Gillette Children’s is pleased to announce Liz Boyer, Ph.D., as co-director of the Cerebral Palsy Institute Research Program. In this role, she will join Tom Novacheck, M.D., and Andrea Bushaw, Ph.D., Cerebral Palsy Institute dyad leaders, in advancing innovative, multidisciplinary clinical research that Gillette is uniquely positioned to lead.
“This role requires independence and collaboration. Liz is ideally suited to this role as she defines the word collaborative,“ Dr. Novacheck says, citing her work mentoring students, helping launch Gillette’s Family Engagement in Research Program, representing Gillette on internal and external committees, and working with Gillette Children's Healthcare Press. “And she is highly efficient in her independent work, such as her two landmark orthopedic long-term outcome studies and groundbreaking work on falls for individuals with cerebral palsy.”
Dr. Boyer completed her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. at Iowa State University in kinesiology, with an emphasis in biomechanics and motor control. Her love of running, history of stress fractures, and curious nature drew her to research, but she wanted to apply her knowledge to clinical populations. She gained initial exposure to clinical research at the University of Iowa and the Steadman-Philippon Research Institute, developing an appreciation for the complexity of medicine while there.
In 2015, Dr. Boyer began her work as a postdoctoral fellow in Gillette’s Center for Gait and Motion Analysis under the mentorship of Mike Schwartz, Ph.D. and Dr. Novacheck. She quickly found her footing in this role and orchestrated two landmark orthopedic long-term outcome studies.
Dr. Boyer is currently externally funded as a principal investigator and co-investigator by the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“Gillette is incredibly unique in that we have a variety of specialists and thought leaders who have an unwavering dedication to providing exceptional care for those we serve. Research is key to continually raising that bar,” Dr. Boyer says. “I'm excited to work with everyone who makes research possible and build more opportunities for innovative, multidisciplinary research that includes and benefits people of all ages with cerebral palsy."
The Gillette Children’s Cerebral Palsy Institute is transforming what is possible for children diagnosed with cerebral palsy by developing novel research, promoting advocacy, and harnessing the power of a multi-disciplinary care team of experts. Visit gillette.mn/cerebral-palsy-institute to learn more.