Anne K. Swisher, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Professor and Director of Post-Professional Initiatives

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Human Performance - Physical Therapy

Classification:

Faculty

Member

Organization:

West Virginia University WVU Cancer Institute

Department:

WVU Cancer Institute Research Programs

Classification:

Faculty

• BS, Physical Therapy, West Virginia University, 1988
• MS, Exercise Physiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1993
• PhD, West Virginia University, 2003

 

Dr. Anne Swisher PT, PhD, FAPTA has been a core faculty member of the WVU Division of Physical Therapy since 1994, holding roles as ACCE, Director of Faculty Scholarship and Development, while progressing to her current rank as tenured full professor. She is currently the Director of Post-Professional Initiatives for the Division.
 

Research:

Dr. Swisher's current research focuses on the roles for physical therapists in the prevention, identification /quantification, and remediation of movement impairments in survivors of critical illness, cancer and other complex medical conditions.  Projects include creating and implementing evidence-based programs to systematically assess and address unmet needs in survivors returning to rural communities in Appalachia.

Her scholarship over 30+ years includes more than 130 peer reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, abstracts and presentations.  Her work has been funded by the APTA's Cardiovascular & Pulmonary and Oncologic Academies, American Cancer Society, Bristol-Myers-Squibb Foundation and the US Dept. of Health & Human Services. (see representative scholarship:

 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Swisher%20Anne&page=4)

She has twice received Fulbright scholarships for research in Australia and Ireland. She served as Editor-in-Chief for the Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal for 7 years.

 

Teaching:

Dr. Swisher teaches in the entry-level DPT program courses related to Cardiopulmonary PT, Foundational Sciences, and Evidence-Based Practice.

She also teaches post-professional students in the Orthopedic, Oncologic and Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Residencies. (for more information: https://medicine.wvu.edu/pt/post-professional-residencies/ )

Educational administration includes overseeing the Division's post-professional programs (residencies and fellowships), dual DPT-PhD degree program, and a robust continuing professional education program. (for more information: https://medicine.wvu.edu/pt/continuing-professional-education/ )
 

Service:

Dr. Swisher has served as a manuscript reviewer for many journals in the rehabilitation field.  She co-founded the PT mentoring program for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  She co-authored clinical practice guidelines for exercise testing in CF that are internationally recognized. 

In 2016, she was named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association--the association's highest level of membership.  In recognition of her many years of service within the Academy of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Physical Therapy's research and specialization committees, she was awarded the prestigious Linda Crane Lecturer, presented in 2020.

Clinically, Dr. Swisher spearheaded the development of survivorship programs for the WVU Cancer Institute and the WVU Medicine ECMO program.  She currently serves as a consultant to these clinical facilities for program development and enhancements, as well as advising on research initiatives.  A board-certified Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Clinical Specialist for 20 years--the only one in West Virginia for most of those years--she has provided clinical services through the Mountain State CF Center, WVU Cancer Institute, and WVU Faculty practice.