Cara L. Lewis, PT, PhD

Professor, Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College

Biography

Cara L. Lewis, PT, PhD is a Professor and director of the Human Adaptation Laboratory. She is also the Director of the PhD Program in Rehabilitation Sciences. The long-term goal of her research is to improve the lives of individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain and prevent or slow the progression of musculoskeletal damage through improved knowledge of joint function, leading to advanced, targeted intervention strategies. Dr. Lewis' current focus is on treatment for hip pain, especially in adults with variant hip morphology, such as femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) and acetabular dysplasia. In the Human Adaptation Laboratory, they are working to better understand the role of movement in the development of hip bone shape and hip pain. The knowledge gained from Dr. Lewis' work has the potential to redirect treatment for people with FAIS and dysplasia by identifying pathology-specific movement patterns that could be targeted by non-invasive therapeutic interventions.

Dr. Lewis has been supported by the National Institutes of Health. She has published and presented her research nationally and internationally in biomechanics, physical therapy, and motor control forums.

Publications

  • Published 10/15/2025

    Huang CH, Segal NA, Felson DT, Sherman DA, Lewis CL, Bacon KL, Lynch J, Lewis CE, Stefanik J. Effect of Knee Extensor Power on Knee Pain in Adults With or at Risk for Osteoarthritis: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. J Rheumatol. 2025 Oct 15. PMID: 40953946.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/17/2025

    Ahn N, Lewis CL, Kipp K. Joint-Specific Contributions to Vertical and Horizontal Center-of-Mass Velocity During a Sit-to-Stand Task Depend on Age. J Appl Biomech. 2025 Oct 01; 41(5):435-441. PMID: 40681168.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/23/2025

    Patel JR, Grosklos M, Lewis CL, Di Stasi S. Effect of altered gluteus maximus strength on the magnitude and direction of hip joint contact forces during simulations of gait. PLoS One. 2025; 20(6):e0324451. PMID: 40549747.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/5/2025

    deMille P, Lewis CL, Nguyen JT, Brown AM, Hannafin JA, Chiaia T. Quality of Movement for Athletes 6 Months After ACL Reconstruction. Orthop J Sports Med. 2025 May; 13(5):23259671251324525. PMID: 40342355.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/11/2025

    Sara LK, Felson DT, Tilley S, LaValley MP, Lewis CE, Lynch JA, Segal NA, Guermazi A, Roemer F, Stefanik JJ, Lewis CL. The relation of walking forces to structural damage in the knee: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2025 Jun; 33(6):745-752. PMID: 40222627.

    Read at: PubMed

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Other Positions

  • Associate Professor, Medicine
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Member, Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Center
    Boston University
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University

Websites

Education

  • Washington University in St. Louis, PhD
  • Washington University in St. Louis, MS
  • University of Notre Dame, BS

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