Ph.D. in Health Sciences

Overview

Health Sciences is a rapidly changing and evolving discipline, requiring highly trained, critical thinkers to solve some of society’s most important health-related problems. By working with faculty from multiple departments/programs in the College of Health Sciences, the Ph.D. in Health Sciences will provide students with hands on basic, applied and translational courses together with research laboratory or field experiences needed to solve these health-related problems.

PhD in Health Sciences Goals

Goal 1: Develop a mastery of a body of knowledge in a substantive area

  • 1.1 Students will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge in core principles across health science disciplines.
  • 1.2 Students will use existing scholarship to advance their depth of knowledge in their field of health sciences.

Goal 2: Develop a mastery of rigorous research methods and applicable skills

  • 2.1: Students will critically analyze and evaluate scientific information.
  • 2.2: Students execute scientific methods to design and complete research.
  • 2.3: Students apply statistical procedures to manage, analyze, interpret and respond to patterns and trends in quantitative and qualitative data.
  • 2.4: Students will disseminate scientific solutions/evidence-based care practices through effective communication to multiple audiences.

The Ph.D. program in Health Sciences is organized into graduate specialization groups that include Communicative Disorders (CMD) Human Development and Family Science (HDF), Kinesiology (KIN), Nutrition (NUT) and Physical Therapy (PT). These graduate specialization groups are described in more detail below, along with the admissions and degree requirements for Ph.D. students in Health Sciences.

Program Requirements: A minimum of 64 credit hours post-baccalaureate is required for the Ph.D. including 18 credits for dissertation research. Required course work, research credits and dissertation credits depend on the preparation and study plan of the individual student. All degree candidates are required to prepare a Program of Study in consultation with their major professor and doctoral committee. Written and oral comprehensive examinations and a defense of dissertation are required.

Graduate Specialization Groups

Communicative Disorders

This specialization focuses on speech and language pathology. The doctoral program is designed to provide a formal course of training and advanced research in communication sciences and disorders that produces significant, original contributions to the professional discipline. Course work in research design, statistics and various out-of-department opportunities maximize the student’s ability to engage in original research and scholarship.

Concentration Specific Competencies include: 

  • Display expertise in speech and language pathology.
  • Critically assess major theories, trends, and debates in communication sciences and disorders.
  • Develop skills used to choose appropriate research designs and statistical methods for answering health questions in the field of communicative disorders.
  • Design rigorous and ethical research studies that examine theories or conceptual models relevant to communicative disorders.

Faculty that are currently accepting doctoral students in this specialization: 

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Human Development and Family Science

This specialization prepares scholars to define problems and conduct innovative and rigorous research that informs policies and practices aimed at promoting the health and well-being of individuals and families. A central focus of the program is to develop skills to study the complex interplay of biological, developmental, interpersonal, and contextual determinants that protect and/or compromise the health and well-being of individuals and families across their life course. The doctoral program emphasizes integration and critical evaluation of research as well as the use of sophisticated methodologies that advance prevention and intervention approaches to better the lives of individuals and families across multiple social contexts.

Concentration Specific Competencies include:

  • Display expertise in human development and family science.
  • Critically assess major theories, trends, and debates in human development and family science.
  • Develop skills used to choose appropriate research designs and statistical methods for answering health questions in the field of human development and family science.
  • Design rigorous and ethical research studies that examine theories or conceptual models relevant to human development and family science.

Faculty that are currently accepting doctoral students in this specialization:

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Kinesiology

This specialization prepares the next generation of researchers, scholars, teachers and professional leaders in the field of Kinesiology. This is done through formal coursework and through active engagement in research, departmental activities, interdisciplinary research seminars and in professional meetings at the state, regional, and international level. Faculty expertise includes exercise physiology, sport science, biomechanics and behavioral aspects of physical activity.

Concentration Specific Competencies include:

  • Display expertise in Kinesiology.
  • Critically assess major theories, trends, and debates in Kinesiology.
  • Develop skills used to choose appropriate research designs and statistical methods for answering health questions in the field of Kinesiology.
  • Design rigorous and ethical research studies that examine theories or conceptual models relevant to Kinesiology.

Faculty that are currently accepting doctoral students in this specialization on a case-by-case basis and depending on current projects and funding situation: 

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Nutrition

This specialization prepares the next generation of independent researchers, scholars, teachers and professional leaders who are able to advance the field of nutrition science. 

Areas of focus in the department include: nutritional epidemiology, behavior change, global nutrition, community/public health nutrition, energy balance, maternal and child nutrition, food policy, and food systems and sustainability. The translation of this knowledge with respect to health, disease prevention and treatment is vitally important in today’s society. Nutrition scientists who have a PhD can be involved in research, education, industry, community and public health.

Graduate program faculty that accept doctoral students in this specialization: 

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Physical Therapy

This Specialization prepares the next generation of independent researchers, scholars, teachers and professional leaders who are able to advance physical therapy research and scholarship.

Concentration Specific Competencies include:

  • Display expertise in Physical Therapy.
  • Critically assess major theories, trends, and debates in Physical Therapy.
  • Develop skills used to choose appropriate research designs and statistical methods for answering health questions in the field of Physical Therapy.
  • Design rigorous and ethical research studies that examine theories or conceptual models relevant to Physical Therapy.

Faculty that are currently accepting doctoral students in this specialization: 

Mariusz Furmanek, PhD, PT, DPT – Dr. Furmanek’s research strives to understand the human neural control of movement, improve state-of-the-art technology and translate scientific findings into clinical applications such as physical rehabilitation, athletic training, and virtual engagement. More specifically, Dr. Furmanek’s research focuses on:

  • Integration of multisensory information (vision, proprioception)
  • Motor coordination in reach-to-grasp action
  • Motor variability in both healthy and clinical populations
  • Technology in rehabilitation, virtual reality (VR), robotics
  • Evidence-based practice in rehabilitation and sport.
  • Validity and reliability of functional measures in human performance.

Ellen McGough, PT, PhD – Dr. McGough’s research aims to improve physical performance and prevent mobility disability in adults with neurodegenerative disease and age-related impairments. Her research projects include:

  • Applications of portable technology to assess mobility in older adults
  • Development of a fall risk assessment battery utilizing body-worn sensor technology
  • Data visualization to inform clinical decisions and patient education
  • Exercise programs for people with neurodegenerative disease
  • Train-the trainer models to improve function in people living with dementia

Christine Clarkin, PT, DPT, PhD – Dr. Clarkin’s research interest is focused on neuroscience and neurodegenerative diseases, specifically experience dependent neuroplasticity and the role therapy can take in shaping the rehabilitation of individuals with neurologic and neurodegenerative diseases.

  • Validation of Wearable Technology in People with Parkinson’s disease
  • Changes in neurotrophic factors as a biomarker in response to exercise in people with Parkinson’s disease
  • Effects of Assisted vs. Traditional Cycling in a cohort of Healthy Adults
  • Effects of Assisted vs. Traditional Cycling in a cohort of People with Parkinson’s disease
  • Effectiveness of student-led community-based Parkinson’s Exercise Program (PEG) on improving function and quality of life of individuals living with Parkinson’s disease
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