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Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Education
Program Director, PM&R Residency Program
Medical Director, Sports and Musculoskeletal Medicine

Areas of Interest
Sports and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Interventional Spine, Electrodiagnostic Medicine, Ultrasound, Adaptive Sports, Regenerative Medicine, and Performing Arts Medicine

The UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation welcomes Assistant Professor Johan Latorre, M.D., effective October 1, 2022. Dr. Latorre joins the department as a Physiatrist with specialization in adaptive sports after completing his Sports Medicine Primary Care fellowship and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency from the University of Michigan. Prior to that, he completed his Internal Medicine internship at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

"I chose to join UAB because of my interest in sports medicine with an emphasis on adaptive sports. The university's high research level and relationship with the Lakeshore Foundation were a natural fit for my experience as a coach for the University of Michigan wheelchair tennis team. In my new role at UAB, I strive to provide medical care to all athletes, become a part of the local adaptive sports community, and create new opportunities for exercise and wellness for all individuals," says Latorre.

The PM&R department is happy to have Dr. Latorre as a part of the team. Dr. Latorre aims to pursue both clinical and research interest in adaptive sports, musculoskeletal issues, and concussion protocols.

Assistant Professor

Areas of Interest
Sports and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Adaptive Sports

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has received a five-year $2.2 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to continue its Traumatic Brain Injury Model System.

A TBI Model System is awarded based on demonstrated excellence in research and knowledge translation that promotes health and quality of life for people with TBI, their families, and professionals. UAB has been continually funded as a TBI Model System since 1998 and is currently one of 16 other Model Systems around the country.

Professor, Robert Brunner, M.D., who was recently named Vice Chair of PM&R Development, is again leading the UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System as Project Director.

“We have been fortunate to have a strong team of Traumatic Brain Injury researchers over the years within the Department of PM&R that has allowed us to maintain this grant over the last 25 years. We are grateful that we have been awarded this grant for the next five years,” said Dr. Brunner.

Over the next 5 years, UAB looks to accomplish two research priorities. First, UAB aims to validate methods to assess return to driving decisions after TBI and develop a driving intervention. Additionally, UAB looks to collaborate with other TBI Model Systems to examine the role geriatric syndromes play on the course of rehabilitation outcomes.

“We have a great team in place and look forward to the next five years of collaboration. Of all the centers that have been involved with the Model System over the years, we have recruited and contributed the largest number of patients of any center,” adds Dr. Brunner. “This is a testament to the department for their support and all the individuals that have been a part of this grant over the years.”

“This grant award speaks volumes about the Department’s outstanding TBI research and also exemplary system of care,” said Yuying Chen, M.D., Ph.D., research director in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. “It truly attests to our commitment to the TBI community in the State of Alabama and beyond.”

Lakeshore Foundation is hosting a night of unparalleled celebration at the much-anticipated Celebration of Champions: An Evening in Paris. This extraordinary event, held only once every four years, is a testament to the spirit of triumph and resilience embodied by Team USA Olympians and Paralympians. Set against the backdrop of the upcoming Paris 2024 Games, this gala also serves as a platform to honor the invaluable contributions of Lakeshore Foundation to both Birmingham and the world of Paralympic sports.

Jereme D. Wilroy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has been named Director of Research for Lakeshore Foundation. In this role, Dr. Wilroy will partner with Lakeshore staff to create research opportunities and capacities. He will also support the application of research in Lakeshore’s programs and services, specifically towards sports performance.

Dr. Wilroy began his research career at the University of Alabama as a master’s student surveying collegiate adapted athletes about topics of interest for a holistic health website. As a doctoral student he developed and validated a theory-based instrument to predict physical activity among people with spinal cord injury as part of his dissertation and funded with a fellowship through the graduate school. As a post-doc, he obtained a fellowship from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation and developed an online program for increasing physical activity behavior among people with spinal cord injury and became project lead for an R01-funded home-based exercise trial.

Dr. Wilroy’s relationship with Lakeshore Foundation began in 2011 as a fitness intern. He then returned to Lakeshore in 2016 as a postdoc. “Jereme’s outstanding credentials and long association with Lakeshore uniquely qualify him for this leadership role,” said Lakeshore Foundation President and CEO John D. Kemp. “We could not be more excited to have his expertise contributing to our research work.”

Dr. Wilroy’s philosophy is to conduct research that centers on the needs of the patient and improves the capacity of clinicians to recommend specific exercise routines. The focus of his research is on the psychosocial aspects of adherence to exercise trials among people with physical disabilities. Looking forward, his research goals are in the designing, implementing, and evaluating home-based physical activity interventions, using telehealth technology, behavioral coaching support, and adaptive intervention designs.

“I’ve always had a passion for adapted sports both through research and experience. Playing collegiate wheelchair basketball at the University of Alabama followed by getting into wheelchair racing as a member of Lakeshore Foundation, I’ve always thought sports were an opportunity to be engaged and active,” said Wilroy. “My goal as director is to make Lakeshore a hub for clinical exercise trials and sports science research. This will inform the development of services to make Lakeshore the nation’s premier training institute for Paralympic hopefuls.”

Lakeshore Foundation is a leader in sports science for athletes with disabilities with the U.S. and around the world. Utilizing expertise in exercise physiology, biomechanics, sport psychology, and nutrition, they provide services for our own athletes as well as U.S. National team members in sports including wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, sailing, swimming, power soccer, wheelchair tennis, and equestrian.