Grace-Anne Herard, DPT, EdD

Dr. Grace-Anne Herard is a physical therapist, educator and researcher with expertise in neurological, cardiac and pulmonary disorders within children and adults. Her primary research focuses on motor learning and control among individuals with neurological disorders.

Dr. Herard’s investigations involve kinematic analysis to explore the impact of intensive motor learning-based interventions on bimanual coordination in children afflicted with bilateral cerebral palsy (BCP). As a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Cerebral Palsy Research at Teachers College, Columbia University, she plays an integral role in a multi-center randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy including the Lower Extremities (HABIT-ILE) on motor skill acquisition and retention in children with BCP.

Throughout her career, Dr. Herard has engaged in diverse areas of acute inpatient care, including rotations in neurological, cardiac and pulmonary settings at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, NY. She also gained valuable experience in acute inpatient rehabilitation at Harlem Hospital Center, NY, and the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, MN, working with individuals recovering from strokes, spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. Additionally, she managed the outpatient Spine Center at Allina Health in Edina, MN, and ran an orthopedic physical therapy private practice in Queens, NY.

Dr. Herard’s instructional journey encompasses various roles. She assisted in a pediatric neuromuscular evaluation and management lab within the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Touro University, NY. She also taught a graduate course in research methods and design at Teachers College, Columbia University. Moreover, she took on responsibilities such as teaching an undergraduate kinesiology course at Queens College and a pharmacology course in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Utica University, NY.

In 2023, Dr. Herard became a core faculty member of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Miami, FL campus.