Cara L. Lewis, PT, PhD
Professor, Physical Therapy
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.
Other Positions
- Associate Professor, Rheumatology, 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
Education
- Washington University in St. Louis, PhD
- Washington University in St. Louis, MS
- University of Notre Dame, BS
Publications
- Published on 2/1/2025
James KA, Neogi T, Felson DT, Corrigan P, Lewis CL, Davis IS, Bacon KL, Torner JC, Lewis CE, Nevitt MC, Stefanik JJ. Association of walking cadence to changes in knee pain and physical function: The multicenter osteoarthritis study. Osteoarthr Cartil Open. 2025 Mar; 7(1):100575. PMID: 39995587.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/7/2024
Kiapour AM, Mitchell C, Hosseinzadeh S, Emami A, Lewis CL, Warfield SK, Bixby S, Stracciolini A, Novais EN, Kim YJ. Association Between Hip Translation and Hip Rotation and Anatomy: A Pilot Quasi-static MRI Study. Orthop J Sports Med. 2024 Oct; 12(10):23259671241275662. PMID: 39380668.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/5/2024
Ahn N, Haischer MH, Lewis CL, Kipp K. Relative muscular effort in the older adults during the sit-to-stand task: Monitoring neuromuscular reserve and movement limitations. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2024 Dec; 120:106360. PMID: 39406131.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/22/2024
Rao RP, Sara LK, Perkins ZE, Dwyer MK, Lewis CL. Females with hip pain walk with altered kinematics at peaks and throughout the gait cycle. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2024 Aug; 118:106314. PMID: 39111115.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/21/2024
Lewis CL, Shefelbine SJ. Lost in research translation: Female athletes are not male athletes, especially at the hip. J Orthop Res. 2024 Sep; 42(9):2054-2060. PMID: 38644357.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/13/2024
Le HM, d'Hemecourt PA, Jackson SS, Whitney KE, Miller PE, Millis MB, Wuerz TH, Kiapour AM, Lewis CL, Stracciolini A. Protocol and validity testing of femoroacetabular posterior translation with dynamic hip ultrasonography. Skeletal Radiol. 2024 Jul; 53(7):1287-1293. PMID: 38217703.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/15/2023
Sara LK, Lewis CL. Rehabilitation Phases, Precautions, and Mobility Goals Following Total Hip Arthroplasty. HSS J. 2023 Nov; 19(4):494-500. PMID: 37937096.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/26/2023
Grosklos M, Lewis CL, Ceballos E, Perry J, Di Stasi S. Females with hip-related pain demonstrate reduced kinetics at the hip and ankle during terminal stance of gait. Gait Posture. 2023 Sep; 105:99-103. PMID: 37515892.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/4/2023
Sadeghian SM, Lewis CL, Shefelbine SJ. Can pelvic tilt cause cam morphology? A computational model of proximal femur development mechanobiology. J Biomech. 2023 Aug; 157:111707. PMID: 37441913.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/22/2023
Lewis CL, Segal NA, Rabasa GV, LaValley MP, Williams GN, Nevitt MC, Lewis CE, Felson DT, Stefanik JJ. Hip Abductor Weakness and Its Association With New or Worsened Knee Pain: Data From the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2023 Nov; 75(11):2328-2335. PMID: 37221156.
Read at: PubMed
View 70 more publications: View full profile at BUMC