Shaw B.
Biography
Shaw Bronner PT, PhD, OCS earned her PhD at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She is the Director of the ADAM Center and Associate Professor at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. The ADAM Center is a research laboratory dedicated to the study of human movement and dance, examining human movement from many perspectives including biomechanics, neuroscience, epidemiology, injury, and prevention and rehabilitation.
Dr. Bronner’s first career was as a dancer, performing nationally and internationally. She currently directs Physical Therapy Services at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, where she created and coordinates the in-house program for the two companies and over 5,000 students annually. She has published over 50 articles and abstracts on biomechanics, dance, orthopaedics, and brain activity during motor behavior. She presents frequently at national and international forums. Some of her research has included analysis of forces in tap dance, differences between sneakers in hip hop dance, optimization theory in motor learning in dancers, and treatment efficacy in subjects with Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Bronner’s current research focuses on behavioral change and neural plasticity with motor learning using video game paradigms such as Dance Dance Revolution. Dr. Bronner is a visiting professor at The Brain Function Laboratory at Yale University Medical School, where she conducts fMRI experiments.
Dr. Bronner uses a neuro-orthopaedic physical therapy treatment model incorporating manual therapy combined with the principles of motor learning and motor control. As a specialist in dance physical therapy, she has worked with dancers for over 20 years. This expertise benefits all her patients, from the athlete to those with neurologic problems.
