Damiano named president of American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine

Oct. 22, 2007 -- Diane L. Damiano, Ph.D., has been elected president of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. Damiano is research associate professor of neurology and adjunct associate professor of physical therapy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine is a multidisciplinary scientific society devoted to the study of cerebral palsy and other childhood onset disabilities. It promotes professional education for the treatment and management of these conditions and to improving the quality of life for people with these disabilities.

Damiano was chosen to lead the association for the 2007-2008 term in recognition of her numerous professional achievements and dedication to the field. She is the first physical therapist, the second non-physician and the fifth woman to hold the president's position in the academy's 61-year history.

Damiano is co-director of the Movement Assessment Center at the School of Medicine. Her research involves characterizing the movement disorder in cerebral palsy and developing and evaluating intervention strategies to improve motor function in patients with cerebral palsy in collaboration with Janice Brunstrom, M.D., associate professor of neurology and of pediatrics, and others.

Damiano is married to Ralph J. Damiano Jr., M.D., the John M. Shoenberg Professor of Surgery and chief of cardiac surgery at Washington University School of Medicine.

Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.