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Susan L. Whitney, DPT, PhD, NCS, ATC, FAPTA

  • Professor, Departments of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Physical Therapy
  • Co-Director and Professor, Physical Therapy Post-Professional MS Program
  • Director, Vestibular Rehabilitation Program

Susan Whitney serves as a professor in the Departments of Otolaryngology and Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Whitney is particularly interested in clinically useful tools that can prognosticate or record change over time in persons with vestibular disorders plus the development of new interventions to improves people's lives who are living with inner ear problems. She is supported by the Department of Defense to develop technology for persons with mild brain injury and has authored or coauthored 225 articles on Medline.

    Education & Training

  • Temple University, BS in Physical Therapy, Cum Laude
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Education, Completed Requirements for Athletic Training Certification
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Health Related Professions, Master of Science Degree in Health Related Professions
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Education, PhD in Education (primary emphasis in Motor Development)
  • MGH Institute of Health Professions, Transitional DPT degree
Awards
Hallpike-Nylen Award, Barany Society, May 2022
University of Rhode Island Physical Therapy Department’s Distinguished Lecturer’s Award, March 2022
John Maley Lecture, awarded 2021. Given to one physical therapist by the American Physical Therapy Association
Presidents Award, International Neurologic Physiotherapy Assocation, a subgroup of World Physiotherapy, 2021
Academy of Neurology Vestibular SIG Best Poster award (1 st and 2nd prizes) 2020
Representative Publications

Vestibular Rehabilitation for Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction: An Updated Clinical Practice Guideline From the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. Hall CD, Herdman SJ, Whitney SL, Anson ER, Carender WJ, Hoppes CW, Cass SP, Christy JB, Cohen HS, Fife TD, Furman JM, Shepard NT, Clendaniel RA, Dishman JD, Goebel JA, Meldrum D, Ryan C, Wallace RL, Woodward NJ. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2022 Apr 1;46(2):118-177. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000382. PMID: 34864777

The Bárány Society position on 'Cervical Dizziness'. Seemungal BM, Agrawal Y, Bisdorff A, Bronstein A, Cullen KE, Goadsby PJ, Lempert T, Kothari S, Lim PB, Magnusson M, Marcus HJ, Strupp M, Whitney SL. J Vestib Res. 2022;32(6):487-499. doi: 10.3233/VES-220202. PMID: 36404562 

Association between dizziness and future falls and fall-related injuries in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Li Y, Smith RM, Whitney SL, Seemungal BM, Ellmers TJ. Age Ageing. 2024 Sep 1;53(9):afae177. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afae177. PMID: 39293812 

Measures of balance and falls risk prediction in people with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review of psychometric properties. Winser SJ, Kannan P, Bello UM, Whitney SL. Clin Rehabil. 2019 Dec;33(12):1949-1962. doi: 10.1177/0269215519877498. Epub 2019 Oct 1. PMID: 31571503

Vestibular Rehabilitation for Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline: FROM THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION NEUROLOGY SECTION. Hall CD, Herdman SJ, Whitney SL, Cass SP, Clendaniel RA, Fife TD, Furman JM, Getchius TS, Goebel JA, Shepard NT, Woodhouse SN. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2016 Apr;40(2):124-55. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000120. PMID: 26913496

Full list of publications

Research Interests
  • Balance and dizziness in persons with vestibular disorders
  • Concussion, dizziness, and balance
  • The effect of personality on recovery