Dr Merrill Landers

Biography:Merrill Landers is a tenured, professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and a licensed physical therapist. He earned a BS in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University, a DPT from Creighton University, and a PhD in Biological Sciences (Integrative Physiology) from UNLV. He has been at UNLV since 2001 and is in his ninth year as the Chair of the Department of Physical therapy at UNLV. Dr. Landers’ current research interests focus on understanding the physical and psychological factors associated with balance impairment and falls among people with Parkinson’s disease and people with dementia. He is currently exploring the relationship between fear of falling avoidance behavior and its downstream consequences. He is also interested in the biological mechanisms of exercise and physical activity as a neuroprotective strategy in Parkinson’s disease and how this is moderated by genotype. He is currently funded by the NIH for research on motor priming using transcranial direct current stimulation to facilitate improved rehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease.