Fitness and Health Outcomes Biography Information
Course Directors
 | RORY A. COOPER, PhD Contact Information |
Rory A. Cooper, PhD received the BS and MEng degrees in electrical engineering for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1985 and 1986, respectively. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering with a concentration in bioengineering from University of California at Santa Barbara in 1989. He is FISA & Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Chair and Distinguished Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, and professor of Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physical Medicine & Rehab, and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Cooper is Founding Director and VA Senior Research Career Scientist of the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Center of Excellence in Pittsburgh. He is also the Co-Director of the NSF Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center, a joint effort between the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. He is the Editor of the journal Assistive Technology and the AT Research Book Series of IOS Press. Dr. Cooper serves or has served on the editorial boards of several prominent peer-reviewed journals in the fields of rehabilitation and bioengineering. He has received multiple prestigious awards to include the Olin Teague Award, Paul Magnuson Award, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, James Peters Award, Maxwell J. Schleifer Award,DaVinci Lifetime Achievement Award, Veteran’s Leadership Program Veteran of the Year, and a member of the inaugural class of the Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame. Dr. Cooper has authored or co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal publications. He has ten patents awarded or pending. Dr. Cooper is the author of two books: Rehabilitation Engineering Applied to Mobility and Manipulation and Wheelchair Selection and Configuration, and co-editor of An Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering, Care of the Combat Amputee, and the Warrior Transition Leader Medical Rehabilitation Handbook. Dr. Cooper is an elected Fellow of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). Dr. Cooper has been an invited lecturer at many institutions around the world, for example the National Academies of Sciences Distinctive Voices Lecture, and was awarded Honorary Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Xi’an Jiatong University. He has also been elected to Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi, and Sigma Xi honorary societies. Dr. Cooper is a former President of RESNA, and a member of the RESNA/ANSI and ISO Wheelchair Standards Committees, and IEEE-EMBS Medical Device Standards Committee. In 1988, he was a bronze medalist in the Paralympic Games, Seoul, Republic of Korea. He was on the steering committee for the 1996 Paralympic Scientific Congress held in Atlanta, GA, and the Sports Scientist for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team in Beijing, China. In 2009, Dr. Cooper was featured on a Cheerios cereal box for his many achievements. He has been a member of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Medicare Advisory Committee, Steering Committee of the Academy of PM&R on Research Capacity Building. and Chair of the National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, and National Academy of Sciences Keck Foundation Initiative on Human Health Span Steering Committee. Dr. Cooper is a U.S. Army veteran with a spinal cord injury and a Director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation. He currently serves as a member of the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Prosthetics & Special Disability Programs Advisory Committee, U.S. Department of Defense Health Board Subcommittee on Amputation and Orthopedics, and the Board of Directors of Easter Seals. Dr. Cooper has actively collaborated with the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre on increasing access to quality services and devices for people with disabilities in India and throughout developing countries. | |
 | PAUL F. PASQUINA, MD Colonel (RET), U.S. Army Medical Corps Contact Information
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Paul F. Pasquina, M.D. is the Residency Director and Chair, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Director of the Center for Rehabilitation Sciences Research at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Dr. Pasquina retired from the United States Army Medical Corps in 2012 as Chief of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Director of the Center for Rehabilitation Sciences Research (CRSR) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and USUHS. In addition to being board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), he is also board certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine and Pain Medicine. He completed a fellowship in sports medicine and remains interested in all aspects of musculoskeletal medicine especially as it applies to individuals with disabilities. He is the specialty consultant to the Army Surgeon General for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and a Secretarial appointee on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Advisory Committee for Prosthetics and Special Disabilities Programs. Dr. Pasquina has authored multiple book chapters, journal articles and policy papers. He has served as the PM&R Residency Program Director and Medical Advisor to the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command for quality healthcare. He has received multiple military awards, as well as awards for teaching and mentorship, including the U.S. Army’s “A” Proficiency Designation for academic excellence, the Order of Military Medical Merit, and Honorary Fellow of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). | |
Guest Faculty and Presenters
 | Dianna Purvis Jaffin, Ph.D. Director of Strategy and Programs, Brain Performance Institute Dianna.Purvis.Jaffin@utdallas.edu |
Dr. Jaffin is passionate about how the basics - sleep, nutrition, and physical activity - influence brain health, cognitive function, and overall human performance. With a strong interdisciplinary science background that includes neuroscience, exercise physiology, and electrical engineering, Dr. Jaffin has melded evidence-based practices into wellness programs for corporations as well as human performance optimization initiatives for the Department of Defense. Her previous research at a level 1 trauma center focused on the study of cerebrovascular hemodynamic alterations associated with blunt cervical vascular injuries in trauma patients using transcranial Doppler. Dr. Jaffin conducted a pilot study that demonstrated feasibility of a prototype clinical decision making tool to screen for blunt cervical vascular injuries in trauma patients, presenting her results to the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress. Dr. Jaffin was drawn to the work of the Center for BrainHealth and its Brain Performance Institute because of the opportunity to develop, produce, and disseminate holistic programs aimed at improving both cognitive performance and real life functionality. She will lead the development of integrative teams aimed at optimizing brain health for all populations including military families, first responders, athletes and healthy children, and adults, among others. | |
 | Daniel Krawczyk, Ph.D. Associate Professor University of Texas at Dallas Daniel.krawczyk@utdallas.edu |
Dr. Krawczyk hold the Debbie and Jim Francis Chair in BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas. His research explores human goal-directed cognition and behavior with particular emphasis on the influences of incentives and perceived value on human performance. He is interested in uncovering the components of goal-directed cognition including better specifying how people encode, maintain, and manipulate valenced information to organize purposeful behavior and maximize the utility of their decisions. He employs cognitive neuroscience methods in order to understand the contributions of different brain regions to information processing, reasoning, and deciding. He is currently investigating these interests through three lines of research: (1) functional neuroimaging investigations into the integration and impact of incentives upon working memory performance; (2) behavioral studies of decision-making and preference change with healthy adult populations; and, (3) investigations of relational reasoning and executive control with brain-damaged patient groups. Through these lines of study, he aims to answer basic questions in human cognition by employing and integrating the tools of cognitive neuroscience along with classical psychological methods. Dr. Krawczyk received his Ph.D. from UCLA in cognitive neuroscience. He did postdoctoral research at The University of California, Berkeley, before joining the Center for BrainHealth and the faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas in 2006. Dr. Krawczyk holds the Debbie and Jim Francis Chair at The University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Krawczyk's research interests include working memory, reasoning, frontal lobe functions, and social cognition. | |
 | Bradley C. Nindl, PhD, FACSM Director, Professor University of Pittsburgh
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Dr. Nindl is Director of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory/Warrior Human Performance Research Center and Professor in the Department of Sports Medicine in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to coming to the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Nindl worked for over 20 years as a government scientist working for the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine within the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and the Army Institute of Public Health within the US Army Public Health Command. Dr. Nindl received a B.S. in biology from Clarkson University in 1989, a M.S. in physiology of exercise from Springfield College in 1993, a Ph.D. in physiology from The Pennsylvania State University in 1999, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the US Army War College in 2012. His research interests span human performance optimization/injury prevention domains with a focus on adaptations of the neuromuscular and endocrine systems (growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I axis) to both exercise and military operational stress. He is internationally recognized for his work in these areas and was Co-Chair of the 3rd International Congress on Soldiers' Physical Performance in 2014 and has performed research sabbaticals at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland (2009) and the University of Wollongong in Australia (2014). His previous awards include the American College of Sports Medicine Young Investigator Award in 2002 and the US Army's Surgeon General "9A" Proficiency Designator (the Army Medical Department’s highest award for professional excellence, bestowed on less than 2% of AMEDD military officers) in 2013. Dr. Nindl is an associate editor for Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise and the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine. He has over 120 peer-reviewed publication indexed on PubMed that have been cited over 2800 times with an h-index of 30. Dr. Nindl is also an Army Reservist (COL) having been deployed in 2004-2005 in Mosul, Iraq where he was awarded a Bronze Star and the Combat Action Badge. He and his wife Jeanne have 5 children: Ashley, Lyndsey, Zachary, Joshua, and Cooper. | |
 | David L. Brody. M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Neurology Washington University School of Medicine
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Dr. Brody, is a Full Professor in the Department of Neurology. He treats patients with subacute and chronic sequelae of traumatic brain injury in the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic located at Center for Advanced Medicine. He is the Washington University site director for the National Football League Neurological player care program. His clinical monograph entitled Concussion Care Manual: A Practical Guide was published by Oxford University Press in 2014. He has advised the US Army Vice Chief of Staff and assisted the Medical Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurotrauma and Acta Neuropathologica. He is a permanent member of the NIH Acute Neural Injury and Epilepsy study section. He is the co-organizer of the Axon Injury and Repair Research Interest Group (part of the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders) and is a member of the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences in the Neurosciences Program. Dr. Brody was born and raised in San Diego, California. He attended La Jolla High School, and completed undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences at Stanford University in 1992. His undergraduate research project involved computational modeling of parallel distributed neural networks in the laboratory of Dr. William Kristan at the University of California at San Diego. | |
 | Kim Beals, PhD, RD, CSSD Assistant Professor Associate Director, Neuromuscular Research Laboratory University of Pittsburgh |
Dr. Beals, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also an Associate Director of the University of Pittsburgh's Neuromuscular Research Laboratory (NMRL) and Warrior Human Performance Research Center. Dr. Beals completed her PhD in Exercise Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh and her Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition at Drexel University. She is a registered dietitian and board certified specialist in sports dietetics. Her research interest and involvement have been in using nutritional strategies to optimize human performance, improve body composition and reduce injuries in the US Military Special Operations Command. In addition, she is interested in the evaluation of dietary constituents and their role in reducing systemic inflammation due to exercise stress, recovery and long-term health. | |
 | James H. Rimmer, PhD Director, Lakeshore Foundation/University of Alabama-Birmingham Research Collaborative |
Dr. Rimmer is director of the Lakeshore Foundation/University of Alabama-Birmingham Research Collaborative. Until 2012, he was professor of disability and human development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. For the past 25 years, Dr. Rimmer has been developing and directing health promotion programs for people with disabilities. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on various topics related to physical activity, health promotion, secondary conditions and disability. He is director of two federally funded centers, the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability and the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Interactive Exercise Technologies and Exercise Physiology for People with Disabilities. In 2008 he was appointed to the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He was one of 13 members selected to the Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Scientific Advisory Committee, and he serves on the advisory board at the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research at NIH. Since 1997, Dr. Rimmer has been awarded over $25 million in federal funding. | |
 | COL Deydre S. Teyhen, DPT, PhD, OCS U.S. Army Medical Specialists Corps Assistant Chief of Staff, Public Health Director, System for Health & Performance Triad Office of the Army Surgeon General |
COL Teyhen was born in Canton, Ohio. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sports Science at Ohioo Wesleyan University in 1993. She earnwed her Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from the U.S. Army-Baylor University in 1995. COL Teyhen completed her Ph.D. in Biomechanics from the University of Texas in 2004, and her Doctoral Degree in Physical Therapy from the Baylor University in 2008. COL Teyhen was a distinguished graduate at the U.S. Army War College's Master's Degree in Strategic Studies in 2014. Prior to joining the Surgeon General's staff, COL Teyhen was Deputy Director, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology research Center (TATRC) at the U.S. Army's Medical Research and Material Command. As the Commander, Public Health Command Region-South, she led public health efforts over the 11 southeastern states, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Prior assignments include: Associate professor and Director of the Center for Physical Therapy at Ft Sam Houston, TX; Officer-in-Charge of Task Force 10 Delta Med in Al Kut, Iraq; Chief of Musculoskeletal Care Center and Chief of Physical Therapy at Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center, Ft Meade MD; Chief of Outpatient Physical Therapy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC; Chief Physical Therapy, 21st Combat Support Hospital in Tuzla, Bosnia; and physical therapist at Darnall Army Community Hospital, Ft Hood, TX. COL Teyhen's research has focused on injury prevention and rehabilitation with a special emphasis on Soldier health and medical readiness. Her research accomplishemnts include over 4 million dollars in research grants, 70 peer-reviewed publications, 110 research presentations at conferences, and 120 invited lectures. COL Teyhen currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, is a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, and a certified Health Promotion Director through the Cooper Institute. Key military awards and recognitions include the Legion of Merit, the Army Medical Department’s Order of Military Medical Merit, the Surgeon General’s “A” proficiency Designator, and the U.S. Army War College Commandant’s Award for Distinction in Research. Key civilian awards include Outstanding Dissertation Award from the University of Texas and the Margaret L. Moore Award for Outstanding New Academic Faculty Member, American Physical Therapy Association. COL Teyhen is married to COL John V. Teyhen, III who currently is the Commander, U.S. Army Public Health Command. They have accomplished their goal to be the first military couple to run a marathon in all 50 states; and working towards 100 marathons. | |
 | Katharine Stout, PT, DPT, NCA, MBA Director of Clinical Affairs Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center |
Katharine Stout, PT, DPT, MBA is Portfolio Manager and Scientific Advisor with General Dynamics Information Technology. She currently is working with the Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program, Neuromusculoskeletal Portfolio, Ft Detrick, MD, providing scientific portfolio analyses and monitoring progress of rehabilitation research efforts. Previously Dr. Stout was the Physical Therapist and Chief of Telerehabilitation for the Army’s Northern Region Medical Command providing strategic leadership for clinical program development and service line growth. Dr. Stout has lectured and taught nationally on Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Telerehabilitation. She currently holds adjunct faculty appointment at The University of Maryland, School of Medicine; and serves as a board member and APTA Liaison for the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Dr. Stout is on several committees to examine and create telerehabilitation development plans with both the American Telemedicine Association and the American Physical Therapy Association. She is an expert in the complexities involved with developing Telehealth programs and examination of business practices and financial analysis to determine best practices for telehealth. Specialties: Research management, Rehabilitation, Telehealth, Telemedicine, Clinical Research, Brain Injury, medical teaching and education, association leadership, eHealth, health care delivery systems, health systems analysis. | |
Faculty for this activity have been required to disclose all relationships with any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services, with the exemption of non-profit or government organizations and non-health care related companies.
No significant financial relationships with commercial entities were disclosed by:
No relevant financial relationships with commercial entities were disclosed by:
Dianna Purvis Jaffin, PhD
Daniel Krawczyk, Ph.D.
J Bradley C. Nindl, PhD, FACSM
David L. Brody. M.D., Ph.D.
COL (Ret.) Paul F. Pasquina, MD, Course Director
Kim Beals, PhD, RD, CSSD
Katharine Stout, PT, DPT, NCA, MBA
James H. Rimmer’s, PhD
Amy Donovan, Course Coordinator
The following information was disclosed:
Rory Cooper, PhD, Course Director. Patent Agreements: AT Sciences; Three Rivers Holdings.
CME Accreditation and Designation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the Center for Rehabilitation Science Research at the Uniformed Services University for the Health Science. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Other health care professionals are awarded 0.6 continuing education units (CEU's) which are equal to 6.7 contact hours.
Disclaimer Statement
The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, UPMC/University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or Affiliates and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.
