Leslie G. Portney

Dr. Leslie G. Portney is Professor and Dean Emerita, MGH Institute of Health Professions, having served as the inaugural Dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. She holds a PhD in Gerontology from the University Professors Program at Boston University, a Master of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, a DPT from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, a certificate in Physical Therapy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Arts from Queens College. Leslie has been an active researcher and educator for more than 50 years, with decades of teaching critical inquiry to graduate students from a variety of disciplines, which contributed to her being a staunch advocate of interprofessional education. She remains an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association, having served as chair of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and inaugural president of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy. She is the recipient of several awards, including receiving the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Department of Physical Therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University, being named the 2014 Pauline Cerasoli Lecturer for the Academy of Physical Therapy Education of the APTA, and being elected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association in 2002. Leslie retired in 2018 but continues to contribute to professional projects and to consult with educational programs.