It’s a good thing that Lindsay Garmirian hit the tourist attractions when she lived here 10 years ago while working for the NIH. Since returning to the DMV this summer and joining GW, the sites she’s visited have been kid-centric. “We go to the playground a lot,” Garmirian said. “We’ve been to most all of the playgrounds in Fairfax and Arlington counties; and the library, too.” Garmirian is starting her first faculty role as an assistant professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in HHFR. She joins us from Northwestern University, where she was a graduate research assistant in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Physical Therapy and Movement Sciences. She recently earned her doctorate in biomedical engineering from Northwestern. “I was 38 weeks pregnant when I defended (my dissertation), had a child and then moved here,” she recalled. The title of her dissertation was: "The Neural and Biomechanical Changes Underlying Weakness in the Paretic Upper Limb in Individuals with Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke." Garmirian was attracted to GW because of the PT program’s reputation. “Colleagues speak very highly of the students and faculty here,” she said. “Everyone is really friendly and welcoming. I already feel like part of the community.” Garmirian will teach courses in neuroscience, which has been the focus of her practice and research. As a new faculty member, she is eager to learn more about the curriculum and PT students. She realizes successfully juggling teaching, research, clinical practice and family life will be a priority. Family life at home in Annandale, Va., revolves around her four-month old son, three-year-old daughter, husband and their pet dog, “Albus” (aka “Al”). Away from work, besides playground and library visits, she enjoys hiking “or nature walks as my toddler calls them.” In addition to her PhD, Garmirian has a DPT from Northwestern and a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University.
The George Washington University
