KU PT Researcher Receives NIH Research Grant

Sep 14, 2011

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Sandra Billinger, PT, PhD, assistant professor in the University of Kansas Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, has been awarded a $500,000 K01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pursue training and research in the area of vascular physiology.

Under the tutelage of an expert mentoring team lead by Randolph Nudo, PhD, director of the Landon Center on Aging, Billinger will explore how stroke affects vascular function over a 6-month period and the role of exercise intervention during in-patient stroke rehabilitation.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to continue to explore the positive effects of early exercise in individuals post-stroke,” said Billinger. “Optimally, evidence from this research could change clinical practice by showing the positive impact that early integration of moderate-intensity exercise programs can have in individuals who have had a stroke.”

Billinger, who heads KU's Georgia Holland Research in Exercise and Cardiovascular Health (REACH) Laboratory, has already distinguished herself as a leader in the development of exercise interventions for individuals with chronic diseases. By utilizing non-invasive methods to study the heart, lungs, brain and vascular system, the REACH lab investigates the cellular processes that regulate vascular function in individuals with disease and whether exercise interventions can improve overall cardiovascular health.

NIH K01 Grants, also known as mentored research scientist career development awards, are given to individuals who propose to train in a new field. In 2010, the NIH awarded more than $24 million in K01 grants. K grants are also extremely competitive; in 2010, only 39.8 percent of the 465 total K01 applications were awarded.

Recently, Billinger was also awarded a grant from the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) for a project entitled “Aerobic exercise, cardiovascular regulation and metabolic efficiency during in-patient stroke rehabilitation.”

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KU's physical therapy programs are nationally recognized for excellence as a leader in education and research in the field. A unit of the School of Health Professions, the KU Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science is located on the University of Kansas Medical Center campus in Kansas City, Kansas. In collaboration with The University of Kansas Hospital adjacent to KUMC, students benefit from the opportunity to interact with a large number of health care professionals and leading researchers in real-world environments. For more information about KU's physical therapy programs and the School of Health Professions, visit the department's website at www.pt.kumc.edu.

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