Heather Feldner, PT, MPT, PhD
| Title: | Associate Professor |
|---|---|
| Division: | Physical Therapy |
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Heather Feldner, PT, PhD, PCS Emeritus, is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, core faculty in the Disability Studies Program, and an associate director of the Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) at the University of Washington.
Dr. Feldner’s research is centered at the intersection of mobility, disability, and technology in two primary areas, including perceptions of disability and identity and how these emerge and evolve through technology use, and in the design and implementation of pediatric mobility technology, considering how attitudes and the built environment affect equity and participation. She also focuses on how disability can be further integrated into intersectional Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives, particularly in health professions education. Her current work incorporates multidisciplinary, mixed methods, and participatory approaches drawing from her background as a pediatric physical therapist, doctoral work in disability studies, and postdoctoral research in in mechanical engineering.
Education and Training
- BS, Human Biology, 1998 | Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
- Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), 2000 | Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
- Certificate in Assistive Technology, 2015 | University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
- PhD, Disability Studies, 2016 | University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Mechanical Engineering, 2018 | University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Board Certifications
- Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatrics, Emeritus
Notable Awards
- 2018: Selected as an NIH National Center on Advancing Translational Sciences KL2 Scholar, University of Washington Institute of Translational Health Sciences, Seattle, WA.
- 2021: Featured Poster for Excellence in Qualitative Research: “I Can Bonk People”: Perceptions of Communication and Social-Emotional Development in Children Driving Ride-on Cars. Qualitative Research SIG at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Virtual.
- 2022: Blue Ribbon for Top 3 Posters in Social Responsibility: Diversity and Equity Includes Disability: Developing a Disability Allyship Training Curriculum for Rehabilitation Education. Health Policy and Administration Section Global Health SIG, APTA Combined Sections Meeting, San Antonio, TX.
- 2022: Gayle G. Arnold Award Nominee for Best Paper: ‘On the Move! Caregiver Perspectives on Powered Mobility Devices & Participation for Children with Cerebral Palsy, Gross Motor Function Classification Scale Level V.’ American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
- 2022: Selected as the New Investigator Lecturer for the Annual Science in Medicine Symposium, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Feldner’s clinical interests include the provision of family-centered pediatric physical therapy services, the design, implementation, and evaluation of commercial or custom-modified seating and mobility technology, and environmental accessibility and modification.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Feldner’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that excellence in multidisciplinary research and clinical translation must be conveyed to students through excellence in teaching. A lecture or course becomes successful when students actively explore and critically evaluate not only scientific evidence, but also their own biases and situated knowledge, especially considering multiple perspectives of health, disability, and intersectionality. Heather enjoys teaching principles of disability studies, accessibility and inclusive design, assistive technology, pediatric physical therapy, psychosocial issues in rehabilitation practice, and qualitative and participatory research methods.
Research Interests
Dr. Feldner is the director of the IMPACT Collaboratory within the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. IMPACT (Igniting Mobility, Play, and Access for Children with Technology) is a multidisciplinary lab space with a mission to foster sustainable community partnerships and empower children and families as experts in their own lives and to engage as co-researchers in all projects. Her lab explores the intersections of rehabilitation, engineering, design, and social justice using a disability studies lens. Dr. Feldner partners with children and families across our community and region to create meaningful research questions, studies, and technology designs that bridge disciplines and contribute important insights into issues such as accessibility, mobility and play, inclusive design, participation and health, and low to high technology solutions. She also works within healthcare and general education communities to understand experiences of ableism and allyship for individuals who identify as disabled/with a disability or as having a chronic health condition.