Emily Fox Selected as New Director of the Brooks/UF-PHHP Research Collaboration

Emily Fox, DPT, MHS, PhD, has been selected as the new Director of the Brooks/UF-PHHP Research Collaboration; a formal partnership between Brooks Rehabilitation and the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions (UF-PHHP). The primary goal of the collaboration, which was established in 2013, is to create a contemporary model for collaborative and interdisciplinary research between an academic center (UF-PHHP) and a rehabilitation centric health care system (Brooks Rehabilitation). Another goal is to enhance the missions of UF-PHHP and Brooks by facilitating high quality rehabilitation research that advances the delivery of clinical services. To date, Brooks/UF-PHHP Collaboration researchers have garnered multi-million dollar grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense and the Veteran’s Administration, received national awards for research and leadership, and published their work in leading scientific journals.

As Director, Dr. Fox will provide strategic leadership and vision to the Collaboration by serving as the key representative, bringing together faculty and clinicians, and growing collaborative opportunities across Brooks and UF-PHHP.

“The Collaboration is a critical aspect of the research infrastructure here at Brooks, enabling us to advance our vision of providing world-class rehabilitation solutions,” said Mark Bowden, PT, PhD, Vice President of Clinical Integration and Research at Brooks Rehabilitation. “Dr. Fox has been dedicated to the development of this collaboration since its inception, and Brooks’ research would not be where it is right now without her contributions.”

This new role is a natural progression for Dr. Fox who has an impressive record of leadership roles in rehabilitation. In addition to being a long-standing, leading member of the Brooks/UF-PHHP Research Collaboration as a clinical research scientist, Dr. Fox is the director of neuromuscular research at Brooks. She is also director of the Brooks Motion Analysis Center, a clinical and research assessment facility, and an associate professor in the department of physical therapy at the University of Florida. Dr. Fox is a physical therapist with expertise in motor control and neurologic rehabilitation. Her research program focuses on recovery of walking and breathing function, and development of innovative approaches to advance rehabilitation. She serves on the Steering Committee for the UF Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center and the editorial board for the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, a leading publication of the American Physical Therapy Association. Her research is funded by the NIH, the Department of Defense, the Veteran’s Administration and the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.

“I am excited to serve as the next director of the Brooks/UF-PHHP Research Collaboration. Brooks and UF-PHHP have a long-standing and strong partnership, providing a great foundation for the future.  I see tremendous opportunity to build on the strengths of two great institutions to advance rehabilitation research and care,” said Dr. Fox.