Maggie French

Maggie French is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training at the University of Utah, where she has been employed since July 2023. Her academic journey includes a DPT from Emory University (2010-2013), a neurologic physical therapy residency at Johns Hopkins and University of Delaware, a PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science from University of Delaware (2016-2021), and a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2021-2023). She is a Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist (2015-2025) and serves on the Education Committee for the American Society of Neurorehabilitation.

Dr. French's research focuses on improving the value of post-stroke rehabilitation by understanding person and system level variability through three interconnected components: longitudinal measurement of function and healthcare utilization; characterizing variability in functional outcomes; and characterizing and improving the value of care. Her work employs learning health systems, data science, bioinformatics, and real-world data analysis, with growing applications of artificial intelligence in rehabilitation. She has published extensively on topics including locomotor learning after stroke, depression and physical activity relationships, video-based gait analysis, and precision rehabilitation frameworks.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward leveraging large-scale data and digital health technologies to understand rehabilitation outcomes. The research shows increasing integration of artificial intelligence methods, with several 2024-2025 papers focusing on responsible AI implementation, video-based pose estimation, and common data models for rehabilitation research.

• Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist (2015-2025)
• Faculty Fellow in One-U Responsible Artificial Intelligence Initiative (2025)
• NIH grant: Characterizing Post-Acute Physical Therapy Utilization and Outcomes After Stroke (2024-2029)
• University of Utah grant: Safety and Efficacy of Reduced Upper Extremity Restrictions after Lung Transplantation (2024-2026)

As an educator, Dr. French teaches in both the entry-level DPT program and Rehabilitation Science PhD program at the University of Utah, with a teaching philosophy centered on fostering mutual respect, supporting self-discovery, and creating a culture of continuous learning. She actively mentors future clinicians and researchers, emphasizing preparation for leadership roles in rehabilitation.