT, Jeffery Saver MD, Gayle Whitman RN, PHD. A comprehensive review to nursing and interdisciplinary care of the stroke patient: Throughout the continuum of care. PART I. Invited writing group for the American Stroke Association. Stroke (In press).
  2. Dieruf K, Burtner PA, Provost B, Phillips J, Bernitsky-Beddingfield A, Sullivan KJ. (2009). A pilot study of quality of life in children with cerebral palsy after intensive body weight-supported treadmill training. Pediatric Physical Therapy, Spring;21(1):45-52.
  3. Stoeckmann, TM, Sullivan, KJ, Scheidt, RA. (online July 2009) Muscle recruitment and co-activity during reaching post-stroke: A pilot study on the effects of elastic, viscous, and mass resistance. Physical Therapy Journal.
  4. Winstein C, Pate P, Ge T, Ervin C, Baurley J, Sullivan KJ, Underwood SJ, Fowler EG, Mulroy S, Brown DA, Kulig K, Gordon J, Azen SP & Physical Therapy Clinical Research Network. (2008). The Physical Therapy Clinical Research Network (PTClinResNet): Methods, efficacy and benefits of a rehabilitation research network. Am J Physical Medicine & Rehabil. 87(11): 937-50.
  5. Tilson JK, Settle SM, Sullivan KJ. Application of evidence-based practice strategies: current trends in walking recovery interventions poststroke. Top Stroke Rehabil. 2008 May-Jun;15(3):227-46.
  6. Sullivan KJ, Kantak SS and Burtner PA. Motor Learning in Children: Feedback effects on skill acquisition. Physical Therapy. 2008 Jun; 88(6):720-32
  7. Duncan,P.W., Sullivan, K.J., Behrman, A.L., Azen, S.P.,Wu, S.S., Nadeau, S., Dobkin, B.H., Rose, D.K., Tilson, J.K. Protocol for the Locomotor Experience Applied Post-stroke (LEAPS) trial: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Neurology 2007, 7: 1-39.
  8. Sullivan, K.J., Brown, D.A., Klassen, T., Mulroy, S., Ge, T., Azen, S., Winstein,C.J., STEPS Research Team, Physical Therapy Clinical Research Network (PTClinResNet) (2007). Effects of task-specific locomotor and strength training in adults who were ambulatory after stroke: results of the STEPS randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy, 87(12):1580-1602; discussion 1603-1587.
  9. Lin C, Sullivan KJ, Wu, AD, Kantak, S. & Winstein, CJ (2007). The effects of task practice order for motor skill learning in adults with Parkinson’s Disease: A pilot study. Physical Therapy, 87(9), 1120-1131.
  10. Provost B, Dieruf K, Burtner PA, Phillips JP, Bernitsky-Beddingfield A, Sullivan KJ, Bowen CA, Toser L. (2007). Endurance and gait in children with cerebral palsy following intensive body weight supported treadmill training. Pediatric Physical Therapy, 19:2-10.
  11. Phillips, J.P., Sullivan, K.J., Burtner, P.A., Caprihan, A., Provost, B, & Bernitsky-Beddingfield, A. (2007). Ankle dorsiflexion fMRI in children with cerebral palsy undergoing intensive body weight support treadmill training: A feasibility study. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 49(1), 39-44.