Melissa Peterson

Associate Professor
Physical Therapy & Health Science
Bradley University
United States of America

Biography

"Melissa Peterson, PT, PhD, GCS, currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. She has held this position since 2001. Dr. Peterson achieved Board Certification as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist in 2002. Dr. Peterson resides in Eureka, IL, with her husband and three children, Olivia, Garrett, and Cooper. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading, and playing with her kids. Dr. Peterson is involved with curriculum and regulation at the department and college level. She maintains professional membership in the Geriatrics and Neurology sections of the American Physical Therapy Association, including serving as secretary of the Bone Health Special Interest Group of the Geriatrics section. She is also a member of the Illinois Physical Therapy Association, where she serves on the editorial board of its publication, PT Priority."

Research Intrest

women’s health issues, including pregnancy-related back pain and the use of maternity supports, as well as physical therapy management of osteoporosis.

List of Publications
Strubhar AJ, Peterson ML, Aschwege J, Ganske J, Kelley J, Schulte H. The effect of text messaging on reactive balance and the temporal and spatial characteristics of gait. Gait & posture. 2015 Oct 31;42(4):580-3.
Frerichs L, Sjolie S, Curtis M, Peterson M, Huang TT. Process and Outcomes From a Youth-Led Campaign to Address Healthy Eating in an Urban High School. The journal of primary prevention. 2015 Dec 1;36(6):433-8.
Sandroff BM, Bollaert RE, Pilutti LA, Peterson ML, Baynard T, Fernhall B, McAuley E, Motl RW. Multimodal exercise training in multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial in persons with substantial mobility disability. Contemporary Clinical Trials. 2017 Jul 19.