Irene Davis, PhD, PT, FACSM, has received the 2023 Muybridge Award from the International Society of Biomechanics. A professor at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, Dr. Davis is set to deliver a lecture titled “Born to Move: Embracing Our Evolutionary Legacy” this summer in Fukuoka, Japan, as the organization’s annual meeting. Dr. Davis is the second woman to receive this high-profile international award.

Irene Davis, PhD

The Muybridge Award, considered the highest honor for international biomechanics, is bestowed by the International Society of Biomechanics to recognize exceptional career achievements in the field. The accolade is named after Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904), who pioneered the use of photography and eventually cinematography to study human and animal movement.

Dr. Davis expressed deep gratitude for the recognition: “This award holds a special place for me because Eadweard Muybridge is regarded as the founder of human movement analysis, a cornerstone of my own research. The most significant honor is to be acknowledged by peers, which makes receiving the Muybridge Award even more profound for me.”

Such a prestigious recognition underlines the high-level research conducted at the USF Health School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences. Dr. Davis said she hoped that receiving the Muybridge Award will spotlight the work of the school and raise its standing to become one of the nation’s top physical therapy programs.