Kent Simmonds

Dr. Simmonds is currently an assistant professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Toronto. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center where he served as chief resident. He completed a combined DO-PhD (epidemiology) at Michigan State University as part of the combined physician scientist track. He also holds a MPH degree from the University of Texas Health School of Public Health. His research focuses on leveraging big data to identify more efficient and equitable methods for improving rehabilitation care delivery and enhancing stroke recovery. This includes using Medicare claims data to design and emulate a clinical trial comparing stroke rehabilitation at inpatient rehabilitation facilities with that at skilled nursing facilities, assessing racial and ethnic disparities in post-stroke care, and conducting comparative effectiveness research in medical management during the subacute and chronic stroke recovery phases.

Dr. Simmonds' work has earned several national and international awards, including the American Heart Association’s Stroke Rehabilitation Award, an oral abstract award from the International Society of PM&R, two Ursula Krusen Awards from the Texas PM&R Society, as well as two Paul Dudley White International Scholar Awards for the highest-ranked abstract from the United States submitted to the International Stroke Conference.