Rehabilitation Research Graduate Group

Description

Mission:

Cultivation of premiere scientists and future academicians to lead the transformation of the science and practice of rehabilitation.

The Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Research Graduate Group includes faculty, graduate students, and clinical, translational, and basic scientists at the University of Minnesota and other institutions in Minnesota interested in advancing the discovery, dissemination, and clinical translation of scientific findings in Rehabilitation. We conduct a broad range of rehabilitation research, from basic science to clinical studies.

Rehabilitation Science is an emerging interdisciplinary field that focuses on human function and disability. The broad spectrum of the field ranges from prevention of disabling disease conditions to treatment, community integration, and maximizing of function and quality of life after disability. Faculty backgrounds include those from the health sciences, social sciences, engineering, and related fields. Since the inception of the Rehabilitation Science PhD Program, the Program has been multidisciplinary (Physical Medicine, Occupational & Physical Therapy). The group has grown toward greater interdisciplinary studies, and expanded to include basic scientists and engineers. We wish to further extend the interdisciplinary nature of this group to incorporate key clinical and basic science partners from Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Rehabilitation Engineering, and other Departments and Colleges within the University and the broader intellectual community. The initial membership roster spans twelve University Departments, seven colleges, and three clinical research institutional partners.

Goals:

1. Increase communication and research collaboration among scientists in rehabilitation research at the University of Minnesota, the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Mayo Medical Center, Allina Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, and other community research partners;
2. Expand interdisciplinary curricular offerings for graduate students with broad rehabilitation research interests;
3. Facilitate more rapid dissemination of research findings to clinical practice through seminars, symposium, and networking;
4. Facilitate integration of clinical perspectives into scientific research aims;
5. Build an integrated research infrastructure for rehabilitation research, leveraging existing University and clinical resources and investments.