January 27, 2022

Dr. Diane Adamo appointed interim chair of the Department of Health Care Sciences

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is pleased to announce the appointment of Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Director of Research Diane Adamo, PhD, MS, OTR, to the position of Interim Chair of the Department of Health Care Sciences, effective Jan. 16, 2022.

Official memo (PDF)

"Dr. Adamo is a champion of interprofessional collaboration and skilled at motivating faculty in all WSU Applebaum disciplines," said Dean Brian Cummings. "I am so pleased to appoint her to this important leadership role."

Dr. Adamo joined the college as an assistant professor of physical therapy in 2009, was promoted to associate professor and tenured in 2016, and was appointed director of research in 2017. Since 2010, she has also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Wayne State Institute of Gerontology, where she previously completed an NIH/AHRQ-funded postdoctoral research fellowship in aging and urban health. A college alumna, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in occupational therapy from WSU Applebaum, as well as a PhD in kinesiology from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Adamo was a fellow of the Wayne State University Academic Leadership Academy in 2019-20, its inaugural year. This intensive leadership development program created by the Office of the Provost taps into dedicated faculty members to build a community of empowerment, high morale and engagement at Wayne State. Dr. Adamo’s ALA project focused on advancing research and scholarly activity by providing interactive, hands-on workshops and mentoring opportunities among health science clinical faculty.

In her recurring role as chair of the College Research Committee, Dr. Adamo has proven highly effective at directing our annual College Research Day, implementing the FRAP awards, and building research platforms that have provided new opportunities for the college. She has also brought her expertise to the development of our doctor of physical therapy curriculum over the years, especially the integration of research.

Through it all, Dr. Adamo continues her research into human sensorimotor control systems and performance, in particular the extent to which changes in cognition contribute to human performance in older individuals. She is also an effective mentor to graduate and undergraduate students – many of whom have won research awards from national professional organizations ­– and a dissertation advisor for doctoral students in a range of programs, from neuroscience and psychology to biomedical engineering and kinesiology. On a national level, Dr. Adamo recently designed and implemented the American Society of Neurorehabilitation’s Virtual Mentoring Program, which pairs junior faculty with senior researchers.

Dr. Adamo's appointment coincides with the appointment of former chair Sara Maher to interim associate dean for health sciences. 

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