Faculty Spotlight: Brandon Ness

Our DPT faculty are dedicated to make our students experience the best possible. Get to know our faculty members in the DPT Boston program—meet Brandon Ness, PT, DPT, PhD, assistant professor and sports clinical specialist.

What courses do you teach?
"I teach courses in the Tufts DPT Boston program, where I lead courses in clinical prevention and population health, diagnostic imaging, and therapeutic interventions. I also assist as secondary faculty in an advanced therapeutic interventions course.  "

Why did you choose to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy?
"I think a combination of my past experiences, encouragement from mentors, and self-assessment of my personal attributes, skills, and values led me to pursue a DPT degree. One thing I do remember is that when starting out on my pursuit of a DPT degree, I had aspirations of one day becoming a DPT faculty because of the opportunity to mentor others."

What are your areas of research and why did you pick them?
"My primary areas of research interest have most recently included looking at patient outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. I think a few things sparked my interest in this topic. One of which is my clinical background as a sports physical therapist working with a diverse population of athletes across the lifespan. I also have a personal background in athletics which has allowed for being able to better relate to patients and understand the demands of their sport. Hopefully our research findings will ultimately help to improve care for this population."

What accomplishments are you most proud of?
"I am most fond of the relationships with people that I’ve developed over the course of my career. These relationships have been cultivated through different roles ranging from teaching, research, clinical, and service to name a few. I can easily recall different experiences with mentors/colleagues at each point along the way. Now that I’ve been in a faculty role for some time, I can say that one of the most rewarding things about this role is seeing others succeed and helping them reach their goals."

Why did you choose to teach at Tufts?
"I chose to teach at Tufts because of the people and the opportunity to interact with faculty, staff, and students. The Tufts community has been very welcoming and has provided an environment to explore and develop innovative teaching methods to enhance the learning experience for students."

What is a piece of advice you would like to share with Tufts DPT students?
"Continue to work with, support, and learn from one another during your time in the program. These habits will carry over to the workplace and help prepare you to work with an interdisciplinary team of healthcare providers."

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