Researcher Profile:

Anne L. Harrison, PT, PhD

Dr. Harrison is the Director of Professional Studies for the Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy and is on graduate faculty for the UK Graduate Center in Gerontology, the College of Public Health, the Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program, and the Orofacial Pain Clinic in the College of Dentistry. She received her doctoral training in Gerontology at UK.

Dr. Harrison conducts research and scholarship in the area of aging and motor control, addressing questions related to predictors of function in older adults with pathologies such as diabetes, arthritis, and cervical spine pathology. Her most recent research involves the examination of physical and cognitive change in older adults with minimal cognitive impairment in response to a power training exercise program, funded through an NIA pilot grant with the UK Sanders Brown Center on Aging. Recently initiated research includes the translation of evidence based strategies for reducing injury in older adults who are home bound.

Sample of recent publications

Harrison, AL; Olson, AO; Shaffer, SS. Sensory loss in aging, ch 7, in Functional Geriatrics ed Victor Hirth, McGraw Hill, in press.
Thomas, L; Stemple, J; Harrison, A., Andreatta, R; Andrade, F. Effect of dystrophin deficiency on selected intrinsic laryngeal muscles of the mdx mouse. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research October, 09.
Bottiggi, K., Harrison, A.L. A Perspective: The Association between Change in Motor Function and Cognition in Older Adults. Physical Therapy Reviews, 13 (2) 2008, 91-101.
Thomas, LB; Harrison, A.L, Stemple, J. Aging thyroaretenoid and limb skeletal muscle: Lessons in contrast. Journal of Voice, 22 (4), 2008, 430-450.
Shaffer, SS, Harrison, AL. Aging of the somatosensory systems: A translational perspective, Physical Therapy, 87(2) 2007, 193-207
Harrison, AL, English, ML, Developing an exercise program for older adults with diverse cognitive abilities?, The Activities Director Quarterly for Alzheimer?s and Other Dementia Patients, 6 (2), Spring, 2005, 35-48

Anne L. Harrison, PT, PhD
Associate Professor
Division of Physical Therapy
alharr01@uky.edu