Alumni Highlights
W. Todd Cade, PT, PhD
W. Todd Cade, PT, PhD, completed his dissertation entitled “Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and Decreased Aerobic Capacity in HIV” and graduated from the Graduate Program in Physical Rehabilitation Science in May 2002. During his studies at UMB, Dr. Cade was mentored by Dr. Randall Keyser. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism at Washington University School of Medicine. Currently, Dr. Cade is Professor of Physical Therapy & Medicine and Associate Director of Postdoctoral Fellowships in Physical Therapy at Washington University. Dr. Cade’s current research program focuses on discovery of mechanisms and treatments for cardio-metabolic disease.
Michelle Harris-Love, PT, PhD
Michelle Harris-Love is Associate Professor at George Mason University and directs the Mechanisms Of Therapeutic Rehabilitation (MOTR) laboratory at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital. She specializes in the use of non-invasive brain stimulation to understand and modulate mechanisms of motor recovery following stroke. ​Her PhD, with an emphasis in neuromotor control, was conferred in 2004 and she completed post-doctoral training at the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Her dissertation was titled "Immediate adaptations to changing constraints in chronic stroke patients" and she was co-mentored by Dr. Jill Whitall, Dr. Gerald Smith, and Dr. Larry Forrester. She has published numerous manuscripts in prominent peer-reviewed journals; and her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the American Heart Association.
Elizabeth K. Rasch, PT, PhD
A physical therapist for nearly 40 years, Dr. Rasch was one of the first clinical specialists in neurology certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. From 2001 to 2007 she was a service fellow in the Office of Analysis and Epidemiology at the National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. As Chief of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Section in the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at the NIH Clinical Center since 2007, she currently oversees the work of 20 scientists and has been instrumental in implementing an inter-agency agreement with the Social Security Administration to improve their disability determination process. Her dissertation work was titled "Health of Community Dwelling Adults with Mobility Limitations in the United States: Prevalent and Incident Health Conditions and their Consequences" and she was mentored by Dr. Mary Rogers and Dr. Jay Magaziner.