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Dr. Deborah Backus, PT, Ph.D., FACRM, is currently director of multiple sclerosis (MS) research at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a grant-funded investigator, physical therapist, and educator with over 30 years of experience in neurorehabilitation.

Dr. Backus’ research agenda has a broad scope that includes facilitating pharmacologic, device-related clinical trials and other non-rehabilitation interventions for MS, and previously for spinal cord injury. Her research in the Eula C. and Andrew C. Carlos MS Rehabilitation and Wellness Program at Shepherd focuses on the investigation of models of care and rehabilitation interventions to facilitate greater function, health and quality of life in people living with MS. Dr. Backus is currently funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, and previously by the Department of Defense as well.

She has presented both nationally and internationally related to this work, and her studies have been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Backus is president of ACRM, and was honored as a Fellow of ACRM in 2014.