Odessa R. Addison, DPT, PhD

Dr. Addison received her DPT and PhD from the University of Utah. She then completed her post-doctoral fellowship and a Special Fellowship in Geriatrics in the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore VA Medical Center.

Dr. Addison has a strong background as a physical therapist and extensive experience in the muscle and mobility assessment of older adults with chronic health conditions. She is actively engaged in studies examining the role of muscle fat infiltration in mobility and balance dysfunction in older adults including the role of fatty infiltration in the hip abductor muscles on balance in older adults. She is currently studying how lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise can influence changes in muscle and mobility function in older adults. Her work has been funded by the Foundation for Physical Therapy, the NIH, and the VA. In addition, she co-leads the Research Education Core of our NIH funded Pepper Center. She is also a Research Health Scientist and GRECC Investigator for the VA Maryland Health Care System.

myosteatosis, muscles, mobility, function, hip abductors, aging, physical therapy, balance, and falls

• Addison O, Drummond MJ, LaStayo PC, Dibble LE, Wende AR, McClain DA, Marcus RL. Intramuscular Fat and Inflammation Differ in Older Adults: The Impact of Frailty and Physical Activity. Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging 2014 May; 18(5):532-8. PMID: 24886741
• Addison O, Marcus RL, LaStayo PC, Ryan AS. (2014) Intermuscular Fat: A review of the consequences and Causes. International Journal of Endocrinology. 2014:309570 PMID:24527032
• Addison O, Young P, Inacio M, Bair WN, Prettyman MG, Beamer BA, Ryan AS, Rogers MW. (2014) Hip but not Thigh Intramuscular Adipose Tissue is Associated with Poor Balance and Increased Temporal Gait Variability in Older Adults. Current Aging Science. 2014;7(2):137-43. PMID:24998419
• Addison O, Ryan As, Prior SJ, Katzel LI, Kundi R, Lal BK, Gardner AW. Changes in Function Following a 6-Month Walking Intervention in Patients with Intermittent Claudication who are Obese or Non-Obese. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. In Press