Rita Deering, PT, DPT, PhD

Name of Faculty
Rita Deering, PT, DPT, PhDMarquette University

Cramer, 230N

MilwaukeeWI53201United States of America(414) 288-1292

Associate Professor

Exercise Science

Dr. Deering joined Marquette’s Department of Physical Therapy faculty as an Associate Professor in 2026.  Following a formative academic career at Marquette, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Advanced Fellowship in Women’s Health through the William S. Middleton Memorial Veteran’s Hospital in Madison, WI.  Dr. Deering’s postdoctoral research was conducted in the Badger Athletic Performance and UW Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratories at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she examined running biomechanics and abdominal muscle characteristics in postpartum women.  Her research interests include pregnancy & postpartum exercise, neuromuscular physiology, women’s health, and female athlete health and performance.  Dr. Deering is active in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Academy of Pelvic Health and in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group.  She has presented at several high-profile national conferences and has been awarded for her research, including the 2024 APTA Academy of Pelvic Health Research Award, Best Oral Presentation at the 2025 Female Athlete Conference, and the 2025 Publication Award from the ACSM Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group.

Education

  • Post-doctoral Fellowship, William S. Middleton Memorial VA Hospital & University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Marquette University, PhD in Clinical & Translational Rehabilitation Health Science
  • Marquette University, DPT
  • Marquette University, BS in Exercise Science

Courses Taught

  • PHTH 7518: Physiology of Activity

Professional Affiliations

  • APTA Member; Chair of CPG on DRA for the Academy of Pelvic Health
  • ACSM Member; Steering Committee member for the Pregnancy & Postpartum Special Interest Group