Contact
Email: axk939@miami.edu
Roles
Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy
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Biography
Dr. Anat Kristal is an assistant professor of physical therapy at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine appointed after successfully completing her PhD at the U. Her responsibilities include teaching Clinical Research I and Human Gait and Locomotion. She received her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in physical therapy from the University of Tel-Aviv, Israel. Prior to immigrating to the US, Dr. Kristal led physical therapy services of the orthopedic rehabilitation department at Sheba Medical Center, taught Prosthetic Rehabilitation at Haifa University and for the Tel Aviv University MD residency program in Israel. She also volunteered her clinical expertise following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, directing Israel’s physical therapy efforts.
Dr. Kristal’s research is focused on developing outcome measures for people with lower-limb amputation (LLA). In 2015, she led the Hebrew translation of the Amputee Mobility Predictor, which the Israeli Ministry of Health adopted as a mandatory preauthorization test for country-wide prosthetic prescriptions. Dr. Kristal’s dissertation examined the reliability and validity of an observational gait analysis tool, the Functional Lower-limb Amputee Gait Assessment (FLAG Assessment). During her PhD studies, she assisted in developing the Comprehensive Lower limb Amputee Socket Survey (CLASS), a self-report measure of prosthetic socket satisfaction.
Currently, Dr. Kristal collaborates with researchers from the University of Washington to develop the PROsthetic Mobility Performance Test (PROMPT), a flexible measure of mobility for people with LLA. In addition, she continues to work with Israeli professionals as a consultant to develop the Children Amputee Mobility Predictor (CAMP) outcome measure in partnership with ALYN Children’s Hospital in Jerusalem.
Dr. Kristal is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics and has presented her research at national and international conferences. She is excited to share her love for gait analysis, rehabilitation of people with limb loss, and outcome measures research. -
Education & Training
Education
Licensures and Certifications
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Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
My ultimate goal as an educator is to promote a classroom environment where students can achieve their potential and learn to think as physical therapists. When curiosity and enthusiasm are fostered, students are more inclined to engage with course material. The best way to promote curiosity and enthusiasm is by using inquiry-based learning strategies. I use clinical examples to raise interesting and challenging questions in my courses. As a result, students are infused with the desire to learn more, ask questions, and use evidence-based literature to satisfy their curiosity.
Developing guided inquiry-based activities promotes active participation and debate. For example, in teaching gait deviations, each student had to observe a video of a patient demonstrating a gait deviation and complete a set of questions that promote a systematic approach to observational gait analysis. Then, each gait deviation was discussed in class, and different answers were debated until everyone agreed. When students are afforded a systematic approach to observational gait analysis, in addition to having the opportunity to debate their clinical observations, they are likely to conceptualize the material and retain the information for a longer period.
My commitment as an educator is to provide students with learning experiences that will enable them to achieve their potential. By fostering a safe and welcoming environment, I can balance demanding excellence with consistent reassurance. Ideally, my goal is that students will be competent and feel confident utilizing skills from my classrooms as often as possible throughout their professional careers. -
Research Interests
My primary research interests focus on developing tools to improve the measurement of health outcomes in both pediatric and adult populations with lower limb loss, with a particular focus on balance and fall risk in adults. I have worked on creating the Functional Lower-limb Amputee Gait (FLAG) Assessment, an observational gait analysis tool designed to support consistent administration and scoring of gait assessments for people with lower limb amputation. I have also been involved in developing the PROsthetic Mobility Performance Test (PROMPT) to evaluate mobility in lower limb prosthesis users, and the Children’s Amputee Mobility Predictor (CAMP) to assess functional capability in children with leg length discrepancies. My current research examines reactive balance responses and fall risk in lower limb prosthesis users, aiming to identify mechanisms that can inform rehabilitation interventions to enhance prosthetic mobility and reduce falls. My work has led to multiple peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international scientific conferences. -
Publications
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