Program Directors
 Nancy Byl
Department Chair and Professor
UCSF
Degrees
BS PT - UCSF
MPH - UCB
PhD - UCB
Credentials
BS PT, MPH, PhD
Work Experience
Dr. Byl has been a Physical Therapist for 40 years with experience in outpatient orthopedics and neurological rehabilitation with children and adults with a special interest in musicians with repetitive strain injuries and focal hand dystonia.
Teaching
Dr. Byl teaches courses in therapeutic modalities, Radiology, and Evidence Based Practice
Area of Expertise
Patients with chronic pain related to repetitive strain injuries, neurovascular entrapment syndromes or focal dystonia of the upper limb, spine disorders (particularly, idiopathic scoliosis) and patients with neurological disorders comprising sensory function or balance as a result of trauma, cardiovascular accidents, or neurodegenerative disease.
Research
Dr. Byl has carried out research studies on wound healing, measurement of functional outcomes, primate models of focal hand dystonia, integrative balance problems in patients with Idiopathic scoliosis, effectiveness of training for patients with vertigo/dizziness, sensorimotor training for patients post stroke and patients with repetitive strain injuries and focal hand dystonia. To read more go to Dr. Byl's Research
 Linda Wanek
Department Chair and Associate Professor
SFSU
Research
Dr. Wanek's clinical research is in the area of adolescent medicine especially adolescents and children with back pain and other aches and pains. The first study in collaboration with Professor Arriaga surveyed high school students and found that a large percentage had back pain of long duration. There were no correlations with back pain and anything such as sports or time watching TV or time spent studying, etc. Pain spikes about the time of puberty. Dr. Wanek and Professor Arriaga then went on to determine the effects of education on proper biomechanics. They developed an education module for 5th grade students and taught these students prior to puberty about proper key boarding and lifting. Their first study showed that a brief intervention was retained for over one year. The same group will be retested this year and a pain survey will be added. The students will then have been studied in 5th, 6th, and now 8th grades. To read more go to Dr. Wanek's Research
 Rita Arriaga
Associate Clinical Professor
UCSF, School of Medicine
and
Director, Rehab Services
UCSF, Medical Center
Degrees
BS in PT- UCSF
MS in Health Science - SFSU
Credentials
BS PT, MS HS
Work Experience
Prof. Rita has over 30 years of experience in the physical therapy profession. She has broad clinical experience across both the age and care continuum. Her area of primary Physical Therapy practice is in treating adults with musculoskeletal problems in an outpatient setting. She has extensive Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Services, administrative and practice management experience in an academic medical center as well as a large Physical Therapy-owned private practice. Currently, she serves as Director of Rehabilitation Services at UCSF Medical Center and Clinical Practice Manager of the Faculty Practice for the UCSF Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. Additionally, for the last 15 years she has been a member of the core academic faculty of the UCSF/SFSU Graduate Program in Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science. She is active in the American Physical Therapy Association and has held numerous appointed and elected positions at the local, state and national levels of the professional organization.
Area of Expertise
Clinically competent in the treatment of musculoskeletal problems for adults. Primary areas of expertise are in management, administration, health policy and ethics.
Research
Her focus has been on outcomes within the context of performance improvement/quality assurance in physical therapy practice. Her past projects have attempted to look at rehab outcomes in acute care for patients post-THR and post-MI. Her most recent research efforts have focused on measuring outcomes of PT intervention for adolescents with back pain. To read more go to Prof. Arriaga's Research
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