Odessa R. Addison

Dr. Odessa R. Addison serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she also holds the position of Director for Research Affairs. Additionally, she is a Research Health Scientist and GRECC Investigator for the VA Maryland Health Care System, reflecting her dual commitment to academic research and veteran healthcare.

Her educational background includes earning both a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and PhD from the University of Utah, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship and a Special Fellowship in Geriatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Baltimore VA Medical Center. These credentials establish her expertise in clinical rehabilitation and geriatric research.

Dr. Addison's research program critically examines muscle fat infiltration (myosteatosis) in aging populations, with particular focus on hip abductor muscles and their relationship to balance impairment and fall risk. She investigates how lifestyle interventions—including targeted diet and exercise protocols—affect muscle composition and functional mobility in older adults with chronic conditions. Her work bridges clinical physical therapy practice with mechanistic studies of age-related mobility decline.

Analysis of her 2014 publications reveals a cohesive research trajectory centered on intramuscular adipose tissue as a biomarker for functional impairment. These studies consistently demonstrate how fat infiltration patterns correlate with inflammation, frailty, and gait instability, establishing muscle quality as a critical factor in geriatric mobility beyond mere strength metrics.

Her research program is sustained through competitive funding from the Foundation for Physical Therapy, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As co-leader of the Research Education Core for the NIH-funded Pepper Center, she shapes aging research training while mentoring junior investigators. Though formal student lists aren't provided, her leadership roles indicate substantial advisory responsibilities within rehabilitation science.

Dr. Addison maintains active laboratory operations through the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the VA Maryland Health Care System, where she directs translational projects examining mobility interventions for elderly veterans. Her collaborative team integrates physical therapy clinicians, basic scientists, and geriatricians to develop evidence-based rehabilitation protocols.