Kelly P. Westlake

Dr. Kelly P. Westlake serves as Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with secondary appointments in Diagnostic Radiology Nuclear Medicine and Neurology. As Director of the PhD and DPT/PhD program in Physical Rehabilitation Science, she leads advanced training initiatives while maintaining thirty years of clinical and research expertise focused on neurological disorders and age-related mobility decline.

Her educational foundation includes a Physical Therapy degree from McGill University, M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Rehabilitation Sciences from Queen's University, followed by postdoctoral training at Stanford University/Palo Alto VA (CIHR Clinical Research fellowship) and University of California, San Francisco (American Heart Association Fellowship). This trajectory established her dual expertise in clinical neurorehabilitation and advanced neuroscience methodology.

Dr. Westlake's research program investigates sensorimotor-cognitive mechanisms underlying movement impairments in stroke, Parkinson's disease, and mild cognitive impairment through an integrative approach combining biomechanics (kinematics/kinetics), neuroimaging (fMRI/EEG/MEG), and psychophysiological assessments (HRV/GSC). Her distinctive work explores sleep-based motor learning consolidation via targeted memory reactivation and cognitive-motor interactions in reactive fall recovery, driving development of task-oriented robotic rehabilitation devices for clinical translation.

Recent publications reveal strong trends toward home-based and self-managed rehabilitation solutions for stroke recovery, with growing emphasis on cognitive-motor interactions in aging populations and biomechanical analysis of perturbation responses for fall prevention. These studies consistently prioritize patient-centered, evidence-based interventions leveraging technological innovation to enhance accessibility and efficacy.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• CIHR Clinical Research fellowship
• American Heart Association Fellowship

Dr. Westlake currently leads $10+ million in grant funding including a 2025-2026 Maryland Industrial Partnerships Grant for FES treatment of shoulder adhesive capsulitis and multiple NIH awards (NIDILRR, NIA, NINDS) focused on stroke rehabilitation, fall prevention in older adults, and neuromotor training. She mentors PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows through the Physical Rehabilitation Science PhD Program and UMANRRT fellowship, while developing clinical practice guidelines as Leader of the Balance and Falls in Neurological Conditions group for the APTA Academy of Neurologic Rehabilitation.

The Neuromechanisms of Movement and Learning (NeuMo) Laboratory, directed by Dr. Westlake, features state-of-the-art capabilities including fMRI/EEG/MEG neuromonitoring, Vicon kinematics, Bertek force platforms, ActiveStep balance perturbation system, custom Balance boardwalk (patent pending), and Kinereach virtual reality systems. The lab maintains active collaborations with the UM Sleep Lab and UM Rehab for clinical-home integration studies, supported by academic-industry partnerships advancing rehabilitation technology development.