After completing her doctorate in physical therapy as a first-generation college student in her family, Dana McCarty moved on to complete a residency in pediatrics and then began working in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in North Carolina. In 2015, she became a director of clinical education (DCE) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and pursued her interests in research.

She recently received a KL2 Grant from NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) to study physical therapy for preterm infants. In January 2020, Dana was accepted into a PhD program in public health.

Check out her article: Choose Physical Therapy” for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrom: Clinical Management for Infants Affected by the Opioid Crisis.

Dana demonstrates what a talented, motivated individual with the right drive, resources and support can achieve. We hope her story will inspire future PT education researchers!

Don't forget to take advantage of ACAPT's education research resources here.