Associate Professor
Phone: 919-681-9930
Office: 311 Trent Drive
Email: laura.case@duke.edu
Dr. Case is a board-certified clinical specialist in pediatric physical therapy. She has dedicated her career to teaching, research in childhood-onset neuromusculoskeletal disorders, and to the lifelong treatment of people with childhood-onset neurological and neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, Pompe disease, myelodysplasia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and brachial plexus injury.
She has been involved in numerous clinical trials for the treatment of disorders including Pompe disease and other metabolic disorders, cerebral palsy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and spinal muscular atrophy. Dr. Case has participated in the development of international guidelines for the management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Pompe disease, and other glycogen storage diseases.
She teaches and consults internationally, has worked on a number of Center for Disease Control (CDC) task forces, has served on numerous committees and task forces in the pediatric section of APTA, served two terms as NC State Representative to the APTA Section on Pediatrics, and is a member of the North American Pompe Registry Board of Advisors.
DPT, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, 2005
MS, Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1992
Postgrad fellowship, Pediatric PT, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1984
BS, Physical Therapy, Ithaca College, 1978
PT 606: Health Promotion Across the Lifespan
PT 614: Movement Science
PT 702: Professional Development
PT 705: Neurological Practice Management I
PT 715: Neurological Practice Management II, course director
PT 725: Pediatric Elective, course director
Pediatric physical therapy, with particular emphasis on children with neuromusculoskeletal diagnoses including CNS dysfunction (cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury) and motor unit diseases and disorders (muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, Pompe disease, and other glycogen storage diseases).
Clinical responsibilities include provision of direct physical therapy treatment; casting and orthotic intervention; assistive technology; and evaluation, consultation, and coordination with the rest of the medical team at specialty multidisciplinary clinics. Practice emphasizes lifelong care of individuals with childhood-onset diagnoses.
Dr. Case has been involved in numerous clinical trials for the treatment of disorders such as Pompe disease and other metabolic disorders, cerebral palsy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and spinal muscular atrophy. Her research interests include developmental neuroscience, such as plasticity, recovery, and adaptability of the nervous system; developmental biomechanics; dynamic systems and dynamic functioning of the neuromusculoskeletal system; motor control and motor learning; and exercise and clinical management of neuromuscular disease and disorders.
Duke Presidential Award for Meritorious Service—2002 Awarded by Nannerl Keohane, PhD, President of Duke University
Springfield College Physical Therapy Humanics Award—1998 Awarded by Springfield College - Department of Physical Therapy
Outstanding Thesis Award—April 1993 Awarded by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Division of Physical Therapy Thesis: "The Effect of Inhibitive Orthoses on Muscle Extensibility and Gait in a Child with Central Nervous System Dysfunction".
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The program has determined that its curriculum meets the state educational requirements for licensure or certification in all states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands secondary to its accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, based on the following: CAPTE accreditation of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program satisfies state educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thus, students graduating from CAPTE-accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, refer to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website at www.fsbpt.org. The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Duke University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 919-681-4380 or email dptadmis@duke.edu.