Department of Human Performance welcomes two new Athletic Training faculty
Samantha Scarneo-Miller, Ph.D., ATC, and Kate Jochimsen, Ph.D., ATC, recently joined the School of Medicine as faculty members in the Division of Athletic Training in the Department of Human Performance.
Scarneo-Miller will serve as the program director for the new Master of Science in Athletic Training degree program. She recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Korey Stringer Institute housed at the University of Connecticut where she served as the vice president of Sport Safety.
She earned her bachelor’s in Athletic Training from the University of New Hampshire. She went on to complete her master’s and PhD in Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut.
Scarneo-Miller is an active researcher whose primary research interests focus on dissemination and implementation of best practices to prevent sport-related death in youth, high school, and collegiate settings. She is currently engaged with major research studies to identify the current adoption (e.g., exertional heat illness, cardiac arrest, lightning, spinal cord injury, etc.) of best practices along with the development of tailored strategies to enhance the adoption and implementation of these best practices.
"The addition of Dr. Scarneo-Miller provides a great resource to advance healthcare strategies to protect our athletes, not only at WVU, but across the state, particularly at the youth and secondary school levels," said Yum Nguyen, Ph.D., ATC, chair of the Division of Athletic Training. "I am confident that she will be successful in leading the Division’s initiative toward providing high level healthcare to all athletes throughout the state of West Virginia.”
Jochimsen will serve as the Director of Research for the Division of Athletic Training. She earned a bachelor’s in Human Biology from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. She earned her master’s in Athletic Training from Florida International University and her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Kentucky. Jochimsen recently completed a Research Post-Doctorate in Biomechanics at the Ohio State University.
Jochimsen’s area of research uses the biopsychosocial model to identify treatment targets in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain with the overall goal to develop effective rehabilitation interventions to optimize clinical outcomes.
Her active research agenda is to examine the impact of psychosocial factors on pain, physical activity, and movement impairments in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain and develop interdisciplinary interventions aimed at improving clinical outcomes for individuals with orthopaedic injuries.
"Dr. Jochimsen’s combined expertise in biomechanics and psychosocial factors provides an integrated approach to addressing orthopedic injuries that is exciting," said Nguyen. "I am excited for her leadership in advancing the applied clinical research agendas in the Division of Athletic Training, which will provide numerous collaborations across the School of Medicine and benefit many individuals across the community.”
Jochimsen will be responsible for directing the newly developed Sports Medicine Biomechanics Research laboratory that will be equipped with state-of-the-art biomechanics and motion analysis capabilities and lead the student research program.
"We are thrilled to have faculty with the outstanding clinical experiences and research expertise of Dr. Scarneo-Miller and Dr. Jochimsen," said Nguyen. "The addition of these faculty will ensure the continuation of the rich tradition and outstanding reputation that WVU Athletic Training has established for over 50 years and provide students clinical research opportunities that will set them apart as highly qualified sports medicine clinicians.”
The Division of Athletic Training is currently accepting applications for the next cohort for the Master of Science in Athletic Training degree program. Complete information about the program and application process can be found at https://medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/athletic-training.