Capstone Projects

2025-2026 Capstone Projects

Physical and Psychological Impacts of an Adaptive Physical Activity Program

Mentors: Dr. Kathryn Lent & Dr. Jess Coughlin

Summary: Around one quarter of people in the US identify as having a disability, yet there are a lack of adaptive exercise programs in Central Oregon and beyond. Therefore, this project aims to use a single-subject study design to evaluate how an 8-week adaptive exercise program affects lung function and grip strength and to examine perceived quality of life, well-being, and physical activity levels of individuals with disabilities.

Intrinsic Foot Strength and Stress Fracture Risk in “Super Shoes”

Mentors: Dr. JJ Hannigan & Dr. Joy Torbett

Summary: Stress fractures are common and debilitating in runners, and although “super shoes” has substantially improved long-distance performance, emerging evidence suggests that these shoes may increase the risk of navicular stress fractures. This study aims to investigate whether a 6-week intrinsic foot muscle strengthening protocol improves clinical, biomechanical, and psychological factors related to stress fracture risk in super shoes.

The Effect of Dosage on Fall Risk in Adults Participating in Physical Therapy Treatment

Mentors: Dr. David Seck, Dr. Shannon Compton, & Jenna Gates

Summary: Existing research indicates that participation in physical therapy has many benefits for patients with neurologic diagnoses. However, there is limited guidance on how factors like time since diagnosis or patient activity levels should inform the optimal volume of physical therapy. Therefore, this study aims to determine how time since diagnosis and patient activity levels relates to the number of PT appointments required to exceed the minimal clinically detectable change on key outcome measures.

Strength and Performance Changes after Calf Strengthening Program

Mentors: Dr. Peter Schrey & Dr. Jen Mitol

Summary: Calf strength can be improved through many approaches, but most existing research examines long-term outcomes that may not be practical in modern rehabilitation settings. This study aims to compare two strengthening protocols over a 4-week period in healthy adults to determine whether meaningful changes in calf strength and performance can be achieved within a clinically feasible timeframe.

Upper Extremity Joint Position Sense and Motor Learning

Mentor: Dr. David Phillips

Summary: Joint position sense measures whether an individual is aware of where their limbs are in space without visually being able to see the limb. It is hypothesized that poor proprioception places you at risk of injury and makes learning new skills slower or more difficult. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between upper extremity joint position sense and motor learning.

The Relationship Between Stability and Functional Performance

Mentor: Jay Dicharry

Summary: Foot strength is important for balance and stability, but the link between strength asymmetries and functional task performance is poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study is whether patterns of asymmetry in strength and whole-body balance transfer into observed asymmetry in running gait.

Health Behaviors and Pain Sensitivity

Mentors: Dr. John Borstad and Dr. Christina Inman

Summary: Individual differences in pain sensitivity continue to challenge clinicians and researchers. ��ϳԹ��վn the complex interplay of neural, emotional, and lifestyle factors in shaping pain, this study examines whether physical activity habits, sleep hygiene, and personality-related factors are associated with differences in pressure pain thresholds in healthy adults.

Accelerometry as a Movement Biomarker

Mentors: Dr. Alex Borstad and Dr. Erin Fitzgerald

Summary: Accelerometry offers a valuable means of identifying movement-system biomarkers that may help predict impairment, disease progression, or clinical diagnosis in populations such as ASD and Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, this study aims to use existing accelerometry data to identify biomarkers and impairments in individuals with neurologic conditions.

Assessing the Accuracy of Hiking Wearables to Measure Bioenergetics

Mentor: Dr. Cha Jaime

Summary: Measuring and tracking bioenergetics can be important when attempting to improve cardiovascular health through physical exercise, such as hiking. However, the estimates derived from wearables can depend on many factors that may affect their accuracy. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the accuracy of Garmin’s VO₂max estimates by comparing them to measurements obtained from a gold-standard laboratory system.

Advancing EBP Behaviors in Clinical Instructors

Mentors: Dr. Holly Gullickson and Dr. Kari Lindegren

Summary: Current literature highlights persistent barriers to evidence-based practice, and the critical influence clinical instructors have on shaping students’ clinical reasoning. Therefore, this project aims to implement and assess the effect of an intervention that equips clinical instructors to confidently use and model likelihood ratios, thereby strengthening evidence-based decision-making in physical therapy education and clinical practice.

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