Mary Beth Mandich, PhD, PT

Professor, Vice Dean

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Health Professions

Classification:

Admin

Professor

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Human Performance - Physical Therapy

Classification:

Faculty

• PhD, Developmental Psychology, West Virginia University, (Kathleen McCluskey, PhD) major: infancy; minor: developmental neurobiology, 1985
• MS, Physical Therapy, Medical College of Virginia, certification in therapeutic exercise curriculum, 1979
• BS, Physical Therapy, Medical College of Virginia, summa cum laude, Adolph D. Willaims Scholar, 1976

Narrative:
Dr. Mandich joined WVU in 1980 and has been functioning as chairperson of the program since 1995. Her major area of clinical interest is pediatrics, especially neonatal care and follow-up. She has published articles on premature, high risk infants and developmental care, as well as outcome. She is on the editorial board of Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, and reviews for both Physical Therapy and Pediatric Physical Therapy journals.

Representative Scholarship:

• Mandich, MB, Ritchie, SK, Adkins-Bailey, R, Casto, T, Kitney, K, Long, J, Meadows, K, and Lynch, SK. The Effect of Physiologic Flexion on Status of High Risk Infants. (presented at American Physical Therapy Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC, June, 1999)Physical Therapy 1999;79(5):s38.
• Mandich, MB, Ritchie, SK and Lynch, S. Behavioral and Physiologic Effects of Swaddling Premature Infants. (presented at International Conference on Infant Studies, Brighton, England, July, 2000)Blow, JL: Passive extensibility of skeletal muscle: a review. Clinical Biomechanics. 16(2):87-109, 2000.
• Simons CJR, Mandich MB, Ritchie SK, & Mullett M. The Assessment of Motor Development in Low Birthweight, Premature Infants. Journal of Perinatology 2000;3:172-175.

Teaching:
PT 303 - Functional Movement Across the Lifespan (co-coordinator)
PT 503 - Pediatric Physical Therapy (coordinator)
PT 321 - Developmental Life Tasks (co-coordinator)
PT 300 - Essentials of Clinical Anatomy (lecturer-embryology)
PT 506 - Neurologic Physical Therapy (lecturer- cerebral palsy)
PT 307 - Neurobiologic Foundations (lecturer - sensory-motor systems)

Clinical:
Currently works in Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic 4 hours/week.
Currently in developmental clinic (Birth-3) two times/month · Consultant to Feeding & LEAD clinics.
Maintains small private practice in Pediatrics.

Service:

• Member, WVU Faculty Senate, 1998-2001
• Assessment Council, WVU
• Member, Pediatrics, Neurology, Education, Research & OB-Gyn Sections of APTA
• Past Secretary & Education Committee chairperson of the West Virginia Physical Therapy Association

Dr. Mandich is a pediatric physical therapist with specialization in neonatal care and high-risk development. She is a member of our multi-disciplinary team in the WVU Medicine pediatric high-risk clinic and provides physical therapy services for the West Virginia Birth to Three program. Dr. Mandich also provides services to children in our multi-disciplinary clinic in conjunction with our speech and occupational therapy pediatric specialists.