A professor in the KU Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, Catherine (Katie) F. Siengsukon, Ph.D., PT, DBSM, CHWC, provides instruction in neuroscience, neurorehabilitation and sleep health promotion in the physical therapy and rehabilitation science doctoral degree programs at KU Medical Center. Her research interests are aimed at understanding how sleep impacts physical and cognitive function, learning and overall health in adults both with and without neurologic injury or disease (multiple sclerosis, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease).

Siengsukon is director of Sleep, Health and Wellness Lab at KU Medical Center and is active in presenting at national and international conferences on her work into sleep health. Receiving frequent questions after her talks, she recognized a need for one place for both physical therapists and their patients to get accurate, up-to-date sleep health information online.

This led to a new research study Siengsukon recently conducted to identify the barriers and facilitators to physical therapists implementing sleep health in their practice: Siengsukon CF, Nelson E, Turkowitch D. Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Sleep Health into Outpatient Physical Therapist Practice: A Survey Study. J Allied Health. 2023 Summer;52(2):e55-e61. PMID: 37269038. She also asked the clinicians for ideas about resources they would find beneficial in their practice.

With that study now complete, Siengsukon is excited to provide the innovative "sleep health toolkit" here, and more content will be added as it becomes available.