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<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nLaDora\u00a0 V. Thompson, PhD<\/a> has been named the first Travis M. Roy Professor<\/a> in Rehabilitation Sciences. Thompson, who arrived at BU in October from the University of Minnesota Medical School, also chairs the department of physical therapy and athletic training. She says she sees the professorship as a unique opportunity to translate basic research to clinical application\u2014to collaborate with other scientists, students, and patients to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are experts here at Sargent College who investigate what are the optimal tools that will assist individuals to have a greater quality of life. There are also leaders in the field of technology development for those that have disabilities,\u201d says Thompson, a physical therapist whose current research focuses on understanding how muscles function at the cellular and molecular levels.<\/p>\n