Naomi Lynn Gerber

Professor
Director, Center for Study of Chronic Illness and Disability

Measuring and treating impairments and disability in patients with musculoskeletal deficits (including children with osteogenesis imperfecta; persons with rheumatoid arthritis and cancer)

Dr. Naomi Lynn Gerber is University Professor of Rehabilitation Science and the Director of the Center for Study of Chronic Illness and Disability (CCID). She is responsible for developing its research program to describe the mechanisms by which disease leads to disability and to explore treatments that prevent or reduce disabilities and restore function.

Dr. Gerber graduated Magna cum Laude from Smith College in 1965, and earned her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine in 1971. Dr. Gerber also received medical training at the New England Medical Center, a fellowship in rheumatology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and residency training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) at George Washington University. She is board certified in internal medicine, rheumatology, and PM&R.

Dr. Gerber served as Chief of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department (RMD) in the Clinical Center of NIH from 1975 to 2005. In collaboration with the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, she led the development of a state-of-the-art, program-driven research section to study human movement. From 1988 to 2000, in addition to her NIH position, Dr. Gerber was director of PM&R at Georgetown University School of Medicine, where she developed a rehabilitation research residency training program.

Much of Dr. Gerber’s clinical research interest has been centered on measuring and treating impairments and disability in patients with musculoskeletal deficits. She is particularly interested in children with osteogenesis imperfecta, persons with rheumatoid arthritis, and patients with cancer. Much of her collaborative work has been studying pathomechanics and how patients with a variety of disorders compensate for impairments to preserve function.

Dr. Gerber is a reviewer for medical specialty journals and has served on many advisory boards, reviewed academic programs, and reviewed grants for federal agencies. Dr. Gerber chaired the Research Advisory Committee of the Academy of PM&R from 2000 to 2005, and she now serves on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Gerber has authored or co-authored 90 peer-reviewed, published manuscripts and 45 chapters in major textbooks.

Education

• M.D., Tufts University School of Medicine, 1971
• A.B. Magna Cum Laude, Smith College, 1965

Research

2011-2012

Publications

Gerber, L.H., Sikdar, S., Hammond, J., Shah, J. (2011). A brief overview and update of Myofacial Pain Syndrome and Myofacial Trigger Points. Journal Spinal Research Foundation, 6, 55-64.

Cintas, H.L., Parks, R., Don, S., Gerber, L. (2011). Brief assessment of motor function: Content validity and reliability of the upper extremity gross motor scale. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 4, 440-450.

Mitchell, S.A., Jacobsohn, D., Thormann Powers, K.E., Carpenter, P.A., Flowers, M.E., Cowen, E.W., Schubert, M., Turner, M.L., Lee, S.J., Martin, P., Bishop, M.R., Baird, K., Bolaños-Meade, J., Boyd, K., Fall-Dickson, J.M., Gerber, L.H., Guadagnini, J.P., Imanguli, M., Krumlauf, M.C., Lawley, L., Li, L., Reeve, B.B., Clayton, J.A., Vogelsang, G.B., Pavletic, S.Z. (2011). A multicenter pilot evaluation of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease (cGVHD) therapeutic response measures: Feasibility, interrater reliability, and minimum detectable change. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantion, 17(11), 1619-1629.

Grants & Contracts

“Contract with Inova Health Systems.” Inova Health Systems, 2008-2011, Gerber (PI), $36,264.

“Pilot Study to Assess the Application of Haptic Technology to Functional Improvement in persons with Mild and Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury.” Henry Jackson Foundation through the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science, (Prime sponsors: Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health), 2010-2011, Gerber (PI), $234,096.

“Florence Nesh Charitable Trust.” PNC Foundation, 2008-2011, Gerber (PI), $100,226.