Beth Fischer is an Associate professor of clinical physical therapy in the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California (USC). She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Neurology, Keck School of medicine at USC. Additionally she is the director of the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Laboratory. Prior to completing her PhD, she worked at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center on the Adult Neurology and Brain Injury Services and continues to consult and teach nationally and internationally on current concepts for the treatment of adults with neurological disorders. During her years as a clinician and rehabilitation specialist, it was her greatest ambition to be a part of developing physical therapy interventions that would maximize neural and behavioral recovery in individuals suffering from pathological conditions affecting the nervous system. Towards this goal she is currently studying the effects of high-intensity exercise on functional recovery and brain repair in Parkinson’s disease using TMS as a marker of neuroplasticity as well as the effects of repetitive TMS on improving hand function in individuals with stroke. Finally, as the Director of the USC/RLANRC Neuroresidency program she is able to continue to contribute to the advancement of neurologic clinical practice and translation from basic research to the clinic.
