Elissa Held Bradford

Elissa Held Bradford is an Associate Professor and Assistant Program Director in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at the Doisy College of Health Sciences, Saint Louis University. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Wellness from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, along with Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Physical Therapy and Exercise Science from Saint Louis University.

Her research interests focus on health promotion in neurodegenerative diseases, neurorehabilitation strategies, clinical reasoning, and movement analysis. She actively explores interventions for conditions like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS), emphasizing telehealth innovations and data-sharing frameworks to advance patient care.

Professionally, she contributes to organizations such as the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Therapists and the American Physical Therapy Association. Her work bridges education and practice, developing curricula that integrate competency-based learning and situated clinical experiences to prepare future physical therapists.

Her publications reflect a commitment to improving outcomes through interdisciplinary collaboration, population health strategies, and optimizing service delivery models in neurological rehabilitation. She advocates for integrating health promotion into clinical education and advancing adaptive learning methodologies.