Jeff Houck, PhD, PT

Bio

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. Since joining academic DPT programs in 1999, he has been committed to preparing the next generation of clinicians through innovative, evidence-driven educational models.

Houck advocates for competency-based education and the Master Adaptive Learner model as frameworks for producing reflective, practice-ready DPT graduates. His educational philosophy embraces innovation in program design, including integration of AI and emerging technologies, and fosters a culture of scholarly inquiry connecting classroom learning to real-world clinical practice.

His research focuses on bringing three complementary technologies directly to patient care: computer-adaptive patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), handheld ultrasound imaging, and three-dimensional motion analysis. Houck has been a longstanding advocate for PROMIS in physical therapy, serving as President of the PROMIS Health Organization (2025) and co-chair of its workshop (2023), as well as invited panelist at the International Consortium of Health Outcomes Measurement (2025).

The clinical value of these tools is illustrated through his work on Achilles tendon disorders. Handheld ultrasound quantifies tendon pathology, 3D biomechanics captures joint function, and PROMs clarify physical and psychosocial symptoms — together enabling a biopsychosocial approach to clinical decision-making. Current funded research in collaboration with the Hill and Dalecki labs applies this framework to insertional Achilles tendinopathy, stratifying patients and guiding conservative versus operative treatment decisions.

Houck's career reflects a conviction that excellence in physical therapy demands both rigorous science and transformative education, each informing and elevating the other.