Dr. Elise Townsend is an Associate Professor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions with appointments in the Physical Therapy and PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences Programs. She is a Board-Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy and teaches pediatric content in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Her clinical and research interests focus on management of children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and other pediatric neuromuscular diseases across the lifespan. She has worked in the SMA and Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinics at Massachusetts General Hospital and practiced in Early Intervention for children birth to three years in Boston.