Biography

Dr. Sandra Billinger, PT, PhD, is Professor at the University of Kansas (KU) Medical Center.  She leads the Research in Exercise and Cardiovascular Health Laboratory and is Asst Director, Imaging Core and the Neurovascular Division Director, KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Dr. Billinger is an internationally renowned speaker on exercise testing and interventions in people living with stroke. Dr. Billinger has received continuous grant funding from internal and external funding sources including NIH, American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Physical Therapy Association.  These grants have focused on vascular health and lifestyle interventions for people living with stroke. Dr. Billinger has over 90 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

She served as Chair, Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery Committee for the AHA Stroke Council and was the lead author for the AHA Scientific Statement, Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivors in 2014.  Dr. Billinger has served as a member of the AHA/ASA Oversight Committee for the Bugher Foundation Centers of Excellence in Stroke Collaborative Research for Regeneration, Resilience, and Secondary Prevention (2015-2019) and now serves as an Oversight Committee member for the Centers of Excellence in Hemorrhagic Stroke (2020-current). Dr. Billinger was awarded the AHA Stroke Council Lecture Award in 2016 and Excellence in Neurologic Research from the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy, American Physical Therapy Association (2021) and the Kansas City Central Exchange STEMMy Educator Award in 2021.

Dr. Billinger has mentored numerous graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty at the local, national and international level. Dr. Billinger received the Stata Norton Teaching Award and the KU Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2016. Dr. Billinger served as president of KU Medical Center’s Women in Medicine and Science group (2013-2017). Dr. Billinger enjoys outdoor activities such as biking, running, gardening and hiking.