With recent DPT graduate and current PhD student Dan McPherson, the Division sees a model for future physical therapists — a clinician-scientist who can move confidently between the research lab and patient care spaces, helping to further spur innovative treatment methods and care pathways to optimize patient outcomes.

BY JAMIE WETHERBE MA ’04

DESPITE THE INCREASING AMOUNT of health research around the world, only a fraction of findings are translated into routine practice. In fact, recent studies indicate that nearly 80 percent of clinical research fails to achieve meaningful public health impact.

“I was asking clinicians questions, and they didn’t always have the answers,” says Dan McPherson DPT ’25, who recently began the PhD program in biokinesiology at USC. “But I found that if I dug into the research, the information was there — it just wasn’t being applied to practice. Seeing that gap was a big driver in my desire to get involved with research.”

The USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy aims to bridge the research–practice disconnect by training more “clinician-scientists” — professionals, like McPherson, skilled in both clinical practice and scientific inquiry.

By translating research into practice, these providers are poised to play a unique role in shaping the future of the profession.

“By identifying problems that are important to the patient and then developing and carrying out studies to answer those important questions, these clinician-scientists can help to improve outcomes for the patients we treat,” says Lori Michener, who is director of the Clinical Biomechanics Orthopedic and Sports Outcomes Research Laboratory and faculty advisor to McPherson. “They also have the direct ability to drive innovation through developing assessments, interventions and care pathways that provide the right treatment to the right patient at the right time.”

This growing career path empowers students to identify research needs, carry out studies to address important questions and define ways to implement evidence in real-world practice, accelerating the adoption of life-changing innovations.

“Having more clinician-scientists working in our profession will help bring the research into the broader physical therapy community,” says Aimee Diaz, associate professor of clinical physical therapy and clinic director of the USC Physical Therapy (University Park Campus) faculty practice. “We take this for granted here in the USC clinics; however, this is not necessarily common practice in more community-based clinics.”

Best of Both Worlds

Even with a DPT, pursuing an advanced degree in biokinesiology was a necessary next step for McPherson. “I’m interested in running a research lab or holding a leadership role in a physical therapy educational program,” he says. “I wanted to make sure those opportunities were open to me in the future, so that led me to the PhD route.”

It was equally paramount for McPherson to understand movement, especially on an individualized level. “I’m really interested in patient outcomes and satisfaction, and that involves personalized care,” he says.

“That’s what pushed me to stay at USC — the focus on movement, outcomes and really getting to important questions.”

Beyond the traditional scope of DPT education, clinician-scientists undergo advanced research training that equips them to design and conduct studies to drive innovation in clinical care.

“I’m not all-in on clinical; I’m not all-in on research; I’m all-in on both worlds,” McPherson says. “I care a lot about this profession and the quality of care we provide, and I think we can have a major impact on the people we treat. But I think using evidence in practice is a huge piece of that — and it’s not always happening.”

McPherson has long been drawn to research, in part because of his background in sports. “I grew up playing tennis and had some shoulder injuries, so I became really interested in studying those mechanics,” he says.

A pivotal influence for McPherson came from a speech by Stacey Dusing, director of USC’s Motor Development Lab, delivered at the 2023 APTA Leadership Congress in Washington, D.C.

“I attended her lecture, and she planted this idea of the clinician-scientist,” McPherson recalls. “It felt like she was speaking directly to me — everything she said resonated with exactly what I wanted to do.”

Inspired, McPherson reached out to Dusing’s colleague, Michener, a researcher recognized for developing treatments for musculoskeletal shoulder pain.

“I sat down with her and said I was interested in research, but I didn’t know what to do about it,” McPherson recalls. “I’m grateful to the leadership team for giving me a path, and my hope is that this can be a pathway other PTs can follow.”

This trajectory included a range of experiences — from completing a hybrid research–clinical rotation to presenting a research abstract at the national APTA Combined Sections Meeting.
 

Driving Change

“I enjoyed transitioning into that clinician-scientist role, splitting time between the clinic and receiving research training,” McPherson says.

As a licensed physical therapist in the PhD program, McPherson treats patients in the clinic as part of his assistantship duties, a distinguishing feature of his pathway at USC.

“Most PhD students work as teaching assistants or research assistants,” McPherson explains. “This is the first time USC has allowed a PT to have a clinical assistantship.”

This clinical assistantship is a vital way for McPherson to integrate research with patient care.

“It keeps me grounded in what truly matters to patients and clinicians — understanding how we can bring evidence into real-world settings to improve patient care and advance our profession in a meaningful way,” he says. “It’s the relationships we build, the interventions, the outcomes — that’s what really drives change.”

Even if a clinician isn’t pursuing a PhD, McPherson recommends research training. “I think it’s wonderful to have an understanding of research as a clinician, but more than that, it can help move our profession forward,” he says. “We need strong evidence, and to use it in practice. It’s about improving patient satisfaction and outcomes, while minimizing the use of patient time and healthcare resources.”

Diaz also encourages students to explore adding research to their academic experience.

“Figuring out if you enjoy research is a great opportunity for our DPT students,” she says. “If this is something they enjoy doing, then pursuing a DPT/PhD would be a great option.”

Michener echoes that sentiment.

“If you have curiosity about why the body works the way it does with disease, want to understand mechanisms and effectiveness of interventions, and want to work to solve important clinical problems — research is for you,” she says.