Implementation Science in Parkinson's Disease
Dr Miriam Rafferty - From Exercise Research to Physical Therapy Practice: Knowledge Translation in Proactive Physical Therapy for Parkinson's Disease
Dr. Miriam Rafferty is the Director of Implementation Science at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, as well as an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in the Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Medical Social Sciences, and Psychiatry & Behavioral Science. She is also an active physical therapist clinician specializing in neurologic physical therapy. Dr. Rafferty’s research uses implementation science methodology to study the implementation of evidence-based practices and novel technologies in rehabilitation and other complex interdisciplinary settings. In particular, she studies proactive rehabilitation and exercise in people with Parkinson’s disease and other neurologic disorders. She has research grants from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute on Aging, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Parkinson’s Foundation. She has presented her research in Parkinson’s disease and implementation science at national and international conferences.
Maarten Nijkrake - The effects and value of evidence-based physiotherapy for Parkinson's disease within multidisciplinary ParkinsonNet-networks: the Dutch and Luxembourgian examples
Maarten Nijkrake is a physiotherapist and clinical researcher working for the Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders of Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. His interest is on gait, balance, posture and respiratory dysfunction in movement disorders and particularly Parkinson’s disease. Maarten has (co-)authored over 25 publications and defended his thesis about the efficacy of Parkinson physiotherapy networks (so called ParkinsonNet) in 2010. Currently, he still implements healthcare networks for ParkinsonNet International and participates in the INPA SIG for Movement Disorders.
Mariella Graziano - ParkinsonNet Luxembourg – a nationwide multidisciplinary integrated care network for Parkinson’s
Mariella Graziano BSc (Hons) is a physiotherapist member of ParkinsonNet Luxembourg, member of the ParkinsonNet nternational network. She is the past Parkinsonnet Luxembourg physiotherapy trainer (2018-2025). Mariella is one of the authors of the European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson’s and is committed to implement research based physiotherapy practice. She runs her neurological practice at Esch-sur- Alzette. She is also past chair of the Movement Disorder INPA subgroup, and past President of the Association of Physiotherapists in Parkinson’s Disease Europe (2000-2018).
