Mark W. Rogers, PhD, PT

Eduation

• 1973 BS in Physical Therapy - University of Connecticut, Storrs
• 1977 MS in Exercise Science - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• 1985 PhD in Physical Education (Neuromuscular Therapeutics) - University of Iowa, Iowa City

Pre & Post-doctoral Training

• 1984-1986 McGill University, Montreal, PQ, Canada

Dr. Rogers is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar and expert in motor control and rehabilitation science. His research focuses on understanding the neuromotor and biomechanical mechanisms underlying the control of balance and mobility and their impairments leading to falls and related injuries. This work is directed at identifying ways to enhance these functions to prevent disability among older adults and those with neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and stroke. He has been continuously funded as Principal Investigator for his research by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging and other agencies for over 25 years.

Dr. Rogers was Professor and, from 2015, led the Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science as Chair, where he held The George R. Hepburn Dynasplint Endowed Professorship, until his retirement in 2018.  He was founding Director over two funding cycles of the University of Maryland Advanced Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Training (UMANRRT) postdoctoral fellowship program supported by the National Institute of Disability and Independent Living Rehabilitation Research.

Dr. Rogers has published his work extensively in internationally recognized basic and clinical scientific journals and in book chapters. He has served as a scientific reviewer for the National Institutes of Health, Veterans Administration, National Science Foundation, Medical Research Council (United Kingdom, Canada, & Australia), Wellcome Trust Foundation (United Kingdom), and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (United Kingdom). He has served in many professional committee and advisory positions locally and nationally. In addition to being an honorary Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) since 2007, he is nationally recognized for his achievements in physical therapy research by receipt of the Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy (2002) of the APTA, and the Excellence in Research Award from both the neurology (1994) and geriatrics (2004) sections of the APTA.

Motor Control and Biomechanics, Balance, Mobility, and Falls, Rehabilitation Assessments and Interventions, Aging Clinical Populations

Hilliard M, Martinez KM, Janssen I, Edwards B, Mille M-L, Zhang Y, Rogers MW.Lateral balance factors predict future falls in community living older adults. ArchPhys Med Rehabil. 2008;89:1708-13.

Mille ML, Johnson-Hilliard M, Martinez KM, Zhang Y, Edwards BJ, Rogers MW. One step, two steps, three steps more ... Directional vulnerability to falls in community-dwelling older people. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013 Dec;68(12):1540-8. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glt062. Epub 2013 May 17. PMID: 23685768; PMCID: PMC3814241.

Rogers MW, Mille M-L. Timing paradox of stepping and falls in ageing: Not so quick and quick(er) on the trigger. Invited Review. J Physiol 2016 Feb 25. doi: 10.1113/JP271167. PMID: 26915664.

Sanders O, Hsiao HY, Savin DN, Creath RA, Rogers MW. Aging changes in protective balance and startle responses to sudden drop perturbations. J Neurophysiol. 2019; Jul 1;122(1):39-50. doi: 10.1152/jn.00431.2018. Epub 2019 Apr 24.

Rogers MW, Creath RA, Gray V,  Abarro J, McCombe Waller S, Beamer BA, Sorkin JD. Comparison of Lateral Perturbation-Induced Step Training and Hip Muscle Strengthening Exercise on Balance and Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 2021; glab017, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab017.