Earhart to direct Program in Physical Therapy

Earhart

Gammon Earhart, PhD, professor of physical therapy, has been named director of the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, effective July 1. Earhart will succeed Susie Deusinger, PhD, who is retiring.

The appointment was announced by Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.

“Gammon Earhart is an innovative thinker, a well-respected researcher and a leader in physical therapy,” Shapiro said. “She is exceptionally qualified to continue the legacy of excellence Susie Deusinger built during her 24 years as director.”

Earhart, also a professor of neurobiology and of neurology, joined the faculty in 2004. She is a 2000 graduate of the Movement Science PhD Program and currently serves as the associate director of that program. She received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Arcadia University in Pennsylvania and did her postdoctoral work at Oregon Health and Science University.

Earhart’s research focuses on nervous system control of movement and examines how different treatment approaches may benefit people with Parkinson’s disease. Her ongoing studies use neuroimaging, in conjunction with measures of motor performance, to determine how exercise interventions such as tango dancing impact the brain and the body.

Deusinger served the Program in Physical Therapy for 36 years, the last 24 as its director. Under her leadership, the program has evolved into one of the top programs in the country and consistently ranks among the best, according to U.S. News & World Report.


Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.