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Assistant Professor

Division of Physical Therapy
Department of Health Sciences
3041 Bondurant Hall, CB# 7135
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7135

Office: (919) 843-7317

Email Dr. Thoma

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Delaware, Department of Physical Therapy, 2016 – 2019
  • PhD, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, 2016
  • DPT, The Ohio State University, 2011
  • BS, Exercise Science, University of Mount Union, 2008

Grants/Funding

  • NIH NIAMS, Career Development Award K23 – “Helping Adults with RA PREVAIL: Developing a model to Preserve Valued Activities In Life” – 2021 – 2026
  • Rheumatology Research Foundation Medical/Graduate Student Preceptorship (Preceptor) – 2021/2022, 2022/2023
  • NIH Loan Repayment Program – 2018 – 2020, 2021-2024
  • NIH NIAMS, Kirschstein – National Research Service Award (NRSA) F32 – “Physical Activity, Weight Gain, and Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis after Traumatic Knee Injury” – 2018 – 2019

Research Interests

  • Identifying and implementing strategies to improve long-term joint and general health after knee injury
  • Optimizing rehabilitation and recovery after orthopaedic injury and surgery
  • Physical activity assessment and intervention during rehabilitation
  • Using large data sets to understand the long-term consequences of orthopaedic injury on individuals, health systems, and society

Teaching

  • PHYT 724 – Functional Assessment and Outcome Measurement in Physical Therapy
  • PHYT 874 – Topics in Sports Physical Therapy
  • PHYT 754 – Research Experience

Honors and Awards

  • 2022 Dr. Robert Lewis Kane Memorial Award from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Centers
  • 2020 Arthritis Care & Research Top Reviewers
  • 2019 Arthritis Care & Research Top Reviewers
  • 2019 Best Infographic, ‘Osteoarthritis: A Serious Disease’, Osteoarthritis Research Society International
  • 2018 Arthritis Care & Research Top Reviewers
  • 2017 Arthritis Care & Research Top Reviewers
  • 2017 Orthopedic Section Poster Award Finalist, Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association

Professional Societies

  • American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
    • Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
    • American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy
    • Section on Research
    • Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI)
  • American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ACR/ARP)
  • Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI)

Publications

  • Please see this PubMed Link for a list of peer review publications
Louise Thoma, PT, DPT, PhD