Teresa Jacobson Kimberley, PT, PhD, FAPTA

  • Professor, Physical Therapy
  • Director of the Brain Recovery Lab
  • Director of the PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences Program
Teresa Jacobson Kimberley, PhD, PT, FAPTA

Teresa Jacobson Kimberley, PT, PhD, FAPTA is Professor and Director of the Brain Recovery Lab in the Department of Physical Therapy and serves as Director of the Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She is also a research associate at Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery. Her lab’s cross-disciplinary focus is to understand the pathophysiology of sensory-motor impairment and facilitate recovery for people with neurologic disorders. The career-long impact of her work is reflected in numerous awards, including Physical Therapy’s highest honor of being named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association.

She has led or contributed to over 15 randomized clinical trials investigating neuromodulation paired with rehabilitation in neurologic disorders. She is funded by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations. She also serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Physical Therapy. In addition to her own directed research, Dr. Kimberley has over ten years experience in working with industry partners to design, execute, and investigate novel interventions.

Research Interests

Stroke, dystonia, transcranial magnetic stimulation, functional neuroimaging, vagus nerve stimulation, clinical trials, sensorimotor impairment, functional recovery

Presentations

Kimberley TJ. Implementing VNS paired with rehabilitation for stroke recovery. Advances in Stroke Care. Digital Conference. Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery. Jan 2023

Kimberley TJ. Effects of Vagus nerve stimulation paired with rehabilitation for recovery of arm function post stroke: pivotal trial results. NORTHSTAR Seminar Series. Minneapolis, MN. November 2021.

Kimberley TJ. Recently cleared by the FDA—Novel Brain Stimulation treatments coming to a clinic near you. 4th International Brain Stimulation conference. Charleston, SC. December 2021

Kimberley TJ. Physical and Occupational therapy in focal dystonia. Summer School of Rehabilitation in Movement Disorders. Fresco Institute for Italy/ New York University. Vicenza, Italy, 06/29/2017-07/01-2017

Kimberley TJ, Body LA, Novak I, Fowler E, Larsen D. Step IV: Prevention, Prediction, Plasticity, and Participation, Summary Panelary speaker. Columbus Ohio, July 2016.

  • BS, Physical Therapy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
  • PhD, Rehabilitation Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Dawson J, Engineer N, Cramer S, Wolf S, Ali R; O'Dell M, Pierce D, Prudente C, Redgrave J, Feng W, Liu C, Francisco G, Brown B, Dixit A; Alexander J; DeMark L, Krishna V, Kautz S, Majid A, Tarver B, Turner D, Kimberley TJ. Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired with Rehabilitation for Upper Limb Motor Impairment Function After Ischemic Stroke: Sub-group Analysis of the VNS-REHAB Trial. Neurorehab and Neurorepair, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1177/15459683221129274

Kuo Y-L, Lin DJ, Vora I, DiCarlo JA, Edwards DJ, Kimberley TJ. Transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess motor neurophysiology after acute stroke in the United States: Feasibility, lessons learned, and values for future research. Brain Stimulation (2022), doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2021.12.001.

Prudente CN, Chen M, Stipancic KL, Samargia-Grivette S, Goding GS, Green JR, Kimberley TJ. Effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in adductor laryngeal dystonia: a safety, feasibility, and pilot study. Exp Brain Res (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-021-06277-4

Stipancic KL, Kuo YL, Miller A, Ventresca H, Sterbad D, Kimberley TJ, Green JR. The effects of continuous oromotor activity on speech motor learning: speech biomechanics and neurophysiologic correlates. Experimental Brain Research, 2021. doi.org/10.1007/s00221-021-06206-5

Trost JP, Chen M, Stark MM, Hodges JS, Richter S, Lindsay A, Warren G, Lowe DA, Kimberley TJ. Voluntary and magnetically evoked muscle contraction protocol in males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: safety, feasibility, reliability, and validity. Muscle and Nerve, May 2021. doi.org/10.1002/mus.27323

Contact Information

Awards and Honors

APTA, Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy, Excellence in Research Award, 2022

The purpose of the award is to acknowledge a physical therapist and Neurology Section member who has demonstrated continuing excellence in research related to neurological physical therapy science, theory, practice, or education. 

Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association, 2021

The Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association, the association’s highest membership category, serves as inspiration for all physical therapists to attain professional excellence. This honor is eligible to APTA physical therapist members or life member physical therapists who have demonstrated unwavering efforts to advance the physical therapy profession for more than 15 years.

Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, 2019

The purpose of this award is to honor a distinguished MGH Institute of Health Professions (IHP) faculty member who has a sustained distinctive program of research that is recognized nationally and internationally for; 1) creating new knowledge that significantly impacts the scientific basis of his or her field of practice, and 2) advances the research mission of the IHP.

Distinguished Visiting Professor, 2016

University of Technology, Sydney

Outstanding Leadership and Service to the Neurology Section, 2013

American Physical Therapy Association

Media Highlights

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