Dr. Fay Horak is a world-renowned neuroscientist and physical therapist whose pioneering research has fundamentally advanced our understanding of balance disorders and their rehabilitation. She currently holds the prestigious Jay Nutt MD Endowed Professorship in Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University while also serving as Adjunct Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering. With a distinguished educational background that includes a BS in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin, an MS in Neurophysiology from the University of Minnesota, and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Washington, Dr. Horak has built a remarkable career spanning over four decades at the intersection of clinical practice and scientific discovery. Her leadership extends beyond OHSU as she serves as Scientific Advisor for the Balance Disorders Laboratory and has held the position of Chief Scientific Officer at APDM Wearable Technology, a company she helped establish to translate research into practical clinical applications.
Dr. Horak's groundbreaking research has illuminated the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying balance control and how they are disrupted in neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease. She is internationally recognized for developing the Balance Evaluation Systems Test and its abbreviated version, the Mini-BESTest, which have become gold standard clinical assessment tools used worldwide to evaluate balance impairments and guide rehabilitation strategies. Her work on quantifying posture and gait using wearable sensor technology has revolutionized how clinicians and researchers measure movement disorders, with her patented technologies enabling more precise assessment of neurological function in both clinical and research settings. With over 400 peer-reviewed publications and more than 54,000 citations, her research has had extraordinary impact, securing over 50 million dollars in federal grant funding and establishing new paradigms for understanding and treating mobility disorders.
As the first elected President of The International Society for Posture and Gait Research, Dr. Horak has played a pivotal role in shaping the global research agenda for balance and movement disorders. Her exceptional contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the distinction of being the first physical therapist to receive the prestigious NIH MERIT Award, which provided over 30 years of continuous research funding. Through her leadership at APDM Wearable Technology, she continues to bridge the gap between academic research and clinical application, advancing precision movement technology for use in clinical trials worldwide. Dr. Horak's ongoing work focuses on developing more sophisticated wearable technologies to quantify neurological signs and mobility, ensuring her continued influence in transforming how we assess and treat balance disorders in neurological patients.
