# Interdisciplinary Graduate Education in Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences

> **NIH NIH T32** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $1

## Abstract

The goal of this training program is to seek continued support of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Education in
Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences (IGE-MRS) program, created at Northwestern University between the
departments of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering and the department of Physical Therapy and Human
Movement Sciences. The mission of the IGE-MRS program is to expose engineering students to a graduate
education that combines engineering, neurobiology and physical therapy and human movement sciences
coursework along with the associated research experiences through a DPT (Doctor in Physical Therapy) - PhD
(Engineering) dual degree. The IGE-MRS program is the first program of its kind in the US to combine solid
training in fundamental neurobiology and clinical physical therapy with a solid education in engineering. This
interdisciplinary training allows for the development of the scientific basis required for understanding the
pathophysiological mechanisms underlying movement disorders and for designing effective rehabilitation
interventions and devices. The program mentors have successful science careers as engineers, neuroscientists
and clinicians, and represent a broad range of expertise relevant to movement and rehabilitation science and
physical therapy. Northwestern University has a long and recognized history in the study of motor control, motor
disability and recovery, and neural reorganization. Extensive research is performed in these areas at various
levels, from basic animal and human studies focused on the control of movement and movement disorders, to
the development of novel rehabilitation interventions and devices that address these movement disorders. Areas
of research represented in participating labs fall loosely into three main areas: neurobiology of movement
behavior and disorders, rehabilitation device and interface development, and musculoskeletal pathophysiology
and modeling. The breadth and depth of movement and rehabilitation research at Northwestern provides a robust
translational environment for our IGE-MRS trainees. In this renewal application, we seek to continue to build our
program based on past experience and increase our impact through enhancements designed to recruit and
enroll a more diverse trainee pool, expand representation of a greater number of laboratories and research areas
especially in Mechanical Engineering, and strengthen the career development opportunities that facilitate the
transition from clinical to research training and beyond into independent clinician scientists. Through these
innovations and the continuation of successful practices already in place, we fully expect to continue advancing
the science and practice of movement and rehabilitation science by training the next generation of DPT-PhDs in
Engineering. We intend to support a total of 6 DPT-PhD students per year and up to one affiliate trainee per year
during this competitive renewal. The T32 grant will provide support for a to...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10207117
- **Project number:** 2T32EB009406-11
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JULIUS P DEWALD
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2009-09-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10207117

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10207117, Interdisciplinary Graduate Education in Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences (2T32EB009406-11). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10207117. Licensed CC0.

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