Christine Childers, PT, PhD

Chris Childers PT, PhD moved to Arizona in 2021 to become the founding program director for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She has worked extensively for the Federation of State boards of physical therapy, serving as an advanced item writer and member of the exam development committee.  Dr. Childers works for the accrediting body of the Physical Therapy association conducting site visits for re-accreditation as well as candidacy.  She has also served on the geriatric specialty council for the American Board of Physical therapy specialists and recently coordinated the 10-year revision of the description of specialty practice.  Chris is also the director of the Advanced Competency in Home health certification for the Home Health academy of the American Physical Therapy association. 

Dr. Childers trained as a physiotherapist at the University of East Anglia in her native UK.  She subsequently moved to the United States and became licensed to practice in Utah, where she managed inpatient rehabilitation settings, gained her board certification in Geriatrics and her MS in Gerontology.  Dr. Childers then moved to California where she continued to work in skilled nursing, managing rehabilitation departments before transitioning to academics.  Chris completed her PhD in Health Psychology in 2018 and was the associate program director for the hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy program of the University of St Augustine Health Sciences.