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Mary M. Rodgers, PT, PhD, F.A.P.T.A., F.A.S.B., F.I.S.B.

Academic Title:

Professor Emerita

Primary Appointment:

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science

Location:

Allied Health Research Building

Fax:

(410) 706-5221

Education and Training

  • 8/72-5/74 Meredith College Raleigh, North Carolina
  • 1976 BS in Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • 1981 MS in Medical Allied Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Major in Biomechanics and Education
  • 1985 PhD in Biomechanics, The Pennsylvania State University

Biosketch

Mary M. Rodgers, PT, PhD, FAPTA, FASB, FISB is George R. Hepburn Dynasplint Professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS), University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is also Senior Advisor for the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Dr. Rodgers earned her Physical Therapy degree at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and her PhD in Biomechanics from the Pennsylvania State University.  She has extensive expertise in the area of biomechanics and, over the past 20 years, been a well-funded investigator in the study of wheelchair propulsion biomechanics to understand and prevent overuse injury. Her expertise is recognized through 54 publications in peer reviewed journals, six book chapters, one book, and over137 scientific abstracts and conference papers. More recently her scholarship has focused on technology development for rehabilitation, healthy independent living and mobility.  Dr. Rodgers served as PTRS Department Chair for 15 years during which time five new degree programs were established, research funding was increased, two endowed professorships were secured, and the department achieved national ranking in the top 10% of physical therapy programs across the country.  Dr. Rodgers is past President of the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB), a Fellow in the American Physical Therapy Association (2009), American Society of Biomechanics (2012) and ISB (2015). She has served as Associate Editor for Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation since 2003.  As Director of the Pilot & Exploratory Studies Core, Dr. Rodgers is heavily involved in the mentorship, educational and dissemination efforts of the University of Maryland Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center funded by the National Institute of Aging, NIH.  This core provides start-up support for research proposals exploring mechanisms underlying the disability phenotype in older persons and the functional and clinical responses to exercise. As Senior Advisor in the Extramural Science Program at NIBIB/NIH, Dr. Rodgers facilitates support of technology development for rehabilitation, individuals with disability, and healthy independent living.

Research/Clinical Keywords

rehabilitation science, biomechanics, physical therapy, technology for health, physical activity

Highlighted Publications

  • Reinkensmeyer DJ, Bonato P, Boninger ML, Chan L, Cowan RE, Fregly BJ, Rodgers MM:  Major Trends in Mobility Technology Research and Development: Overview of the Results of the NSF-WTEC European Study.  J Neuroengineering Rehabil, 9:22, 2012 http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1kt7c01t#page-1
  • Rodgers MM, Cohen Z, Joseph L, Rossi W: Workshop on personal motion technologies for healthy independent living:  Executive Summary.  Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 93(6):935-9, 2012.
  • Pai VM, Rodgers MM, Conroy R, Luo J, Zhou R, Seto B:  Workshop on Using Natural Language Processing Applications for Enhancing Clinical Decision Making – An Executive Summary.  J Am Med Inform Assoc doi:10.1136/amiajnl-2013-001896.
  • Rodgers MM, Pai VM, Conroy R: Recent advances in wearable sensors for health monitoring.  IEEE Sensors Journal 15(6): 3119-3126, June 2015; DOI: 10.1109/JSEN.2014.2357257P.
  • Darrell Neufer, Marcas M. Bamman, Deborah M. Muoio, Claude Bouchard, Dan M. Cooper, Bret H. Goodpaster, Frank W. Booth, Wendy M. Kohrt, Robert E. Gerszten, Mark P. Mattson, Russell T. Hepple, William E. Kraus, Michael B. Reid, Sue C. Bodine, John M. Jakicic, Jerome L. Fleg, John P. Williams, Lyndon Joseph, Mary Evans, Padma Maruvada, Mary Rodgers, et al.: Understanding the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Physical Activity-Induced Health Benefits.  Cell Metabolism,Volume 22, Issue 1, Pages 4-11 (7 July 2015).