Audrey Elias, PT, DPT, PhD

Audrey Elias, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS is a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Interm Orthapedic Physical Therapy Residency Director at the University of Montana in the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. Dr. Elias completed her undergraduate work at Dartmouth College with a BA in Biology modified with Physical Anthropology. She finished her DPT at the University of Montana in 2009 and completed an APTA accredited residency in Orthopaedics with Therapeutic Associates, Inc. in Port Angeles, WA in 2011. She went on to complete her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Montana in 2015. Her research into prevention of osteoarthritic changes following knee surgery has been supported by the Orthopaedic Section New Investigator Grant and the Foundation for Physical Therapy. She has been an author on multiple scholarly presentations with published abstracts at national and international meetings. Her peer-reviewed publications include a read-for-credit manuscript in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, demonstrating her commitment to clinical applicability in research.

Jenn Bell, PT, ScD

Jennifer “Jenn” Bell, PT, ScD is an Clinical Assoiciate Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the University of Montana School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. Dr. Bell graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Texas in 2003 and received her Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2006. She completed extensive coursework to attain her Certification in Orthopedic Manual Therapy (COMT) of the Extremities in 2012 and received her Doctorate of Science Degree from Texas Tech University in 2013. She has published several peer-reviewed articles including an Imaging Report in JOSPT in 2017. Dr. Bell has presented on multiple topics at state and national conferences.

Dawn Christian, PT, DPT

Dawn M. Christian, PT, DPT, CHT is a Certified Hand Therapist and owner of Big Sky Physical Therapy, an outpatient orthopedic clinic in Missoula.  Dr. Christian received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Health from Montana Tech of the University of Montana in 1992. She became a Certified Exercise Test Technologist through the American College of Sports Medicine in 1993 at UC Davis and received her Bachelors of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Montana in 1995. Following graduation, Dawn worked in outpatient orthopedics and opened Big Sky Physical Therapy in 2009. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Montana in 2011. Dawn is a current member of the American Society of Hand Therapists and a member of the APTA. Dr. Christian was appointed by Governor Bullock to serve as a member of the Montana Board of PT examiners from 2016-2019. For the past 13 years she has taught the wrist and hand evaluation and UE splinting modules to the University of Montana DPT students.

Steve Ferdig, PT, DPT

Steve Ferdig, PT, DPT, OCS is the Clinic Director of the University of Montana Physical Therapy Clinic and an Instructor in the musculoskeletal curriculum in the DPT program. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1991 from California State University at Long Beach and went on to earn a Mast of Physical Therapy Degree from the University of Southern California in 1993. Steve completed his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Chapman University in 2011. Prior to his move to Montana in 2018, Steve owned and directed Specialized Physical Therapy in Tustin, CA and was Adjunct Clinical Faculty at Chapman University in Orange, CA. Steve has a great-deal of experience teaching the shoulder and cervical spine to physical therapy students, physical therapists, and orthopedic sports medicine fellows. He is a member of the APTA and has been a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedics since 2000.

Caitlin Miller Zondlo, DPT, PhD, MSCI

Caitlin Miller Zondlo, DPT, PhD, MSCI is an Assistant Professor at the University of Montana in the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. Dr. Zondlo graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (Movement Science emphasis) in 2008 and a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from the University of Utah in 2011. Her clinical work experience over the past decade as focused on outpatient orthopedic care in large hospital settings that routinely collect patient reported outcome scores. It was through her clinical work experience that she was inspired to pursue her Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation and Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Utah (2021). Her research focuses on healthcare utilization and cost of common musculoskeletal conditions such as anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and knee osteoarthritis. She was the Orthopedic Resident Research coordinator for 4 years at the University of Utah mentoring 14 students and helped to co-author 9 abstracts for presentation at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting. She has published on the relationship of clinical outcomes and physical therapy visits in patients following ACL reconstruction, total joint arthroplasty, and hip arthroscopy. She also has presented nationally and is currently PI on a pilot study grant examining healthcare utilization for knee osteoarthritis in Medicare beneficiaries.

Ryan Mizner, PT, PhD

Ryan L. Mizner, PT, PhD is a Professor at the University of Montana in the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science.  Dr. Mizner is a Montana Native who completed his undergraduate training at Montana State University with a degree in Exercise Science – Biomechanics.  He finished his MPT and PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science at the University of Delaware.  Dr. Mizner’s current teaching responsibilities are biomechanics, physical therapy management of knee, and electrotherapeutics.  General outpatient orthopaedics is his area of clinical practice and he continues to treat patients and mentor in residency programs. Dr. Mizner is an APTA credentialed clinical instructor who has helped train over a dozen students in his career. He has 30 peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Physical Therapy, JOSPT, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and the Journal of Rheumatology. These publications have been cited by other scientists over 2000 times in the past 10 years. He has been an author on 70 research presentations with published abstracts at national or international meetings and has co-authored a book chapter on treatment of knee disorders.  More recently, he gave featured invited presentations at both the Combined Sections Meeting of the APTA and the Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine that were focused on the clinical utility of biomechanics in clinical reasoning in patients with ACL reconstruction. His research has been financially supported by the Foundation for Physical Therapy, the Orthopaedic Section of the APTA, and the National Institutes of Health. His past honors include the Margaret L. Moore Outstanding New Academic Faculty Award from the APTA, Outstanding Faculty Merit Awards from both the University of Montana and Eastern Washington University, and as a Finalist for the New Investigator Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society.