Linda R. Van Dillen, PT, PhD, FAPTA
PROGRAM IN PHYSICAL THERAPY
Professor of Physical Therapy and of Orthopaedic Surgery
Division Director, Research in Physical Therapy
2024 Dean’s Impact Award Recipient
Linda R. Van Dillen, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is an internationally recognized expert in the study of low back pain. She has a palpable passion for and commitment to scientific discovery with the goal of informing evidence-based practice to improve health outcomes for patients. She is equally passionate and committed when it comes to mentorship and sponsorship with the goal of fostering growth and career development to improve career outcomes. Van Dillen’s record of mentoring spans from the undergraduate level to the senior faculty level. She has helped guide the training of dozens of undergraduate and master’s students, more than 25 PhD students and postdocs, numerous junior faculty with K awards on which she was a mentor, and several visiting professors. These trainees and faculty span multiple disciplines and include physical therapists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and biomedical engineers. They also span multiple academic entities including not just Washington University but peer institutions across the United States and the globe. Her outstanding mentoring abilities and her desire to ensure that people are appreciated for their work are reasons she is so successful in her role as division director of research within the Program in Physical Therapy. She assists faculty in navigating academia and formulating individual development plans that outline the path to promotion and makes sure that successes are celebrated and recognized.