Valerie E. Kelly, PT, PhD
| Title: | Associate Professor |
|---|---|
| Division: | Physical Therapy |
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Valerie Kelly is a physical therapist and an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In her research, Dr. Kelly works with people who have Parkinson disease to understand factors that impact mobility and to develop innovative treatments to improve mobility. Dr. Kelly has an MS degree in Physical Therapy and a PhD in Movement Science from Washington University in St. Louis, and she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington.
Education and Training
- University of Washington Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Rehabilitation Science, 2006
- Washington University in St. Louis, PhD, Movement Science, 2003
- Washington University in St. Louis, MS, Physical Therapy, 1999
- University of Pennsylvania, BA, Physical Anthropology, 1996
Clinical Interests
- Balance and gait rehabilitation
- Neurodegenerative conditions
- Parkinson disease
Teaching Interests
Dr. Kelly's teaching interests include neurologic physical therapy and neuroscience applications for rehabilitation. Dr. Kelly leads courses in the DPT and PhD programs and teaches in the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program at the University of Washington. Dr. Kelly also mentors research trainees at the pre-doctoral and post-doctoral level.
Research Interests
Dr. Kelly’s research broadly examines mechanisms underlying movement impairments among people with Parkinson disease and seeks to optimize interventions for balance and gait. Her current research focuses on the impact of genetic and cognitive factors on walking and the response to gait rehabilitation in Parkinson disease. A second line of research seeks to develop a virtual reality platform to assess and treat mobility impairments in Parkinson disease.