- PhD in Epidemiology, minor in Human Performance - Biomechanics, Indiana University – Bloomington
- Board-Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist, American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties
- Wound Care Certified, National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy
- Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, Society of Simulation in Healthcare
- Doctor of Physical Therapy, University of Southern California
- Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry, Dartmouth College
- Risk Factors for Running-Related Overuse Injuries including Biomechanics and Non-Running Physical Activity
- High Fidelity Simulation in Healthcare Education to Improve Patient Care
- Impact of Interprofessional Education on Physical Therapy Students
Dr. Harper-Hanigan serves as the Program Director for the developing Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at LMU-Knoxville. Previously, she was a member of the founding core faculty in another developing DPT program which successfully gained accreditation in 2018.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Physiological Psychology from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and, after taking some time off, earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California. After practicing in outpatient orthopedics for 3 years in El Segundo, CA, she then completed a Post-Doctoral Research Assistantship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the area of qualitative research methods and community-based participatory research focusing on improving racial health disparities in birth outcomes for African American women in Omaha, NE. She completed her PhD in Epidemiology from Indiana University-Bloomington with an emphasis on Biomechanics and Physical Activity Epidemiology with a dissertation entitled “The Relationship Between Non-Running Physical Activity and the Development of Running-Related Overuse Injuries." She is passionate about applying the rigor of traditional epidemiological methods related to both study design and statistical analysis to secondary data sets and physical therapy research in general. She was recently appointed as an Associate Editor for Statistics for Rehabilitation Oncology Journal published by the APTA.
In addition to practicing in outpatient orthopedics and sports rehabilitation for 3 years, she has spent the past 8 years in an acute/intensive care setting as well as in inpatient wound care at a Level I Trauma Center. She is a Board-certified Geriatrics Clinical Specialist through the American Physical Therapy Association as well as Wound Care Certified the American Board of Wound Management. She also is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Additionally, she has volunteered as a National Physical Therapy Examination Item Writer through the Federation for State Boards of Physical Therapy.
Dr. Hanigan has several peer-reviewed publications and has presented on topics including community-based participatory research, the application of epidemiological methodology in the investigation of running-related overuse injuries, how to handle missing data in small sample sizes, and the impact of acute care simulation experiences on the clinical performance of physical therapy students.
Professional memberships include the American Physical Therapy Association, Society for Simulation in Healthcare, and National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy. She is also a Fellow in the APTA's year-long Fellowship in Higher Education Leadership.
Harper-Hanigan, K., Gruber, A. (2022). "The Missing Link in Running Injury: NON-running Physical Activity." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy. Currently in print.
Ramiscal, L., Rheault, I., Harper-Hanigan, K. (2022) "Knowledge of the Roles and Responsibilities Between Physical Therapists and Other Healthcare Professions." Nexus Summit 2022. Virtual Poster Presentation.
Harper-Hanigan, K. (2019). "Comment to: “Effect of monosodium L-glutamate (umami substance) on cognitive function in people with dementia." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 73(6): 966-966.
Harper-Hanigan, K, Ross, G, Sims, T, Trotter, KJ, Turman, Jr., JE. (2017) Women’s Perspectives of Needs Surrounding Adverse Birth Outcomes - A Qualitative Assessment of the Neighborhood Impact of Adverse Birth Outcome. Matern Child Health J. Dec; 21:2219-2228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-017-2343-7
Burnfield, J, Buster, T, Goldman, A, Corbridge, L, Harper-Hanigan, K (2016) Partial body weight support treadmill training speed influences paretic and non-paretic leg muscle activation, stride characteristics, and ratings of perceived exertion during acute stroke rehabilitation. Human Movement Science. Jan; 47:16-28.
Kulig, K, Harper-Hanigan, K, Souza, RB, Powers, CM (2010) Measurement of Femoral Torsion by Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Concurrent Validity. Phys Ther. Nov;90(11):1641-8.