UPMC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation In the News

Top Doctors 2025

Nearly 500 UPMC physicians have been recognized as 2025 "Top Doctors" across more than 60 different specialties. These physicians are part of the Top Doctors® list, which is compiled by Castle Connolly. The Castle Connolly Top Doctor selection process is entirely merit-based. Castle Connolly’s peer-to-peer nominations and rigorous research process ensure only the most qualified physicians are included. We're proud to celebrate the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation faculty who made the list.

Alan W. Chu, MD

Gary Galang, MD

Amanda L. Harrington, MD

Eric Robert Helm, MD

John Allen Horton III, MD

Amy J. Houtrow, MD, PhD, MPH

Michael C. Munin, MD

Dina Patterson, MD

Gwendolyn A. Sowa, MD, PhD

Christopher J. Standaert, MD

Amy J. Houtrow, MD, PhD, MPH, Chloe Shearer, MS, and Gina McKernan, PhD, published “Health Care Cost Concerns and Hardships for Families of Children with Disabilities” in JAMA and were featured in the Washington Post.

At the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, we contributed the following:

2 podium presentations (1 case & 1 research)

2 research posters

3 case report posters

2 scholarships won by residents Raj Banerjee, MD, and Andrew Nowak, MD

4 ultrasound education sessions taught by faculty

7 trainees attended

Corina Bondi, PhD, was featured in a PittMed article on a model of mentorship.

Jordyn Ting, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in PMR/RNEL working with Elvira Pirondini, PhD, was awarded the Hunter Family Foundation TBI Translational Research Award.

Elvira Pirondini, PhD, along with Jordyn Ting, PhD, and Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez, MD, PhD, were awarded a grant from The Beckwith Institute and one from the Pitt SPARK to continue testing DBS technology for speech and swallowing.

Media Highlights 

A brain-computer interface study showing that direct stimulation can improve artificial sense of touch (by Robert Gaunt, PhD, and Ceci Verbaarschot, PhD) was covered in national and international media, including Il Sole 24 Ore, Fortune Italia, Panorama, Corriere della Sera, and Wired. This research was also covered locally and in industry publications:

Pitt researchers develop artificial touch sensations for people with spinal cord injuries | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Brain-Computer Interface Restores Real Touch Sensation | Lab Manager

Fine-Tuned Brain-Computer Interface Makes Prosthetic Limbs Feel More Real - Medical Design Briefs

Jennifer Collinger, PhD, and Robert Gaunt, PhD, were on the Kidsburgh podcast:

S2 Ep12: Meet scientists who are helping people control robotic arms with just their minds | Pittsburgh is Kidsburgh

Jennifer Collinger, PhD, provided comments to STAT News about a recent advancement in BCI research:

New thought-to-speech brain device enables ‘natural conversation’

A JAMA paper by Amy J. Houtrow, MD, PhD, MPH, was covered in HealthDay:

Families of Children With Disabilities Face Financial Hardships

Rory Cooper, PhD, was featured in WTAE's Marathon Special (his segment starts about 15 minutes in):

Runners of Pittsburgh: A look at the people of the Pittsburgh Marathon