Joseph J Krzak, PT, Ph.D., PCS

Joseph J. Krzak, PT, PhD, PCS is a Professor in the Physical Therapy Program at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois, and a System Movement Scientist in the Motion Analysis Center at Shriners Children’s Chicago. He is a licensed physical therapist in the State of Illinois and a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy (PCS) by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS).

Dr. Krzak earned his Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2000 and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Rehabilitation with an emphasis in musculoskeletal biomechanics and motor control from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2013.

At Midwestern University, Dr. Krzak teaches across the Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum, with instructional responsibilities in pediatric physical therapy, gait analysis, research design, and lifespan human development. His teaching emphasizes the integration of evidence-based practice, quantitative motion analysis, and emerging technologies to prepare students for advanced clinical decision-making in physical therapy practice.

Dr. Krzak’s research focuses on understanding movement impairments in children with cerebral palsy and other developmental disorders through the use of advanced biomechanical and computational methods. His current work includes multicenter collaborations investigating the application of machine learning to instrumented gait analysis data to improve clinical decision-making and surgical outcomes. His research has been supported by institutional, foundation, and national funding mechanisms, including multi-million-dollar awards from Shriners Children’s, NIDDLR, and NIH-affiliated programs.

In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Krzak serves as a mentor to physical therapy students, graduate students, and junior faculty across disciplines. He is actively engaged in university service, including research facilitation grant programs, PT Program assessment, and accreditation leadership. Nationally, he contributes to professional organizations as the APTA representative to the Commission for Motion Laboratory Accreditation (CMLA), where he also serves on the Board of Directors, and as a member of the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society (GCMAS), the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy (APPT), and the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM).

Dr. Krzak’s professional mission is to advance the science and education of movement analysis and pediatric rehabilitation through research, mentorship, and leadership that bridges clinical practice and emerging technology.