Jeff R. Houck

Jeff Houck, PT, PhD is a physical therapist, clinical researcher, and educator whose career bridges advancing clinical science and transforming entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy education. He is the founding Program Director of the new Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, launching in fall 2027. Dr. Houck completed his PhD in Physical Therapy at the University of Iowa (1999) and has been engaged in DPT education and research since that time. His research program focuses on bringing complementary technologies directly to patient care: handheld ultrasound imaging, three-dimensional motion analysis, and computer-adaptive patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This work is exemplified through his research on Achilles tendon disorders, where handheld ultrasound quantifies tendon pathology, 3D biomechanics captures joint function, and PROMs clarify physical and psychosocial symptoms — together enabling a biopsychosocial approach to cli