Lobna S Elsarafy, PT, DPT, PhD

Dr. Lobna Elsarafy is an Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine (Physical Therapy) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is a board-certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist whose work integrates clinical practice, teaching, and research to advance neurological rehabilitation.

Dr. Elsarafy earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Science degrees from Ithaca College and completed her PhD in Rehabilitation Science at George Mason University. Prior to joining Columbia University, she practiced for nearly a decade in leading inpatient rehabilitation and acute care settings, providing specialized care for individuals with stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and other complex neurological conditions. This extensive clinical experience continues to shape her evidence-based and patient-centered approach to teaching and research.

At Columbia, Dr. Elsarafy directs and teaches graduate courses in exercise physiology, neurological physical therapy, and advance neurorehabilitation. Her teaching emphasizes clinical reasoning, movement analysis, evidence-based practice, and the integration of foundational science into clinical decision-making. She also mentors Doctor of Physical Therapy students through capstone research projects and serves as a peer reviewer for several journals and NIDILRR grants.

Dr. Elsarafy's research focuses on improving function, participation, and quality of life for individuals with neurological disorders through exercise, rehabilitation, and interdisciplinary models of care. She currently leads and IRB- approved study evaluating outcomes of the Columbia Multiple Sclerosis Wellness Clinic, an innovative multidisciplinary program she helped develop to provide comprehensive care for people living with multiple sclerosis. Her previous research has examined exercise interventions, locomotor training, cardiopulmonary physiology, and functional performance in individuals with neurological and chronic health conditions.

In addition to her research, Dr. Elsarafy is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy and contributes to national initiatives supporting evidence-based neurological physical therapy practice.

Dr. Elsarafy's scholarly interests include neurological rehabilitation, exercise physiology, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and interdisciplinary models of rehabilitation care.