Valerie Kelly, PT, PhD

Acting Instructor
Physical Therapist

Patient Care
Dr. Kelly’s clinical practice focuses on the physical therapy management of individuals with neurologic pathology, with a special interest in the evaluation and treatment of individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

Research
Her research interests include the neural control of movement and the mechanisms underlying movement impairments in people with Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Kelly’s current research projects examine the effects of deep brain stimulation on walking in people with Parkinson’s disease and the effects of aging and neurologic pathology on the interaction between cognition and walking.

Teaching
Dr. Kelly's teaching responsibilities within the Division of Physical Therapy include coordination of Special Topics in Neurological Rehabilitation (Rehab 527) and Applied Neurology (Rehab 523).  She also lectures in Applied Kinesiology (Rehab 442) and Neuroscience for Rehabilitation Professionals (Conj 480).

Training
Dr. Kelly earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Ph.D. in Movement Science from Washington University in St. Louis. Her post-doctoral fellowship was done at the University of Washington in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Selected Publications:
Bastian AJ, Kelly VE, Mink JW. Effects of pallidotomy and STN stimulation on reaching and walking in Parkinson's disease. Advances in Behavioral Biology 52: 543-552, 2001

Kelly VE, Hyngstrom AS, Rundle MM, Bastian AJ. Interaction of levodopa and cues on voluntary reaching in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders 17(1): 38-44, 2002

Bastian AJ, Kelly VE, Revilla FJ, Perlmutter JS, Mink JW. Different effects of unilateral versus bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation on walking and reaching in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders 18(9): 1000-1007, 2003

Kelly VE, Bastian AJ. Anti-parkinsons medications improve agonist activation but not antagonist inhibition during sequential reaching movements. Movement Disorders  20(6): 694-704, 2005

Kelly VE, Samii A, Slimp JC, Price R, Goodkin R, Shumway-Cook A. Gait changes in response to subthalamic nucleus stimulation in people with Parkinson disease: a case series report.  Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy 30: 184-194, 2006

Samii A, Kelly VE, Slimp JC, Shumway-Cook A, Goodkin R. Staged unilateral versus bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulator implantation in Parkinson disease. Movement Disorders 22: 1476-1481, 2007