Associate Professor

Rupal M Patel, PT, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University (TWU) in Houston, Texas. Dr. Patel received her Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Physical Therapy from TWU in Denton, Texas in 1990 and her transitional Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy from TWU in Houston in 1991. Dr. Patel received her Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Wellness from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah. Her dissertation focused on community-based, culturally targeted lifestyle modification programs to reduce risk factors for diabetes for an at-risk population.

Dr. Patel coordinates the two health promotion and wellness courses in the entry-level DPT curriculum at TWU, one with a focus on the physical therapist’s role in impacting individual health behaviors and the other with a focus on the PT’s role in community health promotion specifically addressing health disparities in underserved populations that have limited access to prevention, health promotion and wellness services. Dr. Patel has taught continuing education courses on health promotion and wellness-related topics at various local and state PT conferences. Most recently she taught courses related to nutrition in PT practice, the use of an evidence-based community health promotion planning model, and the service-learning paradigm to conduct community health promotion programs among underserved populations. Dr. Patel is a founding member of the APTA's Council on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Wellness and an elected member of the APTA Nominating Committee.