University Directory

Gregory T. Thielman, PT, MSPT, ATC, EdD

Professor

Director of Patricia Leahy Research Lab

Greg Thielman PT, MSPT, ATC, EdD

Department

Office

Glasser 403

Phone

215-596-8680
Contact

Gregory Thielman PT MSPT, EdD, ATC, CSRS is a full tenured professor in the Physical Therapy program, with a secondary appointment in the Neuroscience program. Thielman is a clinical researcher specializing in motor learning and motor control recovery for individuals post stroke. He received his BS and MS PT at Springfield College and earned his EdD from Teachers College Columbia University Movement Science program. He has had continuous funded research for the past 8 years. Thielman had practiced in sports medicine for a few years before moving into rehabilitation. After completing his EdD, he began his academic career at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. He has practiced clinically continuously over his 30 year career, in home care for much of the past 20 years and since 2020 in sub-acute rehab centers. Thielman has presented and been published nationally. He leads the International Medical Mission Trip for Samson College programs and is the Director of the Patricia Leahy Movement Science lab.

    • BS, Springfield College
    • MSPT, Springfield College
    • EdD in Movement Sciences (Motor Learning), Teachers College, Columbia University
    • Ageless grace brain health fitness educator
    • Certified stroke rehabilitation specialist
    • APTA (neurology and research sections)
    • NATA
    • Thielman GT1; Conklin C2; Bhattacharya, AK3; Shahrampour S2, Bonsall PB4 Mohamed F2. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRAINING INVESTIGATION: COMPARISON OF TASK RELATED TRAINING VS. ROBOTIC THERAPY TRAINING FOR THE UPPER LIMB IN POST STROKE INDIVIDUALS. 2, University of The Sciences,1 Thomas Jefferson University,2 Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Philadelphia4, Journal of Neurological Physical Therapy, (In Press 2024).
    • Liew, S. L., Schweighofer, N., Cole, J. H., Zavaliangos-Petropulu, A., Lo, B. P., Han, L. K., Thielman G.T... & Thompson, P. M. (2023). Association of Brain Age, Lesion Volume, and Functional Outcome in Patients With Stroke. Neurology, 100(20), e2103-e2113.
    • Perron, Aimee E. PT, DPT, CEEAA; Garg, Hina PT, MS, PhD; Gallagher, Sarah PT, DPT; Kennedy, Brittany PT, DPT; Oxborough, Sara PT, DPT; Schultz, Emily PT, DPT; Thielman, Gregory PT, MSPT, EdD, ATC, CSRS; Zhang, Qing PT, DPT. Addressing Opportunities and Barriers in Telehealth Neurologic Physical Therapy: Strategies to Advance Practice. Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy 47(4):p 227-237, October 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000454
    • Liew S-L, Zavaliangos-Petropulu A, Jahanshad N, Thielman G  et al. The ENIGMA Stroke Recovery Working Group: Big data neuroimaging to study brain–behavior relationships after stroke. Hum Brain Mapp. 2022; 43: 129–148. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25015
    • Liew, S. L., Lo, B. P., Donnelly, M. R., Zavaliangos-Petropulu, A., Jeong, J. N., Barisano, G., Thielman G ... & Yu, C. (2022). A large, curated, open-source stroke neuroimaging dataset to improve lesion segmentation algorithms. Scientific data, 9(1), 320. https://rdcu.be/cQNDk
    • Sook-Lei Liew, Nicolas Schweighofer, James H. Cole, Artemis Zavaliangos-Petropulu, Bethany P. Lo, Laura K.M. Han, ….Greg T. Thielman,  et al. Global brain health modulates the impact of lesion damage on post-stroke sensorimotor outcomes: bioRxiv 2022.04.27.489791; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.27.489791
      Artemis Zavaliangos‐Petropulu, Bethany Lo, Miranda R. Donnelly, Nicolas Schweighofer, Keith Lohse, Neda Jahanshad, Giuseppe Barisano, Nerisa Banaj, Michael R. Borich, Lara A. Boyd, Gregory Thielman, et al; Chronic Stroke Sensorimotor Impairment Is Related to Smaller Hippocampal Volumes: An ENIGMA Analysis:Journal of the American Heart Association. 2022;11:e025109. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.121.025109
    • Sook-Lei Liew, Artemis Zavaliangos-Petropulu, Nicolas Schweighofer, Neda Jahanshad, Catherine E Lang, Keith R Lohse, Nerisa Banaj, Giuseppe Barisano, Lee A Baugh, Anup K Bhattachary, Gregory T Thielman, et al. ENIGMA Stroke Recovery Working Group, Smaller spared subcortical nuclei are associated with worse post-stroke sensorimotor outcomes in 28 cohorts worldwide, Brain Communications, Volume 3, Issue 4, 2021, fcab254, https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcab254
    • Roos M, Thielman GT, Packel L, Moelter, ST, Khakhina S, Klase ZA. The Impact of a Functional Circuit Training Program Performed at Moderate Intensity on Multiple Domains of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in People with Stroke: A Non-Randomized Feasibility Study. Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation (2021, http://www.hoajonline.com/journals/pdf/2055-2386-8-2.pdf)
    • Thielman G and Yourney L. Ultrasound Imaging of upper extremity spastic muscle post stroke and the correlation with function: A pilot study. NeuroRehabilitation. 2019;45(2):213-220. doi: 10.3233/NRE-192742

    Invited Presentations

    • Guest Speaker Universidsd de Ciencias Medicas March 2020, 2022, 2023 Adding Cognitive Training to Improve Motor Learning in Stroke
    • Patricia Leahy Memorial Seminar- Blood Flow Restriction use in the Neurological Patient, Fall 2022
    • Universidad de Ciencias Medicas: Guest lecturer and lab: Augmenting Reach to Grasp. March, 2019,
    • Camden County Nurses Association Wrapping Injuries for Support Fall 2021
    • Guest Research presenter: Motor Learning and Stroke Trials for the Upper Extremity Post Stroke;Teachers College Movement Science Program, April 2019
    • Arm and Hand Rehabilitation after Stroke: From Physiology to Participation. Academy of Hand and Upper Extremity Physical Therapy Plenary Session CSM 2019
    • Plenary session Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Annual Conference- Maximizing Functional Mobility through Cognitive Rehabilitation in people with Neurological Injury, Fall 2018
    • The National Institute for Brain and Rehabilitation Sciences- Platform presentation: Cognitive reserve and clinical implications for physical therapy for individuals post stroke: summer 2018.
    • Plenary Session Philadelphia Hand Symposium 2018: Structuring Practice to Promote Brain Plasticity with Increased Participation of the Upper Limb in Adult Stroke

    Funded Grant Activity

    • ADAPT Grant (Diversity in Physical Therapy)  (6K)- PA PT Association to improve under represented minorities in PT profession; L Packel, G Thielman M Roos, M Knapp, WN Bair- Summer Institute of Movement Science at USciences 2022
    • Milton Lev Memorial Faculty Research Fund, Usciences/Saint Joseph’s University internal funds grant Spring 2021- 2023: High Intensity Circuit Training in People with Stroke (5K). Roos M and Thielman G Co-investigator
    • Edna G. Kynett Memorial Foundation. 2020- 2023 Low Intensity exercise with Cognitive Retraining in Individuals with Stroke and Healthy Adults Roos, M., Thielman, G., & Richards, K. ($20,000)
    • Dolfinger-McMahon Greater Philadelphia Seed Grant: Low Intensity exercise with Cognitive Retraining in Individuals with Stroke and Healthy Adults. (24K) Co-investigator 2019-2021
    • REACT Pilot grant sub award: The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on upper extremity use following a Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA). National Resource Center for High-Impact Clinical Trials in Medical Rehabilitation: Pilot Projects Component 2019-2021, Primary Investigator (2 years 57K)
    • The Center for Undergraduate Research (CUR) 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 USciences, Saint Joseph’s University 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (USURF) awarded 1-2 students for mentorship by PT faculty with post stroke research investigations in Leahy lab
    • Temple University sub-award of NIH R24 –NHLBI (Dr. Mickey Selzer) Center for Experimental Neurorehabilitation Training 2011-2013 $49K for 2-year period, with subaward to Magee Rehabilitation Hospital. “Auditory Feedback Trunk Control for Rehabilitation of The Upper Limb Post- Stroke: Comparing Robot-Assisted Arm Training to Acitive Arm Training”. Primary Investigator

  • Research

    • Kinematic analysis of trunk/upper extremity
    • Consequences of stroke on reaching and the rehabilitative strategies to facilitate recovery
    • Movement and clinical measure analysis of therapeutic interventions to assist individuals post-stroke

    Clinical

    • Geriatric and neurological practice