Texas Physical Therapy Association Annual Conference features faculty and student presentations and engagement

The University of Texas at San Antonio Department of Physical Therapy was well represented at PTTX 2026, the Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) Annual Conference, held in San Antonio Sept. 11–12. 

“PTTX 2026 was especially meaningful for our department because the Texas physical therapy community came together here in San Antonio,” said Associate Professor Bradley Tragord, PT, DPT, DSc, chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. “I was proud to see so many of our faculty actively contributing by presenting research, sharing clinical expertise and advocating for our profession.”

A majority of the core faculty attended the conference, including Tragord, Assistant Professor Breanne Nguyen, PT, DPT, OCS, CLT-LAN; Associate Professor Sandeep Subramanian, PT, PhD, MSc, BPTh; Assistant Professor Jeffrey Kallberg, PT, DPT, RMSK; Assistant Professor Laura Gibbs, PT, DPT; Associate Professor Mike Geelhoed, DPT, OCS, MTC; Assistant Professor Julie Barnett, PT, DPT, MTC; and Associate Professor Gustavo Almeida, PT, PhD. Ten Doctor of Physical Therapy students also attended.

Faculty and students gave the following presentations:

• Poster Presentation: Reliability of Multi-Modal Interview Processes in Doctor of Physical Therapy Admissions – A Retrospective Cohort Study. Authors: DPT students Claire Currie, Pilar Elena Avalos, Julia Scott, Timothy Smith, Bradley Tragord, and Sandeep Subramanian.

• Poster Presentation: Diagnostic Ultrasound Curriculum in DPT Programs. Author: Jeffrey Kallberg.

• Abstract Poster Presentation: Plantar Plate Surgical vs. Nonsurgical Treatment with Prolotherapy Injections. Authors: Julie Barnett, Sandeep Subramanian, Audrey Raabe,  Harper Steph, Jacqueline Reisz

• Technique Lab: Proning an Infant with a Tracheostomy. Presented by Laura Gibbs.

• Platform Presentation: The Power of Persistent Advocacy. Presented by Mike Geelhoed with APTA State Affairs Liaison Taj Franklin.

• Platform Presentation: Ankle-Brachial Index in Physical Therapy Practice: A Clinical Competency for Every Setting. Presented by Jeffrey Kallberg.

“Collectively, these presentations demonstrated the breadth of expertise within our department — from DPT admissions research and educational innovation to neonatal care, professional advocacy and diagnostic ultrasound imaging,” Tragord said.

Retired Brigadier General Deydre S. Teyhen, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, a nationally recognized physical therapist, researcher and health care leader, served as keynote speaker for the conference. 

“We were especially fortunate that General Teyhen also spent time with our DPT students and faculty at UT San Antonio during her visit, providing our students an opportunity to hear directly about her leadership journey and experiences within physical therapy and military medicine,” Tragord said.

“We were also proud of the leadership of Associate Professor Mike Geelhoed, our director of clinical education, whose service and leadership as TPTA president continue to strengthen the connection between our academic program and the physical therapy profession across Texas,” he added. “These experiences demonstrate the breadth of our faculty expertise and provide important opportunities for our students to connect with the profession they are preparing to enter.”