Dr. Susan Duff

Dr. Susan Duff

Associate Professor
Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences; Physical Therapy
Expertise: Neural Recovery; Upper extremity rehabilitation; Neural Regeneration/Reorganization; Motor Learning; Motor Control; Peripheral and Central Neural Injury;
Office Location: Rinker Health Science Campus 297P
Phone: (714) 997-6794
Education:
Eastern Michigan University, Bachelor of Science
Drexel University, Master of Physical Therapy
Columbia University in the City of New York, Master of Arts
Columbia University in the City of New York, Doctor of Education

Biography

Susan V. Duff, EdD, PT, OT/L, CHT is an Associate Professor in the Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy at Chapman University. She received her BS in OT from Eastern Michigan University, MPT from Hahnemann (Drexel) University and doctorate in Movement Science from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She completed post-doctoral training in Motor Control/Motor Lateralization at Penn State University and most recently completed a fellowship at the University of Southern California entitled, Training in Rehabilitation Efficacy and Effectiveness Trials. Dr. Duff is a clinical specialist is pediatric hand and upper extremity rehabilitation and will be teaching courses on Motor Control/Learning, Pediatrics, and Scientific Inquiry. Her research focuses on the assessment, acquisition, and recovery of prehension. Most recently, she has been collaborating with others on the design of home-based assessment and intervention strategies for infants, children, and adults with peripheral and central neurological disorders.


 

Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications

Duff SV, Schmieg S, Werner J. Brachial Plexus Injury. In: Palisano RJ, Orlin MN, Schreiber J, eds. Campbell’s Physical Therapy for Children. 6th ed. Elsevier Inc; 2023.
Duff SV, Rachwani J, Santamaria VF. Clinical management of reach, grasp, and manipulation disorders. In Shumway-Cook A, Woollacott MH, Rachwani J, Santamaria V, eds. Motor Control: Translating Research into Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2023.
Moreau NG, Friel KM, Fuchs RK, Dayanidhi S, Sukal-Moulton T, Grant-Beuttler M, Peterson MD, Stevenson RD, Duff SV. Lifelong Fitness in Ambulatory Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy I: Key Ingredients for Bone and Muscle Health. Behav Sci (Basel). 2023;13(7):539. doi: 10.3390/bs13070539. PMID: 37503986; PMCID: PMC10376586.
Duff SV, Kimbel JD, Grant-Beuttler M, Sukal-Moulton T, Moreau NG, Friel KM. Lifelong Fitness in Ambulatory Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy II: Influencing the Trajectory. Behav Sci (Basel). 2023;13(6):504. doi: 10.3390/bs13060504. PMID: 37366756; PMCID: PMC10295269.
Metzler MJ, Blaufuss M, Dean S, Levy TJ, Duff SV; American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Stroke Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group Pediatric Stroke Task Force. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Children With Stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2024 Jan;105(1):191-195. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.01.029. Epub 2023 Jul 11. PMID: 37436350.
Duff SV, Miller A, Quinn L, Youdan GA, Bishop L, Ruthrauff H, Wade ER. Quantifying Interlimb Coordination in Persons with Hemiparesis Post-Stroke. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2022;19(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12984-022-01020-8.
Duff SV, Pehnke M. Upper Extremity Anatomy and Biomechanics. Test Prep for the CHT Exam, 4th Edition: Study Outline & Clinical Reference. American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT), 2021.
Scientific Advisory Board. Myomo, Inc. Members: Atkins DJ, Cramer SC, Duff SV, Kirshblum S, Richards LG, Stoykov M, Suskauer S, Werner J, Wittenberg GF, Zafonte R.
Grampurohit N, Bell A, Duff SV, Kaplan G, Thielen C, Mulcahey MJ, Marino R. Highlighting Gaps in Spinal Cord Injury Research in Activity-based Interventions for the Upper Extremity: A Scoping Review. Neurorehabil. 2021;49(1):23-38. doi: 10.3233/NRE-210042
Duff SV, Wolff AL Fine Motor Skill Development in Children and Youth with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy. In Miller F, Bachrach S, Lennon N, O'Neil M, eds. Cerebral Palsy, 2nd ed. Springer Pub. 2020. ISBN: 978-3-319-74557-2. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50592-3
Roller ML, Duff SV, Umphred D, Byl N. Contemporary Issues and Theories of Motor Control, Motor Learning, and Neuroplasticity. In: Lazaro R, ed. Umphred’s Neurological Rehabilitation, 7th ed. Elsevier Pub. 2020. ISBN: 9780323611176.
Duff SV, Estilow T, Novak CB. Therapist’s Management of Peripheral Nerve Injury. In: Skirven T, Fedorczyk J, Feldscher S, Osterman AL, Amadio P, Shin E, eds. Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Pub. 2020. ISBN-10: 0323056024.
Miller A, Quinn L, Duff S, Wade E. Comparison of machine learning approaches for classifying upper extremity tasks in individuals post-stoke. IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2020:4330-36. doi: 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9176331
Bell A, Grampurohit N, Marino R, Duff S, Kaplan G, Thielen C, Mulcahey MJ. Home activity-based therapy for the neurologically impaired upper extremity: A scoping review. Home Health Care Management & Practice. 2020:1-9. doi: 10.1177/1084822320953836.
Consultant/Lecturer. Criteria for Disability, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Social Security Administration. Washington DC. May 9, 2019.
Honored Professor. Surgery and Rehabilitation of the Hand: Trending Topics in Hand to Shoulder Therapy. Philadelphia, PA. March 2018.
Miller A, Duff SV, Quinn L, Bishop L, Youdan G, Ruthrauff H, Wade E. Development of Sensor–Based Measures of Upper Extremity Interlimb Coordination. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2018:3160-64. https://ieeexplore-ieee-org.libproxy1.usc.edu/document/8512903
Thielen CC, Marino RJ, Duff S, Kaplan G, Mulcahey MJ. Activity-based Rehabilitation Interventions of the Neurologically Impaired Upper Extremity: Description of a Scoping Review Protocol. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil. 2018;24(3):288–294. https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy1.usc.edu/pmc/articles/PMC6037327/
Atkinson H, Duff SV. Examination and Evaluation of Neuromotor Function. In Atkinson H, Nixon-Cave K, Smith SE, eds. Pediatric Stroke Rehabilitation: An Interprofessional and Collaborative Approach. Slack Inc; 2018.
Duff SV, Sargent B, Kutch JJ, Berggren J, Leiby BE, Fetters L. Using contingent reinforcement to increase muscle activation after Perinatal Brachial Plexus Injury. Phys Occup Ther Peds. 2017;37(5):555-65. https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy1.usc.edu/pubmed/28426263
Duff SV. Functional development. In: Abzug JM, Kozin SH, Zlotolow DA, eds. The Pediatric Upper Extremity. Springer Pub; 2015:25-36.
Duff SV, He J, Nelsen MA, Lane CJ, Rowe VT, Wolf SL, Dromerick AW, Winstein CJ. Inter-rater reliability of the Wolf Motor Function Test-Functional Ability Scale: Why it Matters. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2015;29(5):436-43. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4400190/
Duff SV, Aaron D, Gogola G, Valero-Cuevas FJ. Innovative evaluation of dexterity in pediatrics. J Hand Ther. 2015;28(2):144-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4424153/
Duff SV, DeMatteo C. Clinical assessment of the infant and young child following perinatal brachial plexus injury. J Hand Ther. 2015;28(2):126-33. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425986/
Duff SV, Aaron D, Fetters L. Drawing Inspiration from Children. J Hand Ther. 2015;28(2):126-33. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0894113015000241?via%3Dihub
Kalsi-Ryan S, Beaton D, Curt A, Duff S, Jiang D, Popovic MR, Rudhe C, Fehlings MG, Verrier MC. Defining the role of sensation, strength, and prehension for upper limb function in cervical spinal cord injury. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2014;28(1):66-74.
Muratori LM, Lamberg EM, Quinn L, Duff SV. Applying principles of motor learning and control to upper extremity rehabilitation. J Hand Ther. 2013;26(2):94-102.

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