Katherine Elaine Buzzanca-Fried

is a research collaborator within Brooks Rehabilitation and the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions. She holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Science with a focus on neuromuscular plasticity from the University of Florida and a certificate in Implementation Science from the University of Florida College of Medicine. She is an instructor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Florida, where she has taught evidence-based practice and health promotion and wellness curricula for the past six years. She is passionate about integrating psychologically informed practice into physical therapy and linking psychological and biological functioning, particularly in the context of brain injury. Dr. Buzzanca-Fried specializes in fear-related behavioral manifestations after mild traumatic brain injury (concussion), with research examining their relationship to autonomic nervous system function and persistent symptoms. Her work includes validating a m