Ms. Donna L. Merkel

Donna graduated from Thomas Jefferson University in 1992 with her Master’s degree in physical therapy. The majority of her career has been devoted to the management and training of young athletes from the novice to Olympic level. Her focus has been on injury prevention and treatment of the adolescent athlete who experience concussions and musculoskeletal injuries. Donna has been a Board-certified Sports Clinical Specialist and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist for over 12 years. She lectures nationally on the treatment of the young athlete and has published numerous clinical commentaries’ in both national and international journals on this topic. Her April 2012 article in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy discusses the on-field identification and emergency management of the concussed athlete. In addition to writing, Donna often serves as content editor for various sports medicine publications including text books, home study courses and patient education materials. Besides being a full-time clinician in the Neuro center at Bryn Mawr Rehab, Donna is an adjunct instructor for both Arcadia University and Weidner University physical therapy curriculums and an Emergency Response Instructor for the American Physical Therapy Association.