معرفی
Sara Piva is a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS). She directs the Physical Therapy Clinical and Translational Research Center, leading multidisciplinary initiatives in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Her academic roles include teaching, mentoring, and overseeing clinical research programs.
Education: B.Sc. in Physical Education, B.Sc. in Physical Therapy, M.Sc. in Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy, and a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Research focuses on musculoskeletal disorders, including mechanisms of pain-related functional limitations, exercise interventions, and clinical trial methodologies. Key areas include biomechanics of spinal and joint dysfunction, psychometric validation of clinical measures, and optimizing post-surgical rehabilitation protocols for knee replacements.
Over 100 peer-reviewed publications and 20+ clinical trials funded by NIH, PCORI, and foundations highlight her contributions. Notable achievements include developing evidence-based guidelines for patellofemoral pain and advancing imaging techniques for evaluating paraspinal muscles.
Awards: George J. Davies Excellence in Clinical Inquiry Award (APTA), Rose Award for Research Excellence, and Catherine Worthingham Fellowship.
Grants and mentoring: Mentors graduate students in rehabilitation science. Active in interprofessional initiatives like the Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) and translational research programs.
Labs/Teams: Leads the Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Group at the SHRS, collaborating with orthopaedic surgeons, biomechanical engineers, and data scientists.
