Thomas Sherriff

Thomas Sherriff wasn’t planning to get into research when he started at UMass Lowell, but he’s glad that he did. 

As an undergraduate exercise science major in the Honors College, Sherriff worked with faculty researchers studying knee pain and gait patterns in runners, as well as bone health in college-aged students. 

His mentor, Asst. Prof. David Cornell of the Physical Therapy and Kinesiology Department, provided research opportunities in the Health Assessment Laboratory. Sherriff studied heart rate variability and movement quality among active-duty firefighters, an area of research to which he was drawn.

As an undergraduate, he examined how the large muscles of the calf may limit functional movement patterns among career active-duty firefighters, which may correlate to an increased injury risk for that population. He was the lead author on a paper about the findings that was published in the International Journal of Athletic Therapy and Training. And he accomplished all this before he even started the DPT program. 

“I had the pleasure of presenting at local, regional, and national-level conferences during my time as a student at UMass Lowell,” says Sherriff, a former Westford resident now living in Lowell who will graduate in May 2023 with his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.

As a DPT student, Sherriff continues to work with Cornell on another project that compares the differences between two movement screening tools among active-duty firefighters. He found that age and body mass index can greatly alter performance on one movement screen versus another, and that the rank and years of experience of a firefighter do not have the same effect across either screening tool. He presented this data as an abstract at the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy Annual Meeting and Scientific Conference in fall 2022.

“I was selected to help organize the event and present my original research,” says Sherriff, who attended the event with Cornell. “It was great to work with other DPT students from across the country, as well as to see clinical and research expertise in all aspects of sports. I remain active in the special interest group for sports and tactical athletes and hope to return to the conference in the coming years.”

Sherriff says that the many opportunities that UMass Lowell offered helped him to stand out as a future DPT graduate.

“UMass Lowell allowed me to interface and work with lead researchers in the fields of physical therapy, exercise science, dietetics, epidemiology and nutritional epigenetics,” he says. 

He credits his success to expert instruction within the Physical Therapy and Kinesiology Department and to mentorship from Cornell.

“Faculty in the DPT program present course material in a nuanced way to elicit conversation and build on your strengths, while also addressing areas of professional growth,” he says.

When Sherriff graduates, he intends to earn a commission to the U.S. Air Force, eventually pursuing advanced fellowship training, which will enable him to work with pararescue teams.

“I’m interested in having an impact on my community by providing physical therapy services to these tactical populations, which in turn allows them to return to duty so that they can better serve their communities,” says Sherriff.