CPHAR Fellows Biographical Information

Lori Schrodt, PT, MS, PhD

Dr. Lori A. Schrodt is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Western Carolina University where she teaches courses in aging, neuroscience, and neurorehabilitation.

Dr. Schrodt received a BS in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College and a MS and PhD in Human Movement Science from UNC Chapel Hill. 

Dr. Schrodt’s current research is focused on programs to improve balance and mobility and prevent falls in older adults and issues related to healthy aging.  She developed a fall risk screening program for the Jackson County Health Department that is now offered in collaboration with the Jackson County Division of Aging Services and Western Carolina University.  In collaboration with Dr. Tiffany Shubert, she worked to implement a community-based balance exercise and fall prevention program at two sites in Western North Carolina.  Dr. Schrodt is also principal investigator on a grant-funded program to train regional community providers to conduct fall risk screenings and develop fall prevention programming in community and senior centers in Western North Carolina.  Additionally, she is working with the Mountain Area Health Education and the Center the Carolina Geriatric Education Center (UNC School of Medicine) to implement fall prevention protocols within primary care physician practices.   Dr. Schrodt has been invited to speak at numerous meetings to discuss issues related to fall prevention and healthy aging.

Dr. Schrodt is also an active leader in the Health Promotion and Wellness Special Interest Group of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Section on Geriatrics.  She was lead author of Physical Activity: A Key to Wellness and Successful Aging, a scripted presentation disseminated among members for community presentations and previously served as Educational Materials Coordinator.  She is currently Chair of the Nominating Committee.

Dr. Schrodt is a practicing physical therapist and is responsible for development of a balance and fall prevention center at Western Carolina University.  In addition to her involvement in the American Physical Therapy Association, she is an active member of the Gerontological Society of America and the International Society for Aging and Physical Activity.

Lori Schrodt completed her dissertation research in 2006 in the Curriculum in Human Movement Science in the Department of Allied Health Sciences, School of Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill.  Dr. Schrodt’s research examined the relationships among cognitive processing, physical function, and disability in older adults.  Her dissertation advisor and chair of her CPHAR advisory committee was Dr. Carol Giuliani.  Lori’s CPHAR advisory committee also included Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD, and Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD.  During her doctoral training Dr. Schrodt served as the UNC Project Coordinator for the “Extremity Constraint Induced Therapy Evaluation Trial  (EXCITE)” funded by NIH-NCMRR and NIDS (R01-HD-37606-01) and the “Family Function, Stroke Recovery, and Caregiver Outcomes Study”, funded by NIH (R01-NR07612-02).  These projects examined the effects of a clinical trial for improving arm function in persons with stroke.  She also assisted Dr. Carol Giuliani in developing and implementing community-based screening and wellness programs for older adults.  Her teaching responsibilities included courses in aging and neurorehabilitation for the Master of Physical Therapy Program at UNC Chapel Hill and in motor control/motor learning for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Duke University.

Selected Publications :

Schrodt, L.A., Garbe K. Training non-licensed community providers to implement fall risk screening at community centers, (in preparation).

Giuliani, C.A., Gruber-Baldini, A.L., Parks, N.S., Schrodt, L.A., Zabolitzki, F., Sloane, P.D., Zimmerman, S. (2008). Physical performance characteristics of assisted living residents and risk for adverse health outcomes. The Gerontologist, 48(2), 203-212.

Shubert, T.E., Schrodt, L.A., Mercer, V.S., Busby-Whitehead, J., Giuliani, C.A. (2006). Are scores on balance screening tests associated with mobility in older adults? Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 29(1), 33-39.

Schrodt, L.A., Mercer, V.S., Giuliani, C., Hartman, M. (2004). Characteristics of stepping over an obstacle in older adults under dual-task conditions. Gait and Posture, 19, 279-287.

Yu, B., Queen, R.M., Schrodt, L.A. (2003). Effect of external marker sets on between-day reproducibility of knee kinematics and kinetics in stair climbing and level walking. Research in Sports Medicine, 11(4), 209-218.

Schrodt, L., Mercer, V.S. (2000). Dual-task performance of cognitive and balance tasks in older adults. Issues on Aging, 23, 3-6.