Andrew Butler, PT, Ph.D.,FAPTA, dean of the UAB School of Health Professions, was honored as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at the PT NEXT conference on June 13, 2019. The FAPTA award is the association’s highest honor.
“I am honored to be named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow,” said Butler, who begins his tenure as dean of the School on July 1, 2019. “I want to thank all the people in my life who have wanted what was best for me. You’ve provided me with guidance and have encouraged me to be the best I can be.”
Butler, who is a neuroscientist and physical therapist, has studied, worked, and researched in this field since the mid-1990’s. He has a special research interest in neuro-rehabilitation, functional neuroimaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation and is the principal investigator on a project exploring the use of rehabilitation robots in the homes of veterans.
Before joining UAB, Butler served as associate dean for research as well as director of the Clinical Neuroplasticity Lab at Georgia State University. In addition to carrying out GSU’s research vision, he provided oversight to grants and contracts awarded, supported the development of faculty research, and cultivated collaborative, interdisciplinary research programs.
He joins David Morris, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA, chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, as the only current UAB faculty members with the FAPTA honor.
Butler earned a B.S. in Biology in 1987 from Loras College, an M.S. in Physical Therapy from Texas Woman's University in 1998, a Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (motor control) from the University of Iowa in 1995, and an MBA from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University in 2009. He conducted a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Neurology at Heinrich-Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany through 2001.
Today, Butler serves on review panels for multiple granting authorities, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Wellcome Trust – a charity-based biomedical research group based in London, United Kingdom. He is a current member of the APTA, The Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM), the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), and the American Stroke Association.
The FAPTA award was named after Catherine Worthingham, PT, PhD, FAPTA, a visionary, a leader, and “a change agent who was effective, respectful, and honest, and motivated others to make an impact within the physical therapy profession.”
