Research Spotlight: Sara Knox

Sara Knox, PT, PhD, DPT

Associate Chair and Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
MGH Institute of Health Professions

What is your current research focus or area you are most excited about?

My research focuses on post-acute care health outcomes of older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias using large, secondary data sets.

What prompted/motivated you to choose that area?

My dedication to this area of research is driven by my 16 years of clinical experience as a physical therapist, primarily in the home health setting. I found great joy in working with individuals with dementia, but also great frustration in the limitations in the research available to help guide the care of this special patient population.

Briefly, what path did you take to get there? Or what is your career trajectory—long-term goal?

I transitioned from being a clinician to being a faculty member in a physical therapy program. Once I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in academics, I made the decision to pursue my terminal degree. I have a great appreciation for the realms of health policy, epidemiology, and interprofessional practice. I chose to pursue my PhD through a program that integrated these three aspects of health care. It was during my studies that I was introduced to secondary data and found that it offered a unique opportunity to address questions for this vulnerable patient population without creating more stress or burden for patients and families. I plan to continue to use large, secondary data to ask questions about how access to care, quality of care, and health outcomes can be improved for individuals with dementia.

Did you have any pivotal experience that propelled your research success?

One of the primary barriers that I experienced along the way was finding appropriate mentors and building relationships with those individuals. This is something that is a continual challenge but I find consistent and persistent networking through conferences and by word of mouth has been the best way to overcome this challenge.

Advice for young scientists. Words of wisdom.

As cliché as it may sound, find a topic that motivates you, an area that you have a lot of questions about, or a puzzle that you want to solve. It’s much easier if you are truly invested in the research you are pursuing.