Cristiana Kahl Collins PT, PhD, CFMT, NCS

Cristiana Kahl Collins is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Physical Therapy Program at Hunter College since 2019. Prior to HC she was a member of Long Island University for 23 years where she served as Chair, Associate Director and faculty of the Department of Physical Therapy as well as Clinic Director of the LIU Center for Physical Rehabilitation from its inception in 1996 until 2007. She is a 1986 physical therapy graduate of New York University where she also received her Advanced Master Degree in Developmental Disabilities in 1994. She received her PhD from Nova Southeastern University 2010.

Cristiana is a Board Certified Specialist in neurological physical therapy and completed a 6-month Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Post-Graduate Residency at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo, CA in 2000. She became a Certified Functional Manual Therapist (CFMT) in 2012 and considers it, by far, her most meaningful professional accomplishment. As a 'hands-on' clinician, Cristiana has found that the combination of her manual assessment and treatment skills and her PNF training provide her with a powerful tool to tap into, and maximize, every client's potential, independent of diagnosis. As a teacher, Cristiana considers her greatest asset to be her passion for the physical therapy profession and for lifelong learning.

Following the Haiti earthquake in January of 2010, Cristiana was determined to put her passion and clinical skills to use in Haiti. She formed ‘Physical Therapy for Humanity’ and spent the month of April 2010 in a rehabilitation clinic in Les Cayes, South of Haiti, with her team of 6 physical therapists and became involved with a girls’ orphanage. She has returned to Haiti several times since her initial trip.

Being a part of the IPA has been a dream for many years – it is an honor to teach alongside such phenomenal clinicians and teachers including Vicky and Gregg, friends and mentors, whom she has admired for most of her career.