Dean Andrew Butler, PhD, (right) at a Lakeshore Foundation facilities tour with Robert Motl, PhD, UAB/Lakeshore Research Collaborative Associate Director of Research Andrew Butler, Ph.D., dean of the UAB School of Health Professions, was recently elected to the Lakeshore Foundation and the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions Board of Directors. Butler, who became dean of SHP in July 2019, came to UAB from the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions at Georgia State University where he was associate dean for Research and director of the Clinical Neuroplasticity Lab.
The Lakeshore Foundation mission is to enable people with physical disability and chronic health conditions to lead healthy, active, and independent lifestyles through physical activity, sport, recreation, advocacy, policy, and research. Butler, who is a neuroscientist and a physical therapist with a special interest in motor control, neuro-rehabilitation, functional neuroimaging, and transcranial magnetic stimulation, helps preside over the UAB / Lakeshore Foundation Research Collaborative in his role as dean.
This is a world-class research program in rehabilitative science that is a partnership between the School of Health Professions and Lakeshore earning well over $20 million in research grants from renowned organizations including the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDLRR) since its inception.
“I am extremely excited to be part of a Lakeshore team whose goal is to make an impact on the lives of people with physical disabilities in our community and beyond,” said Butler.
The Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions is a national non-profit association for administrators, educators, and others concerned with critical issues affecting allied health education. Its membership includes 116 academic institutions and four professional associations.
Butler has been involved with ASAHP since 2013, when he participated in the ASAHP Leadership Development Program. Since then, he has been active in service to the organization as a member of the Advocacy Committee (since 2013), the Nominations and Elections Committee (since 2015) where he served as chair from 2018 – 2019, and the Inter Professional Education (IPE) Committee (since 2018).
“ASAHP is a leader in advocating for all Allied Health Professions,” says Butler “contributing to such a strong board is a great opportunity. I look forward to helping build on the success of ASAHP and working with everyone to advance the next chapter in its history.
The ASAHP Board of Directors serve a three-year term while the Lakeshore Foundation Board is a four-year term; both begin in October, 2019.
