CHARLES THIGPEN, PT, PhD, ATC, is a clinician, educator and researcher. He completed his PhD in Human Movement Science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and has been presenting nationally on shoulder dysfunction and rehabilitation in both the academic and continuing education arenas. He is an assistant consulting professor at Duke University Schools of Physical Therapy and Medicine. He has multiple peer-reviewed publications and book chapters related to prevention and treatment of shoulder pain.

He is currently on the NATA Free Communications Research and Pronouncements Committees.  He is also serving on the writing panel for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Appropriate Use Criteria for the treatment of rotator cuff tears.  He is currently the research chair for the Sports Section. He was the 2011 President of the American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists and in 2012, he was awarded the APTA Sports Section’s “Lynn Wallace Award for Clinical Education and Mentoring” in recognition of his contributions to sports physical therapy in the areas of teaching and mentoring.  Thigpen was a co-author for the 2013 APTA Sports Sections Excellence in Research Award for “Preseason Shoulder Rom Screening As A Predictor Of Injury Among Youth, Adolescent, And Professional Baseball Pitchers”.