Monthly Scientific Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association Appoints Four International and Multidisciplinary Members
ALEXANDRIA, VA, August 28, 2008 — Physical Therapy: The Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) announces the appointment of four new international and multidisciplinary Editorial Board members.
The new board members are Rachelle Buchbinder, MBBS (Hons), MSc, PhD, FRACP; Paul JM Helders, PT, PhD; Chris J Main, PhD, FBPsS; and Val Robertson, PT, PhD. The September issue of PTJ will have further details about the new board members.
According to PTJ Editor in Chief physical therapist Rebecca Craik, PT, PhD, FAPTA, "Each of these outstanding individuals brings impressive research credentials and publication records to the table. Their contributions will help PTJ broaden its author and reader base as well as refine the presentation of research, particularly in the areas of clinical trials, cohort studies, and observational studies."
Buchbinder is PTJ's first rheumatologist Editorial Board member. Also an epidemiologist, Buchbinder is Director of the Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Cabrini Hospital in Malvern, Victoria, Australia. She has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles on a wide range of soft tissue disorders (low back pain, adhesive capsulitis, plantar fasciitis) in a wide range of journals, from NEJM to Health and Quality of Life Outcomes.
Helders has been an Editorial Board member with PTJ since February and has extensive experience in peer-reviewed publication, including more than 200 articles on developmental pediatrics, pediatric rehabilitation, and pediatric physical therapy. He serves on the Editorial Board of Pediatric Physical Therapy and is USA Member of the Editorial Board of Disability and Rehabilitation. Helders heads the Department of Pediatric Physiotherapy and Pediatric Exercise Physiology and is Member of Scientific Staff, University Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands, where he formerly was Chief of Staff.
Main brings a psychosocial perspective to PTJ's musculoskeletal content. His research and teaching focus on pain and disability, obstacles to recovery, secondary prevention, outcome prediction, and measurement, and his publication record includes more than 70 papers in journals ranging from Psychology, Health & Medicine to British Journal of Dermatology. Main established the first interdisciplinary program for low back pain in the United Kingdom and practiced for more than 25 years as a clinical health psychologist with a specialty in musculoskeletal conditions. In 2005, he was appointed full-time Professor of Psychology (Pain Management) in the Arthritis Research Campaign National Primary Care Research Centre at Keele University.
Robertson has been a PTJ manuscript reviewer for several years and also has contributed to the Journal as an author of articles and invited commentaries. She is Professor of Allied Health and holds a joint position with University of Newcastle and North Sydney Central Coast Health. With approximately 60 peer-reviewed publications, her research interests focus primarily on electrotherapeutic and physical modalities. She has published in a wide range of journals, including Australian & New Zealand Journal of Surgery, Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Manual Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Founded in 1921, Physical Therapy is the official publication of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and is an international, scholarly, peer-reviewed journal. Physical Therapy serves APTA members, other health care professionals, and patients/clients by (1) documenting basic and applied knowledge related to physical therapy, (2) providing evidence to guide clinical decision making, and (3) publishing a variety of research that is relevant to the field and diverse opinions that are based in scholarly arguments. Physical Therapy, like the profession it serves, strives to enhance the function, health, and well-being of all members of society.
APTA (www.apta.org) is a national organization representing physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students nationwide. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapist education, practice, and research. Consumers can visit www.findapt.us to find a physical therapist in their area, as well as www.apta.org/consumer for physical therapy news and information.