PhD '18 Alumni

What year did you start the program? 2013

What are your prior degrees and at which institutions?
BS, Physical Therapy, Northeaster University, 1988
MS, Neurologic Physical Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions, 1997

What was your research setting?
Mentor: Eric M. Berkson, MD, Sports Medicine Orthopaedic Surgeon, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School.  
Lab: MGH Sports Medicine Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery 

What was your dissertation title?
"The Kinematic Sequence: An Investigation of Baseball Pitchers' Movement Patterns and Clinical Implications"

On what was your research focused?
The focus of my PhD work is the investigation of the kinematic sequence (movement patten) of baseball pitchers’ and the clinical implications.

What publications or external presentations have you produced since the start of your PhD program?

Scarborough DM, Bassett AJ, Mayer LW & Berkson EM (September 2018): "Kinematic Sequence Patterns in the Overhead Baseball Pitch." Sports Biomechanics.

Tsai T.-Y., Li J.-S., Wang S, Scarborough D., Kwon Y.-M. "In-vivo 6 degrees-of-freedom kinematics of metal-on polyethylene total hip arthroplasty during gait." J Biomech. 2014 May 7;47(7):1572-6.

Donna M. Scarborough; Shannon E. Linderman; Robert C. McCunney; Eric M. Berkson; Luke S. Oh. Comparison of Shoulder Rotation Torques and Velocity in the Overhead Baseball Pitch and the Windmill Softball Fastpitch. Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS). March 10-13, 2018

West AM, Scarborough DM, McInnis KC, Oh LS. Softball windmill pitchers: strength and motion in the dominant versus non-dominant upper and lower extremity. American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM). San Diego, CA. May 8-13, 2017

Scarborough DM, Linderman SE, Flaxington T, Lo A, Oh LS. Lower-Extremity joint power differs between lead and trail limbs among female adolescent fast-pitch softball pitchers during box drop activity. Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS). San Diego, CA. March 19-22, 2017

Scarborough DM, Berkson EM, Leonard NK, Oh LS. Difference in Velocities and Torque of the Elbow and Shoulder During Baseball Pitches Thrown from the Stretch Position vs. Traditional Wind-up Motion. International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ICSES). Jeju, Korea. May 18-20, 2016

Scarborough DM, Kosowky T, Tsai TY, Kwon YM. “The influence of Implant Orientation on Pelvis Stability in Patients with Unilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty During Step Down Activity” within the Clinical Outcomes in Total Joint Replacement session at the Orthopaedic Research Society Annual meeting March 5-8, 2016.

Scarborough, Donna Moxley; Kosowsky, Tova L; Tsai, Tsung-Yuan; Kwon, Young-Min. "Does implant orientation influence functional pelvic stability in female patients with unilateral total hip arthroplasty?"  Orthopaedics Research Society Meetings Las Vegas, NV March 2015

Walker, James Todd; Scarborough, Donna Moxley; Tsai, Tsung-Yuan; Kwon, Young-Min. "3D Biomechanical analysis of functional activities reveals asymmetry in hip biomechanics- Case study of a patient with bilateral THA."  MGH Clinical Research Day October 2014

Tsung-Yuan Tsai, Dov Goldvasser, Donna Scarborough, Henrik Malchau, Guoan Li, Young-Min Kwon. "Determination of Accuracy of the Hip Joint Center in Patients with THA Using CT Imaging Techniques."  Orthopaedics Research Society Meetings New Orleans, LA . March 2014

Tsung-Yuan Tsai, Donna Scarborough, Harry E. Rubash, Guoan Li, Young-Min Kwon, MD, PhD. "Does Total Hip Arthroplasty Restore the Native Acetabular and Femoral Version?"  Orthopaedics Research Society Meetings New Orleans, LA . March 2014

Tsung-Yuan Tsai, Ph.D., Jing-Sheng Li, PT, MS, Shaobai Wang, PhD, Donna Scarborough, MS, PT, Henrik Malchau, Harry E. Rubash, Guoan Li, Ph.D, Young-Min Kwon. "How Much Hip Range of Motion does Really Occur during Walking in Patients with Total Hip Arthroplasty?"  Orthopaedics Research Society Meetings New Orleans, LA . March 2014

Tsung-Yuan Tsai, Ph.D., Jing-Sheng Li, PT, MS, Shaobai Wang, PhD, Donna Moxley Scarborough, MS, PT, Henrik Malchau, Harry E. Rubash, Guoan Li, Ph.D, Young-Min Kwon. "Does In-Vivo Separation of the Hip Joint Occur during Gait in Patients with Well-functioning Metal-on-Polyethylene Total Hip Arthroplasty?"   Orthopaedics Research Society Meetings New Orleans, LA . March 2014

What awards have you won while in the program?
Dr. David Krebs Doctoral Research Fund award, December 2014.

Recipient of Best Poster Award: West AM, Scarborough DM, McInnis KC, Oh LS. Softball Windmill pitchers: strength and motion in the dominant versus non-dominant upper and lower extremity. American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AAPM & R) Annual Assembly New Orleans, LA. October 2016.

Recipient of Best Poster award- Electronic oral presentation Scarborough DM, Berkson EM, McCunney RC, Oh LS. Kinematics of the Forearm at Ball Release and Its Influence on Shoulder Torques Encountered in Adolescent Softball Pitchers.  International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ICSES). Jeju, Korea. May 18-20, 2016.

What do you think is special about the PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences program here at the MGH Institute?
One primary reason I am proud to be enrolled in the PhD program is the opportunity to learn from researchers who are world renown and to have guidance from multidisciplinary faculty.

Why did you choose to come to this program rather than a doctoral research program in your specific profession?
In addition to the above statement and the reputation that MGH Institute holds, one of the key reasons I applied to this PhD program instead of others was the ability to pursue my degree while maintaining employment.