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University of Connecticut Neag School of Education Department of Kinesiology


Photo of Richard Bohannon

Richard W Bohannon

  • Professor
Richard Bohannon is Professor in the Physical Therapy Program of the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut in Storrs and the Department of Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. He is also the Principal of Physical Therapy Consultants (West Hartford, CT).  Dr. Bohannon is a licensed physical therapist with more than 30 years of continuous clinical experience in acute care, rehabilitation, and home-care settings. He is board certified specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy and a Fellow of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, the American Society of Neurorehabilitation, and the American Academy for Cerbral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. He is a prolific writer with over 400 journal publications to his credit. In 1996 he received the American Physical Therapy Association’s Helen Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Professional Literature. In 2005 he was awarded the Association's Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy and in 2008 he was honored with the Association's Jules Rothstein Golden Pen Award for Scientific Writing. Dr. Bohannon serves on numerous editorial boards; he was the Founding Editor of the Journal of Human Muscle Performance and is former Editor in Chief of the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. Currently, Dr. Bohannon’s research and teaching is focused on the measurement, implications, and treatment of activity limitations in elderly and neurologic populations. Dr. Bohannon is recognized internationally for his expertise in muscle performance following stroke, hand-held dynamometry, and mobility devices. Dr. Bohannon has served as a consultant to the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research and as a member of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Neuromuscular Panel of Experts which assisted in developing A Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, Part Two: Preferred Practice Patterns. He serves as a consultant to industry (medical instrumentation, rehabilitation equipment, and pharmaceutical) and the legal profession on issues related to muscle performance, mobility, and neurologic physical therapy.
  • Contact Information:
  • Office:
    • Location: Koons 104
  • Mailing Address:
    • Physical Therapy Program, Neag School of Education, 358 Mansfield Rd, Unit 2101, Storrs, CT 06269
  • Areas of Expertise:
    • Exercise & Aging
    • Physical Performance
    • Resistance Exercise/Training
    • Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment
  • Currently Teaching:
    • PT 5450: Fundamentals of Physical Therapy Examination
    • PT 5451: Acute Care Management
  • Honors and Awards:
    • American Physical Therapy Association (Neurology Section) Research Award, 1990
    • American Physical Therapy Association (Connecticut Chapter) Research Award, 1990
    • American Physical Therapy Association- Helen Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Professional Literature, 1996
    • American Physical Therapy Association- Marian Williams Award for Research in Physical Therapy, 2005
    • American Physical Therapy Association- Golden Pen Award for Scientific Writing, 2008
  • Associations/Organizations/Outreach:
    • American Physical Therapy Association
    • American Society of Neurorehabilitation
    • American Heart Association
    • American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine
    • American College of Sports Medicine
    • Gerontological Society of America
  • Educational Background:
    • DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Boston University, 2007
    • EdD, Doctor of Education in Adult Education, NC State University, 1988
    • MS, Master of Science in Physical Therapy, UNC Chapel Hill. 1982
    • BS, Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy, UNC Chapel Hill, 1977
  • Selected Publications/Presentations:
    • Bohannon RW, Bubela DJ, Wang Y-C, et al. Adequacy of belt-stabilized testing of knee extension strength. J Strength Cond Res (2011)
    • Bohannon RW, Bubela D, Magasi SR, et al. Sit-to-stand test: Performance and determinants across the age-span. Isokinet Exerc Sci (2010)
    • Bohannon RW, Smutnick J. Pelvifemoral kinematics while ascending single steps of different heights. J Appl Biomech (2010)
    • Bohannon RW, Harrison SJ, Kinsella-Shaw. Reliability and validity of pendulum test measures of spasticity obtained with the Polhemus tracking system from patients with chronic stroke J Neuroeng Rehabil (2009)
    • Borisova Y, Bohannon RW. Positioning to prevent or reduce shoulder range of motion impairments after stroke. A systematic review. Clin Rehabil (2009)
    • Bohannon RW, Barreca SR, Shove M, et al. Documentation of daily sit-to-stands performed by community-dwelling adults. Physiother Theory Pract (2008)
    • Bohannon RW. Population representative gait speed and its determinants. J Geriatr Phys Ther (2008)
    • Bohannon RW. Number of pedometer-assessed steps per day by adults: A meta-analysis. Phys Ther (2007)
    • Bohannon RW. Muscle strength and strength training after stroke. J Rehabil Med (2007)
    • Bohannon RW, Peolsson A, Massey-Westropp N, et al. Reference values for grip strength measured with a Jamar dynamometer: A descriptive meta-analysis. Physiotherapy (2006)
  • Funded Research:
    • Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction to Lessen Functional Decline (NIH)
    • NIH Toolbox: Motor Domain (NIH)
    • Independence in Sit-to-Stand (CT APTA)
    • Sit-to-Stand Performance of Elderly and Acute Rehabilitation Patients (Crestline)
    • Assessment of Easy Slide as a Transfer Aid between Adjacent Surfaces (Scan Medical)
    • Patients with Stroke: Evaluation Across the Continuum (Hartford Hospital)