Cathy Larson

Cathy Larson is an Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Associate Director of the Ph.D. in Physical Therapy program at the Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint. She has been a tenured faculty member since 2012 and continues to serve in key academic and research leadership roles.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Kinesiology (Movement Sciences), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (2002)
• MSPT in Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham (1980)
• B.Sc. in Physiology, Michigan State University (1978)

Dr. Larson's research focuses on evidence-based physical therapy interventions, particularly in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, lymphedema management in breast cancer survivors, gait and mobility training in older adults, and the implementation of outcome measures in clinical practice. Her work emphasizes activity-based therapy, motor learning, and long-term functional outcomes. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals such as Rehabilitation Oncology, Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, and Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine.

Her recent scholarly contributions demonstrate a strong trend toward interdisciplinary rehabilitation research, combining clinical practice with empirical validation. Themes include the use of rhythmic auditory stimulation in gait training, assessment of postural strength in SCI, and educational gaps in lymphology. Her publications span from 2006 to 2023, showing sustained academic productivity.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Service Award from the Spinal Cord Injury Special Interest Group (2023)

Dr. Larson has secured multiple research grants as Principal Investigator, including funding from the Michigan Physical Therapy Association and JRD Enterprises LLC for studies on outcome measures in lymphedema therapy and the Ease Cushion clinical trial. She mentors doctoral students, as evidenced by her involvement in dissertation supervision (PTP 995). She has also held adjunct or clinical faculty roles at Oakland University, Wayne State University, and Andrews University, reflecting her broader impact on physical therapy education.

She is actively involved in research teams and collaborative networks, including the SCI Special Interest Group and the SCIP-MCRN (Spinal Cord Injury Partnership - Multicenter Clinical Research Network), where she contributes to advancing clinical practice through evidence generation and knowledge translation.