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Sue Smith, PT, PhD is a tenured Associate Professor and Director of the Programs in the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences and hold a graduate research faculty appointment in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. She earned her BS degree in physical therapy from the University of Connecticut, her MS degree in health science instruction from Texas Woman’s University, and her PhD in biomechanics from Texas Woman’s University. Dr. Smith joined the Drexel faculty in 2004. She has 34 years clinical experience at a variety of practice sites and 20 years faculty experience.
Her clinical, teaching and research focus is orthopedic and women’s health physical therapy with emphasis on quantitative evaluation, spinal pain, osteoporosis and health promotion. Dr. Smith has served as the principal or co-investigator in 18 funded research proposals. She has presented at local, regional, national, and international meetings and has published in a variety of journals. Dr. Smith has also authored or coauthored several book chapters. In addition, she has served as the major research advisor for over 15 students earning post-professional MS or doctoral (PhD) degrees. Currently, she provides patient care services at Drexel’s 11th Street Family Health Service, Directs the Osteoporosis Education and Exercise Program, and serves on committees for the Arthritis Foundation.
Research
Areas
- Health promotion and exercise interventions for manifestations of low bone mass in women
- Quantitative evaluation and interventions in orthopedic physical therapy with an emphasis on spinal pain and dysfunction
Background
- BS
in PT, University of Connecticut
- MS
in Health Science Instruction, Texas Woman’s University
- PhD
in Biomechanics, Texas Woman’s University
- Certified
Clinical Densitometrist (CCD)
- Former
Associate Director for the Institute for Women’s Health,
Director of the Health Promotion and Research Center, and
Director of Post-Professional Studies at Texas Woman’s University; former Director of Post-Professional Programs in Rehabilitation at Drexel University
- Serves
as an external reviewer for Physical Therapy
- Served
as the major advisor for over 15 students writing their
theses or dissertations
Current Projects
- Rehabilitation following percutaneous injection procedures for patients with vertebggral compression fractures (with A. Baum, A. Rosage, E. Wang, & J. Kapila)
- Rehab-informatics: e-data management in health sciences research
- Role of unresolved musculoskeletal impairments in the development of recurrent and chronic low back pain (with S. Silfies)
- Effects of exercise and electrical stimulation on urinary incontinence in women (with J. Firra)
- Postmenopausal osteoporosis: pathophysiology, epidemiology and treatment (with C. Watson)
- Effect of exercise on thoracic kyphosis, trunk strength, shoulder range of motion, and function in postmenopausal women with low bone mass (with C. Grafa)
- Effect of prescribed step length and gait velocity in walking on ground reaction force in postmenopausal women with low bone mass of the hip (with L. Krum)
Current Grants
- PI: Rehab-Informatics: e-Data management in Health Sciences Research
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