Katrina Monroe, PT, PhD

Headshot of Katrina S. Monroe (Maluf)

Professor

SDSU

Email

Primary Email: [email protected]

Phone/Fax

Primary Phone: 619-594-5553

Building/Location

Exercise and Nutritional Science - 126 (office), 213 (lab)

Files

Bio

I am a Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at San Diego State University. My research focuses on mechanisms and management of chronic musculoskeletal pain in culturally and linguistically diverse populations.  I am a licensed physical therapist with expertise in psychologically and culturally informed physical therapy approaches to address psychosocial and sensorimotor determinants of chronic pain.  Outside of work I enjoy traveling, outdoor sports, and time with family. 

Education

  • University of Arizona, BS in Microbiology
  • Washington University in St. Louis, MS in Physical Therapy
  • Washington University in St. Louis, PhD in Movement Science

Licensure - CA #299206

Areas of Specialization

Mechanisms and management of musculoskeletal pain disorders

Psychologically and culturally informed physical therapy practice

Telerehabilitation

Professional Memberships/Activities 

American Physical Therapy Association, Academy of Research, Academy of Education

International Association for the Study of Pain, Pain and Movement Special Interest Group

National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review Panelist

Interests

  • Chronic musculoskeletal pain
  • Psychologically informed physical therapy practice
  • Telerehabilitation

Awards & Honors

  • WUSTL, Program in Physical Therapy Distinguished Alumni Award
  • Mortar Board Outstanding Faculty Award
  • SDSU School of ENS Most Influential Faculty Award
  • NOVEL Award for Outstanding Research

Courses

  • DPT 888 – Evidence Based Practice IV: Advanced Clinical Reasoning
  • DPT 878 – Psychosocial Aspects of Rehabilitation
  • DPT 897 – Doctoral Research
  • DPT 889 – Doctoral Project

Research

My research aims to develop and test innovative strategies for the assessment, management, and prevention of chronic musculoskeletal pain in culturally and linguistically diverse populations.  I have served as a principal investigator or faculty mentor for 22 research and training grants with extramural support from the National Institutes of Health, International Association for the Study of Pain, Foundation for Physical Therapy, and the VA Medical Center of San Diego Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health.

Funded Studies

  • National Institutes of Health (NIMHD) R01-MD018937 (MPI, 2023-2028) Salud de tu Espalda                                   Primary Care to Physical Therapy (STEPPT): Mitigating ethnic disparities in access and engagement in spine pain rehabilitation. This stepped wedge clinical trial aims to mitigate ethnic disparities in access to and engagement in physical rehabilitation for spine pain by addressing barriers at multiple levels of influence along the care continuum in a Federally Qualified Health Center serving culturally and linguistically diverse low-income communities.

  • NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities F31-MD018535 (Co-Mentor,      2023-2026). Evaluating multilevel factors that predict physical activity among Latinos with chronic spine pain: A mixed methods study. This individual training grant supports graduate training and dissertation research for a PhD student in the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program, School of Public Health.

Completed Studies

  • National Institutes of Health (NIMHD) U54 MD012397 (Co-I/Project MPI, 2018-2024). SDSU HealthLINK Center for Transdisciplinary Health Disparities Research. This project aims to improve infrastructure at SDSU and its partner organizations to advance minority health and health disparities research among racially/ethnically diverse and lower-income populations using a community-engaged transdisciplinary research approach.  In partnership with Family Health Centers of San Diego, Dr. Monroe and Dr. Gombatto serve as Project Co-Principal Investigators for the HealthLINK funded clinical trial, Cognitive Behavioral Based Physical Therapy for Latinos with Chronic Spine Pain.

  • Veterans Administration Medical Center of San Diego Center of Excellence in Stress and Mental Health Pilot Award (PI, 2021-2022) Multimodal tDCS Intervention to Optimize Neuromodulation of Brain Network Activity and Improve Clinical Outcomes in Veterans with Chronic Post-Traumatic Headache.  This pilot trial aims to explore the clinical feasibility and neurobiological effects of telehealth therapeutic exercise alone and in combination with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for Veterans with post-traumatic headache and neck pain.

  • National Institutes of Health (NINDS) R21 NS109852 (2019-2022). Imaging Central and Peripheral Impairments in Chronic Post-Traumatic Headache with Comorbid Neck Pain. This collaborative project between SDSU, UCSD, and VA San Diego uses magnetic resonance imaging and quantitative sensory testing to identify markers of brain and muscle dysfunction contributing to post-traumatic headache in veterans with mild traumatic brain injury, with the long-term goal of identifying biomarkers of clinical phenotypes to better inform treatment decisions. Monroe (Maluf) Role: Principal Investigator (Co-MPIs: Dr. Dawn Schiehser, Dr. Bahar Shahidi)
  • National Institutes of Health (NCMRR) F31 HD101274 (2019-2022). Role of Patient-Provider Communication on Clinical Outcomes of Chronic Pain Rehabilitation. This fellowship provides pre-doctoral training for a PhD student in the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health.  The dissertation study uses mixed methods approaches to examine the relationship between communication practices, patient-provider therapeutic alliance, and clinical outcomes in patients referred to physical therapy for the management of chronic pain. Monroe (Maluf) Role: Faculty mentor (Fellow: Chelsea Chapman)

Publications