Only 12 physical therapy faculty members nationwide are accepted into the prestigious Parkinson’s Foundation Physical Therapy Faculty Program per year, but one UNF professor had what it took.

Dawn Saracino, a physical therapy associate instructor in the Department of Clinical and Applied Movement Sciences in the University of North Florida’s Brooks College of Health, was recently accepted into the program. Later this month, she will immerse herself in the latest Parkinson’s research and care guidance at the Oregon Health and Sciences University.

According to the Parkinson Foundation’s website, the course is a “train the trainer program improving Parkinson’s physical therapy care by training faculty leaders across the U.S. so they can, in turn, educate physical therapy students.”

The University stated that Saracino was invited to apply to the program due to her past training and participation with the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Here at UNF, she has taught several graduate-level courses on campus in neurology, spinal cord injury/prosthetics and therapeutic medicine. Additionally, Saracino has a history of Parkinson’s research, is a senior physical therapist at Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital and has participated in several local roundtable events on Parkinson’s effect on patients and caregivers.

“We’re so proud that Dr. Saracino has been chosen to participate in this prestigious program,” Director Beven Livingston of the UNF physical therapy program said. “Dawn will bring the most current evidence-based rehabilitation research on Parkinson’s back home to UNF. This is a wonderful opportunity for our program and one of our most qualified and passionate educators.”

Currently, Saracino is working on a committee for the Parkinson’s Foundation in order to organize two UNF events that will take place on campus in the fall semester: “Managing Parkinson’s Through Rehabilitative Therapies” and “Moving Day Jacksonville.”

“Managing Parkinson’s Through Rehabilitative Therapies” is an interactive patient education program and will take place on Saturday, Sept. 15 in the John A. Delaney Student Union. “Moving Day Jacksonville” is a fundraising walk event that will take place on Saturday, Nov. 10 in the Coxwell Amphitheater.

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