The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) currently funds a postdoctoral fellowship and seven predoctoral trainee positions. In the latest round of CDC funding for NCHPAD, the center made it an aim to have a predoc focused on each of the seven chronic conditions.
The positions’ responsibilities are split with roughly 10 hours supporting NCHPAD programming and 10 hours dedicated to the CEDHARS Adaptive Human Performance Lab. With additional mentorship provided under NCHPAD and CEDHARS, predocs and postdocs can also bring their own research interests into the position.
Once a student is accepted in a given program, the program manager can contact us at
Current Pre- and Postdocs
Pooja Arora
Pooja Arora is a physical therapist and doctoral candidate in the UAB Rehabilitation Sciences program as well as a graduate research assistant at NCHPAD.
In her current role as graduate research assistant, Pooja works as a health coach for the MENTOR program where she helps participants adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors through telehealth coaching.
Pooja’s past educational background includes a doctorate in physical therapy from Northeastern University in Boston, a master’s degree in physical therapy from the Maharshi Dayanand University in Haryana, India, and a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Delhi University in Delhi, India. Pooja has also worked clinically in an outpatient setting at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. Pooja’s current research focuses on adapting tele-rehabilitation and wellness programs for people with chronic respiratory conditions like COPD with an emphasis on integrating holistic interventions to improve physical activity participation and quality of life. Her long-term goal is to become a board-certified physical therapist for cardio-pulmonary conditions and to work in an academic setting conducting research and teaching future rehabilitation specialists. She would also like to continue working clinically in some capacity.
Nazmul Hassan
Md Nazmul Hassan, MScPT, BScPT, currently serves as a health coach for MENTOR while pursuing his PhD at UAB. As a research assistant, Md Nazmul focuses on expanding his knowledge in rehabilitation science, particularly in improving and measuring wellness and quality of life, under the supervision of Dr. James Rimmer.
Prior to his current role, Md Nazmul’s journey in rehabilitation began at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he gained substantial experience in clinical physical therapy and rehabilitation. Transitioning into academia, he pursued postgraduate studies at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, earning a post-graduate diploma. He also holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the Bangladesh Health Professions Institute (BHPI) under the Medicine faculty at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Phuong Quach
Phuong Quach, PhD candidate, is a health coach at NCHPAD and research assistant at UAB. Since joining NCHPAD, Phuong has played a pivotal role in the MENTOR program, providing telehealth coaching to individuals with disabilities. Through personalized guidance and support, Phuong has successfully helped participants achieve significant improvements in their overall wellbeing.
In addition to mentoring, Phuong is a dedicated research assistant at the UAB School of Health Professions. In the Department of Physical Therapy, Phuong investigates factors affecting mobility and neuromotor performance. Her expertise in data collection and analysis, using advanced technologies and analytics tools, has significantly contributed to various clinical and research projects for both UAB and NCHPAD.
Phuong is pursuing a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at UAB, where she also holds a Master of Public Health degree. With a strong background in wellbeing sciences, digital health and scalable interventions, Phuong is dedicated to enhancing health outcomes through research and practical applications.