Congratulations Dr. Kanika Bansal on recognition for your activities for our profession and with APTA.
She is a recent graduate of from the University of Florida under the mentorship of Dr. Dorian Rose completing her PhD in Rehabilitation. The overall aim of her dissertation was to assess objective and individualized approaches to augment current clinical assessments of gait speed, perceived challenge of walking and community ambulation post-stroke.
She currently works within an academic/university setting with a typical day preparing for or teaching DPT students. Specifically- she teaches Neuromuscular Physical Therapy I & II, Neuroanatomy, Evidence-based Practice as well as an NPTE prep course. Kanika states, “I love to actively incorporate a lot of ANPT resources in my teaching such as the Core Outcome Measures modules, Wheelchair Seating modules, High-Intensity Gait training, and CPG for locomotion.
She also works on research development via writing grants, manuscripts, and abstracts. Her current research goals are to enhance locomotion post-stroke in areas of impairments, activity including community participation through low-cost and sustainable interventions. The use of wearable sensors is included in her research to measure intensity of daily stepping activity plus GPS devices to measure the location of these stepping activities. Her most recent research project titled “Improving Community Ambulation after Stroke (The I-CAN Trial)” involves a student-led mall walking program for older adults and stroke survivors along with feedback to improve home and community steps through the FitBit Sense. She will also be presenting her research titled “Impact of Neighborhood Walkability on Community Ambulation in Healthy Older Adults and Stroke Survivors” at the ANPT Annual Conference this October!
Her involvement outside of the university includes the International Neurological Physical Therapy Association’s Communications Working Group as Associate Webmaster – Content Editor and Analytics. With this role, “I am passionate about spreading evidence-based physical therapy resources to clinicians, educators and researchers around the world and increase the involvement of under-developed and developed countries towards this initiative.”
Kanika is an advocate for involvement with the ANPT. She explains, “I believe that the ANPT provides excellent and interactive resources to educators of entry-level physical therapy students. Incorporating these modules can help educators to develop current, evidence-based modules and also equip student PTs with the life-long competences to independently find reliable resources as they develop their evaluation, treatment and research skills.”
Recommended resources:
https://www.inpaneuropt.org/
https://www.stroke.org/en/life-after-stroke
https://www.stroke.org.uk/life-after-stroke/stroke-stories-podcast
CONTACT INFO: email
