Bouve’s associate dean wins her field’s highest award

Maura Iversen has been honored with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Rheumatology, one of the most prestigious awards in the field.

Iversen is both a tenured professor at Bouvé and Associate Dean for Clinical Education, Rehabilitation, and New Initiatives. She holds two doctorates, one in physical therapy from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, and the other from the Harvard School of Public Health in behavioral science and clinical epidemiology.

“I am so honored to have been nominated and to receive this award.  This would not have been possible without the collaborations I have had with a diverse and interprofessional group of individuals from Harvard and across the globe.” said Iversen.

Iversen came to Northeastern 2009 and served as chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences until 2017, when she assumed her current position as associate dean. In her new capacity, she oversees clinical education for nine health professions, interprofessional education, and Northeastern’s state-of-the-art Simulation Center. She is also responsible for healthcare innovation, entrepreneurship, new initiatives, and expanding the global reach of the college.

During this same time, Iversen has held academic appointments at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Harvard School of Public Health, the University of Texas, the University of Colorado, as well as universities in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. From 2016-2017 she was a Fulbright Research Scholar in Sweden, where she researched Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

“These achievements only begin to capture the public person,” said Matthew Liang, a professor at Harvard Medical School and one of the nominating members. “I cannot imagine someone with more admirable personal qualities or greater personal integrity. She is a role model for young and old.”

Iversen’s research has focused on the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions for arthritis, the educational use of medical simulations, the behavioral and social factors that determine adherence to medicine, and rehabilitation for rheumatic conditions.

“By all the metrics of evaluating research prowess, Dr. Iversen has local, national and international recognition,” said Liang.  “She has been a tireless, passionate spokesperson for both physical therapy and those with arthritis disability.”