M. Kathleen Kelly, PhD, PT is Assistant Professor & Vice-Chair in the Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and a core faculty member at the LEND Center. In this capacity she serves as Training Coordinator for the program. 

Dr. Kelly’s role in the Department of Physical Therapy is to oversee the curricular aspects of the DPT program and serves an advisory role on the Department’s clinical faculty committee. Dr. Kelly coordinates and teaches 3 pediatric PT courses in the DPT curriculum and is involved in other aspects of the MS program (neurologic/pediatric PT focus). 
She is also a member of the University’s Middle States Steering Committee; current Chair of the University’s Senate Educational Policies Committee; current Chair of SHRS Faculty (2011-12); and is involved in a number of school-wide advisory committees. Additionally, she has served a number of leadership roles in her professional organization (APTA).  

In addition to her full-time academic position, Dr. Kelly has 28 years experience in acute care pediatrics and maintains clinical practice in the Department of Physical Therapy at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Kelly’s clinical interests relate to infants and children with early brain injury. A related area of interest and expertise is developmental intervention with high-risk infants, a subset of who end up with neurologic sequelae that may result in varying degrees of disability. 

As a 29 year member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), she has served at the District, State and National levels in a number of leadership roles. She is a member of the Education, Neurology, Pediatrics and Research sections of the APTA.