DR. KYLE KOSIK

Kyle Kosik, PhD, ATC, joined the University of Kentucky in July 2020 as an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Athletic Training and Clinical Nutrition. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training in 2012 from Illinois State University and a Master of Education in Kinesiology – Sports Medicine from the University of Virginia in 2013.

Dr. Kosik received a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Kentucky in 2017, where he then completed his post-doctoral training.

“My research primarily focuses on ankle sprains and how people are treated for those,” he explained.

One of the things he’s interested in, at the moment, is alternatives to being prescribed medications like opioids.

“(These people are) often prescribed medication such as an opioid, but they’re never referred to physical therapy,” he said. “So, we’re trying to bridge that gap to try and provide care to patients after they leave the emergency department — we actually have a grant to use telehealth as a way to provide patients access to rehab services.”

But why is he interested in this specific topic?

“We know that the opioid crisis is a big deal here in Kentucky, and if we can provide just a small step to correcting that, even through an ankle sprain, I think that’s really a big stepping stone — not only for us here in Kentucky, but overall as a nation,” he said.

And why should someone come to the College of Health Sciences?

“CHS has access to a lot of resources to do anything that you can imagine,” he said. “From a research standpoint, to support, to even community support and access, so I think as long as you can imagine it, you could probably get it done here at UK with the help that’s available to you.”