Tiffany E. Shubert, PhD

Research Scientist
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dr. Shubert has extensive expertise in healthy aging, evidence-based fall prevention, and the adoption and implementation of evidence-based programs and practices at the individual, community, and health-systems level. Tiffany’s passion is leveraging technology and innovation to empower older adults to fulfill their health and wellness potential, and building a continuum of care between community and clinical partners to manage fall risk. Her vision is that every older adult has access to the information and the support they need to age and engage as they choose. She brings this vision to reality by working with health care and technology companies developing products leveraging virtual reality, virtual rehabilitation, powered clothing and motor learning technologies to infuse evidence into their products and programs.

Tiffany has led several funded projects developing, disseminating and evaluating evidence-based fall prevention programs. She was the PI of the CDC-funded 3-year evaluation grant, Programs, Policies, and Partners for Fall Prevention Project. This project assessed the adoption, implementation and dissemination of the CDC STEADI falls screening tool, Tai Chi Moving for Better Balance, Stepping On, and the Otago Exercise Program. In collaboration with Reflexion Health, she lead a Phase 1 and Phase 2 SBIR grant to translate the Otago Exercise Program into “Stand Tall” delivered by VERA, A Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation Assistant. She was the lead author of the “Otago Exercise Program for Fall Prevention” online training, published in 2013. Over 8000 individuals from 18 countries have completed this online training. She has spent several years working in health and wellness start-ups to achieve a greater understanding of translating and ultimately commercializing research findings into commercially-available solutions. She currently consults for the National Council on Aging for clinical implementation of fall prevention programs and building clinical-community connections. She conducts virtual and real time training sessions and seminars nationally for physical therapists, community-organizations and researchers interested in learning how to leverage current workflows and practice cultures to integrate evidence-based practices for better patient outcomes.

In 2007, Tiffany completed her PhD in Human Movement Science at UNC’s Curriculum in Human Movement Science. Tiffany also holds a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of California at San Francisco and a bachelor of arts in communications from the University of California at San Diego. She is a license physical therapist in the states of North Carolina and California and has been working with older adult patients since 2002.