Dr. Karen Kowalske, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has been honored with the Distinguished Academician Award from the Association of Academic Physiatrists.

The recognition is given to one association member each year who has achieved distinction and peer recognition regionally or nationally by virtue of excellence as a teacher, researcher, and/or administrator.

Dr. Kowalske, holder of the Charles and Peggy Galvin Professorship in Physical Medicine at UTSW, is recognized as an expert on burn rehabilitation. Dr. Kowalske has special expertise in treating patients with complicated catastrophic injuries, including burns and complex or nonhealing wounds. She is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation – with subspecialty certification in brain injury medicine.

Dr. Kowalske has been the Principal Investigator on the North Texas Burn Rehabilitation Model System research consortium since 2002 and an investigator/director of research since 1992. Additionally, she was on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from 2004-16, serving as Chair from 2013-16. She has more than 110 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts – many related to burn care and outcomes – and has delivered more than 90 invited lectures.

Dr. Kowalske earned her medical degree at University of Florida College of Medicine. She completed her internal medicine training and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Thomas Jefferson University.