Biography
Deborah Doerfler, PT, DPT, PhD is an associate professor in the Division of Physical Therapy at the University of New Mexico. She received her PT degree from the University of New Mexico in 1989. She earned her tDPT and her PhD in Orthopaedics and Sports Science from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2009 and 2013 respectively and became a full-time faculty member in 2013.
Personal Statement
Dr. Doerfler has over 30 years of clinical experience. Her diverse clinical background in acute care, orthopaedics, sports physical therapy and geriatric care lends itself well to her teaching interest and expertise. She teaches Musculoskeletal Interventions, Gerontology and Evidence-Based Physical Therapy. Her research interests include examining factors associated with functional independence and fall risk in sedentary compared to active older adults. She is currently a co-investigator in a study examining a unique inter-professional approach to manage fall risk in older adults. She is a co-investigator in research examining the relationship between different types of sport participation and performance, gait and cognition in athletes participating in the National Senior Games. She has published research in the areas of exercise in older adults following total knee arthroplasty, and the effects of forefoot strike pattern on patellofemoral pain in runners. She presented her research in upper extremity restraint and its effect on gait and balance in the older adult at the American Physical Therapy Association's Combined Sections Meeting in 2018 and 2020.
In addition to her full-time faculty appointment, Dr. Doerfler continues clinical practice with a focus on the complex needs of the geriatric client at the UNM Senior Health Clinic.
Nominating Committee Member of the NM Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association
Memberships:
2015 - present Academy of Physical Therapy Education
2015 - present Gerontological Society of America
2013 - present Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy
2000 - present Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
2000 - present American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy
1989 - present New Mexico Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association
1989 - present American Physical Therapy Association
Areas of Specialty
Orthopaedics and Sports Physical Therapy
Gerontology and Falls Prevention
Evidence-based Practice
Certifications
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
BoneFitTM Certification (National Osteoporosis Foundation)
Credentialed Clinical Instructor (American Physical Therapy Association)
Achievements & Awards
Distinguished Health Care Team Member UNM Hospitals Rehabilitation Services Outpatient Physical Therapy
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
Courses Taught
Dr. Doerfler's teaching expertise includes Musculoskeletal Interventions with an emphasis on therapeutic exercise and biophysical agents, Evidence-based Physical Therapy and Gerontology. She is dedicated to inter-professional education (IPE), serving on the UNM HSC Geriatric IPE Elective Committee and includes IPE opportunities in her Gerontology course. She participates as a faculty co-facilitator during team-based learning during the Geriatric IPE elective offered every spring.
Research and Scholarship
McConville M, Schilz J, Doerfler D, and Andrews R. ?A Review of Literature on the Diagnosis, Clinical Implications, and Treatment of Diastasis Recti in Older Males.? Journal of Women?s Health Physical Therapy 43, no. 4 (December 2019): 2028: https://doi.org/10.1097/JWH.0000000000000150.
Roper J, Doerfler D, Kravitz L, Dufek J, Mermier C. Gait Retraining From Rearfoot Strike to Forefoot Strike Does Not Change Running Economy. Int J of Sports Med. 2017 Dec;38(14):1076-1082. doi:10.1055/s-0043-110225
Roper J, Hardin M, Doerfler D, Dexter J, Kravitz L, Dufek J, Mermier C. The Effects of Gait Retraining in Runners With Patellofemoral Pain: A Randomized Trial. Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon). 2016 Jun;35:14-22.
Doerfler D, Gurney AB, Raugh M, Black L, Andrews R. High-velocity quadriceps exercises compared to slow velocity quadriceps exercises following total knee arthroplasty: a randomized clinical study. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 39(4):147-158, Oct 2016
Nexus Summit 2020 National Conference
Hosted by the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education
Lightning Talk
Title: Adapting an Interprofessional Case Activity from Face-to-face to Online in the Season of a Pandemic: a Transitions of Care Geriatric Case by Pharmacy, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Interprofessional Student Teams
Speakers: Melanie Dodd, Deborah Doerfler, Jessica Salazar