Professor
Phone: (619) 594-5553
Office: ENS 126
Email: kmaluf@sdsu.edu
Download CV (pdf)
Education
- University of Arizona, BS in Microbiology, 1996
- Washington University in St. Louis, MS in Physical Therapy, 1999
- Washington University in St. Louis, PhD in Movement Science, 2002
Teaching responsibilities [Beginning 2016]
- DPT 888 – Evidence Based Practice IV: Advanced Clinical Reasoning
- DPT 878 – Psychosocial Aspects of Rehabilitation
- DPT 897 – Doctoral Research
- DPT 889 – Doctoral Project
Clinical Specialty, Interests, and Practice Sites
- Chronic musculoskeletal pain
- Psychologically informed physical therapy practice
- Telerehabilitation
Research and Scholarship Interests (Funded Activity/Other Research and Scholarly Activity)
The mission of Dr. Maluf’s research program is to translate physiologic discoveries into innovative clinical strategies to assess, prevent, and manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. Dr. Maluf has served as a principal investigator or faculty mentor for 20 research and training grants, with over $4 million in support from the National Institutes of Health, International Association for the Study of Pain, and Foundation for Physical Therapy.
Funded Studies
- National Institutes of Health (NIMHD) U54 MD012397 (2018-2023). SDSU HealthLINK Center for Transdisciplinary Health Disparities Research. This project aims to improve infrastructure at SDSU and its partner organizations to advance minority health and health disparities research among racially/ethnically diverse and lower-income populations using a community-engaged transdisciplinary research approach. Maluf Role: Center Co-Investigator (MPIs: Dr. Guadalupe Ayala, Dr. Kristen Wells) and Project Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI: Dr. Sara Gombatto) for $1.6M clinical trial, Cognitive Behavioral Based Physical Therapy for Latinos with Chronic Spine Pain in partnership with Family Health Centers of San Diego.
- National Institutes of Health (NINDS) R21 NS109852 (2019-2021). Imaging Central and Peripheral Impairments in Chronic Post-Traumatic Headache with Comorbid Neck Pain. This collaborative project between SDSU, UCSD, and VA San Diego uses magnetic resonance imaging and quantitative sensory testing to identify markers of brain and muscle dysfunction contributing to post-traumatic headache in veterans with mild traumatic brain injury, with the long-term goal of identifying biomarkers of clinical phenotypes to better inform treatment decisions. Maluf Role: Principal Investigator (Co-MPIs: Dr. Dawn Schiehser, Dr. Bahar Shahidi)
- National Institutes of Health (NCMRR) F31 HD101274 (2019-2022). Role of Patient-Provider Communication on Clinical Outcomes of Chronic Pain Rehabilitation. This fellowship provides pre-doctoral training for a PhD student in the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health. The dissertation study uses mixed methods approaches to examine the relationship between communication practices, patient-provider therapeutic alliance, and clinical outcomes in patients referred to physical therapy for the management of chronic pain. Maluf Role: Faculty mentor (Fellow: Chelsea Chapman)
Completed Studies
- National Institutes of Health (NIAMS) R01 AR056704 (2010-2015). Stress-Evoked Muscle Activity in Occupational Myalgia. The goal of this prospective cohort investigation was to identify stress-evoked muscle activity and other modifiable physical, psychological, and neurophysiolgical risk factors for the development of chronic neck pain in a high-risk population of office workers. Maluf Role: Principal Investigator
Recent/selected Publications
- Complete List of Published Work available at MyBibliography
Honors and Awards
- WUSTL, Program in Physical Therapy Distinguished Alumni Award (2012)
- Mortar Board Outstanding Faculty Award (2016)
- SDSU School of ENS Most Influential Faculty Award (2017)
- NOVEL Award for Outstanding Research (2002)