With great pleasure, we announce that Lisa VanHoose, PT, PhD, MPH, FAPTA, Professor of Physical Therapy and Director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Louisiana, Monroe, will be the 2025 Eleanor Branch Lecture Speaker.
Dr. VanHoose's educational background is distinguished, having earned a BS in Health Science and an MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Central Arkansas, a PhD in Rehabilitation Science, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Kansas Medical Center. She further enriched her expertise through fellowships at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's PRIDE Summer Institute, focusing on Cardiovascular Genetic Epidemiology.
With over two decades of experience in oncologic physical therapy, Dr. VanHoose is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in this field. Her research, funded by the NIH, PCORI, and industry partners, explores cancer-related side effects, particularly within minority and rural populations. Her work uses the socioecological model to investigate cancer survivorship and health disparities, uncovering significant concerns such as racial bias in healthcare, especially among African American women. Dr. VanHoose’s research has also explored perceived racism's effects on health outcomes and identified cardiovascular risk factors in African American men.
Dr. VanHoose has made notable contributions to physical therapy and health equity. She has served on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion staff work group for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and was a member of the Special Populations: Nursing Home subcommittee for Governor John Bel Edwards' Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. A passionate advocate for accessible movement for all, she continues to champion the removal of social barriers that limit movement-friendly environments.
We welcome Dr. VanHoose as the 2025 Eleanor Branch Lecture Speaker.