News

This newsletter, dedicated to the Division of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Graduate Programs, showcases only a part of all the activities and accomplishments that our amazing group of students, alumni, faculty, and staff are up to.

Aaron Hellem, DPT, PhD, OCS, SCS was nominated to serve as the Co-Chair of the Sports Performance Enhancement Special Interest Group of the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy! 

Arin Ellingson, PhD and his lab's article, “Automated magnetic resonance imaging-based grading of the lumbar intervertebral disc and facet joints” received recognition as a Top Cited Article in the Journal of Orthopedic Research (JOR) Spine!

Allyson Sutkowi-Hemstreet, PT, DPT, CCS was a co-author on a publication, titled “A pilot course on climate and health for healthcare professions students and faculty.” 

The publication is in the multidisciplinary journal Frontiers in Public Health. 

Class of 2026 DPT students Paige Vargas, Luke Schoenbauer, Allison Carpenter, and Riley Allison were awarded the APTA Academy of Leadership and Innovation (ALI) Blue Ribbon Award at CSM for their work in the area of Social Responsibility!

Their poster titled “Home vs. Clinical Bioimpedance Measures in those at Risk for Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema” shows promising results for a home monitoring device for the early detection of breast cancer related lymphedema that could reduce burden on patients and the heatlhcare system.

Only a select few of the nearly 1,500 posters presented receive this honor. The students are advised by Dr. Linda Koehler.

Sara North, PT, DPT, PhD, M.Ed., FNAP co-authored a publication in the Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice.  

Their publication is titled “Exploring the Evolution of Interprofessional Competency: Insights into Self-Assessed Development Across a Scaffolded Three-Phase IPE Curriculum.” 

Manda Keller-Ross, PT, DPT, PhD co-authors publication titled “Heart rate variability moderates the association between trait anxiety and sympathetic nerve activity in humans.”.

Their publication is in press in Hypertension, a journal published by the American Heart Association. 

Ida Fonkoue, MD, PhD, MSCR awarded the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Impact Award for Inclusive Excellence! 

Through her leadership of the Neurobiology of Emotion, Sleep, and Trauma (NEST) lab, Dr. Fonkoue highlights the physiologic consequences of trauma, which is disproportionately experienced by women, particularly women of color. By collaborating with community members and her incredibly diverse research team, Dr. Fonkoue addresses the needs of those she serves through her research. 

This newsletter, dedicated to the Division of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Graduate Programs, showcases only a part of all the activities and accomplishments that our amazing group of students, alumni, faculty, and staff are up to.

Aaron Hellem, PT, DPT, PhD, CSCS was elected as a MNPTA Nominations Committee member in the elections that just closed on November 30, 2025. The APTA Minnesota Nominating Committee solicits participation from diverse geographic and practice areas of physical therapy in Minnesota, in order to prepare a slate of candidates for office positions, delegates, chief delegate, and to fill the Nominating Committee.  This committee prepares ballots, supervises the distribution and tallying of election results, and reports election results to the membership.

Albrecht, B., Kassam, Z., Thapa, P. and Jayasinghe, S.A.L., Are Kinematic Assessments from a Planar Reaching Task Better Than Standardized Clinical Assessments at Predicting Functional Independence in Chronic Stroke Survivors? Restorative neurology and neuroscience, online ahead of print.