Steven R. Fisher

Steven R. Fisher is a tenured Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences within the School of Health Professions at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), where he advances geriatric rehabilitation through clinical practice, research, and education. His work bridges physical therapy with aging science to improve functional outcomes in vulnerable older populations.

Dr. Fisher earned his Master of Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University and his Doctorate of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Science from UTMB. He maintains a clinical specialist certification in Geriatric Physical Therapy (GCS), validating his expertise in age-related mobility disorders.

His research program centers on physical functioning in older adults, with emphases on fall risk mitigation, urinary incontinence management, and post-hospitalization recovery. Key methodologies include actigraphy for mobility tracking, randomized clinical trials for intervention efficacy, and interdisciplinary collaborations addressing sarcopenia and functional decline. Current projects investigate testosterone therapy for hip fracture recovery and robotics-assisted gait training for Parkinson's disease.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant trends in geriatric rehabilitation, particularly the bidirectional relationship between urinary incontinence and fall risk in women, hospitalization-induced mobility loss, and innovative interventions like transcranial stimulation for stroke recovery. His work spans clinical trials, systematic reviews, and feasibility studies with strong translational focus.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the Sealy Center on Aging at UTMB
• Clinical Specialist Certification in Geriatric Physical Therapy

Dr. Fisher serves as Co-Investigator and supervising physical therapist (5% effort) on NIH-funded research (R01 AG0496-11, 2017-2022) targeting accelerated sarcopenia mechanisms in older adults with type 2 diabetes and post-hospitalization. He actively contributes to professional societies including the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Acute Care Section, and Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA), advocating for evidence-based geriatric practice standards.

As a Sealy Center on Aging Fellow, he collaborates with geriatricians, urologists, and neurologists on translational research addressing multimorbidity in aging. His team develops pragmatic interventions like the STEP-HI trial for hip fracture recovery and mobility-monitoring protocols to predict hospital readmissions.