UIC Department of Physical Therapy

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Needles to Say… They Learned a Lot 💉

Students in the UIC DPT Class of 2028 recently participated in a dry needling lab led by Dr. Keil and Dr. Lisen.

Experiences like these provide students with exposure to advanced techniques used in contemporary physical therapy practice while deepening their understanding of clinical decision-making and patient care.

At UIC DPT, we are committed to preparing future physical therapists with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experiences needed to thrive in an evolving healthcare environment and continue advancing our profession.

Thank you to Dr. Keil and Dr. Lisen for sharing their expertise and helping bring these skills and concepts to life for our students.

Happy Pride Month! 🌈

This month, we celebrate the LGBTQIA2S+ community and reaffirm our commitment to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable environment for all.

At UIC Physical Therapy, we value diversity, respect, and belonging, and we are proud to support our students, faculty, staff, patients, and community members during Pride Month and throughout the year.

🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride Month!

Congratulations to Our IPTA Leaders! 👏

Join us in celebrating our faculty members who were recently elected to leadership positions within the Illinois Physical Therapy Association at both the state and district levels.

Service to the profession is a core value of UIC Physical Therapy, and we are proud to see our faculty contributing their time, expertise, and leadership to help advance physical therapy across Illinois.

Thank you for your commitment to our profession, our patients, and the next generation of physical therapists. We look forward to the impact you will make in these important roles.

Congratulations to all of our newly elected faculty leaders!

Congratulations, President Kowalczuk! 🎉

Join us in congratulating Natalie Kowalczuk, a member of the UIC DPT Class of 2028, on being elected President of the Illinois Physical Therapy Association Student Special Interest Group (SSIG)!

Natalie becomes the second consecutive UIC DPT student elected to serve in this leadership role, continuing our program’s tradition of service and engagement within the profession.

We are incredibly proud of our students who step forward to lead, advocate, and help shape the future of physical therapy.

We’re looking forward to great things from you, President Kowalczuk!

Now offering: PT 420 – Introduction to LGBTQIA2S+ Health (CRN 51071)

This interdisciplinary course builds a foundation in q***r health using the socioecological model to explore health equity, healthcare delivery, implicit bias, health disparities, gender-affirming care, and policies shaping LGBTQIA2S+ health.

Through case studies, discussions, and guest speakers, students will engage in meaningful conversations surrounding inclusive and applied healthcare delivery for the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

Open to junior, senior, and graduate students interested in healthcare, including PT, OT, nursing, pharmacy, social work, public health, and pre-health professions.

📍 Hybrid Format
📚 2 Credit Hours
🕓 Mondays 4–5 PM in-person + 1 hour/week asynchronous online

Interested in registering?

Contact Dr. Autumn Neuharth at [email protected] for registration updates.

Celebrating Student Achievement 🌍🎓

Congratulations to Shravni Deshmukh, PT, MS, PhD candidate in Rehabilitation Sciences and member of the Brain Plasticity Lab, on being recognized at the Office of Global Engagement International Student Awards Ceremony as a recipient of the Chicago Consular Corps Professional Development Award!

This award honors a commitment to education and cultural exchange while supporting the academic and professional development of international students.

We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and Shravni’s continued contributions to our community and the field of rehabilitation science.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement 🤝

Today, our faculty came together for a department-wide retreat led by interim department head Dr. Renee Taylor.

It was a great collaborative session focused on ways to continue strengthening and improving our already outstanding program as we head into the summer months.

Thank you to all faculty and staff for their engagement, ideas, and participation throughout the day!

IPTA Election Season is Here 🗳️

We’re proud to have five faculty members and two students from UIC DPT running for leadership positions within the Illinois Physical Therapy Association, including student candidates for President and Secretary/Treasurer!

Thank you to all of our faculty and students for their commitment to serving IPTA and advancing the profession through leadership and service.

Voting is open to all IPTA members through May 19!

Be sure to get your votes in and support our department!

Best of luck to all candidates 👏