Gammon M. Earhart

Gammon M. Earhart, PT, PhD, FAPTA is a Professor of Physical Therapy, Neurology, and Neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine. She serves as Associate Dean for Physical Therapy and Director of the Program in Physical Therapy. Dr. Earhart leads the Movement and Neurodegenerative Disease research area within the Program in Physical Therapy and is affiliated with the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences and the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences.

Dr. Earhart's research focuses on the neural control of walking and balance, with particular interest in adaptive control of mobility and developing intervention strategies for balance and gait deficits in Parkinson disease and other movement disorders. Her work employs kinematic, kinetic, electromyographic, and neuroimaging techniques to study locomotor and postural control. She has secured substantial NIH funding for studies examining walking interventions, freezing of gait, novel cueing strategies, and disease progression in Parkinson's.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on Parkinson disease research, with particular emphasis on gait analysis (24%), freezing of gait (13%), and quality of life outcomes. Her work increasingly incorporates digital health approaches, wearable sensors, and personalized intervention strategies. The research shows consistent productivity with numerous publications in high-impact journals related to neurology, rehabilitation science, and movement disorders.

Dr. Earhart has received significant recognition including the Catherine Worthingham Fellowship from the American Physical Therapy Association. She serves on editorial boards for Neurorehabilitation & Neural Repair and Gait & Posture, and is an active member of several professional societies including the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Earhart follows the MENTORING philosophy emphasizing mutual benefit, clear expectations, non-judgmental support, trust, originality, respect, individualized approaches, networking, and generosity. She actively mentors undergraduate students, PhD/MSTP students, health professions students, postdocs, and residents/fellows. Her lab includes postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, DPT students, and undergraduate researchers working on various aspects of movement disorders research.

Dr. Earhart is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She co-founded Physical Therapy Inclusion and Diversity (PT ID) and serves as the Program in Physical Therapy liaison to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Washington University School of Medicine. Her personal background as the first in her working-class family to attend college informs her commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for all students and colleagues.