18 January 2024

MIRROR Researcher Serves Those Who Serve Us: A Q&A with Dr. Don Goss

COL (Ret) Don Goss, PT, PhD, ATC, has worked with The Geneva Foundation for more than ten years to help seek solutions for warfighters with musculoskeletal injuries through the Musculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation Research for Operational Readiness (MIRROR) program. In this capacity, Dr. Goss has served as a principal investigator on the military and contracting sides with 11 other contractors working together on over 15 projects! 

Dr. Goss is also an Associate Professor at High Point University in the Department of Physical Therapy and was previously the Officer-in-Charge of the Physical Therapy Service Line at Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC) at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. 

We spoke to Dr. Goss about his experience as a research physical therapist and its impact on military medicine. 

What excites you about the work that you do? 

I have been so blessed with wonderful people to work with my entire career! I currently work with our outstanding Geneva Team — Dr. Nicholas Reilly, Dr. Kelsey Rochester, and Ms. Caitlin Melton, as well as our military service members at Womack Army Medical Center. 

What recent work can you share that you are most proud of? 

I am so proud of our local MIRROR team as they have enrolled over 1,500 paratroopers in collaboration with the University of Miami for MIRROR Project 7, titled “Body-Worn Sensors for Risk of Injury Prediction During Military Training.” They have enrolled nearly 200 runners for MIRROR Project 9, titled “Evaluation of Video Telehealth Versus Standard Gait Retraining,” and they are preparing to enroll 1,200 runners for MIRROR Project 41, titled “Running Injury Prediction Using Markerless Motion Capture.” This past year, the team also had several publications and 18 presentations at state and national meetings. 

What is the best part of being a Research Physical Therapist in military medicine? 

The best part of being a research physical therapist in military medicine is the privilege of continuing to work with our nation’s service members. I still get chills every day I drive onto the post and get to work with soldiers. I love it! 

How does Geneva contribute to the success of these research programs? 

The Geneva Foundation has made our research possible for the last ten years. Geneva has such amazing people to help support at every level, from procurement to regulatory to portfolio and program managers. Everyone has a team mindset. The outstanding support we receive helps make it fun as we work together for solutions for our military service members. Thank you all! 

Learn more about the MIRROR research program. Contact us to learn more about partnering with us. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed do not reflect the official policy of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.