Content provided by Erika Howlett
About 200 students attended the sixth annual Rehabilitation Research Day on April 10 and left informed, inspired and better prepared to care for patients in their fields. Throughout the day, these students, along with faculty and residents, shared their research, heard diverse perspectives and gained hands-on experience in rehabilitation research with a focus on adaptive athletics.
The annual event is a collaboration between the School of Health Professions and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. This year’s theme centered on parasports and adaptive athletics, and highlighted how people with injuries and disabilities ranging from spinal cord injuries to cerebral palsy compete in sports.
While research and mentorship opportunities are important for students, it is also essential that they go beyond quantitative data to consider how a patient’s personal experience plays a role in their care, explained Michelle Trbovich, MD, professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, in her remarks at the start of the event.
“Today, my hope is that we are going to highlight the power of story,” Trbovich said.
Rehabilitation Research Day is part of the Linking Interprofessional Networks for Collaboration (LINC) program, which promotes interprofessional education at the UT San Antonio Health Science Center. The event began in 2021 after faculty noticed a need to increase students’ research participation and collaboration across disciplines.
“It’s really, really important, as you know, that you all work together to provide the very best care for our patients,” said School of Health Professions Dean David Shelledy, PhD, RRT, FAARC, FASAHP, as he addressed students in attendance.
Students from the departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Communication Sciences and Disorders shared their research during podium and poster presentations.
“We’re seeing in the clinics that it’s such a big deal to make sure everyone is on the same page,” said Claire Currie, a Doctor of Physical Therapy student who was selected to present her research to the audience.
Cheri Blauwet, MD, an accomplished physician and leader, delivered the keynote address. A gold medal-winning Paralympic wheelchair racer, two-time winner of the Boston Marathon and senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, Blauwet shared her research on injuries and illness among Paralympic athletes as well as her personal experiences as an athlete, activist and physician.
“Sport really was the catalyst to help me achieve full independence and build the leadership skills that are now still important in my career and in my life,” Blauwet said.
The program also featured a panel on the importance of participation in sports for people with disabilities. Panelists included para-athletes from two local organizations, Texas Parasport and Kinetic Kids.
Participants also attended demonstrations of adaptive sports including boccia, adapted archery, wheelchair rugby, adapted CrossFit and more. Students, guided by athletes from the community, tried wheelchair basketball, one-handed jump roping and other adaptive sports activities.
“It’s exciting to be able to present but also have activities like this where we can see from a patient’s perspective what’s really important to them,” said Chief Resident of Research/Quality Improvement, Sanketh Kichena, DO, a resident in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine who organized the event with Trbovich.
Doctor of Occupational Therapy student Valeria Saenz delivered a podium presentation on the impacts of physical activity on children with autism. She said she was excited to network with other students and to hear new perspectives.
“It’s super important to be able to feel confident and gain those skills,” Saenz said of interdisciplinary research. “I know that we’ll definitely see an impact whenever we start working in the field.”