Dr. Michael Rabel | Department of Physical Therapy

Dr. Michael Rabel

PT, MPT, DSc, OCS, CEAS
Department Chair / Professor

Bio:

Dr. Rabel serves as the Program Chair (appointed August 2015), and as a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy. He has been with the department full-time since 2007 and teaches primarily in the areas of musculoskeletal management. Prior to his position at UMES, he worked as the Director of Rehabilitation Services at McCready Foundation and had both a director and clinical role at Chesapeake Rehabilitation Hospital.

Education:

Doctor of Science, Physical Therapy, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Master of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Bachelor of Science, Management/Computer Information Systems, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Credentials and Certifications:

Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist – ABPTS
Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist (CEAS)

Areas of Interest and/or Experience:

My primary interest is orthopedics and sports physical therapy. My current research has focused on better understanding physical and muscle performance (activation, timing, and strength) on a variety of subject populations via motion analysis, electromyography, and isokinetics.

Scholarly Activity:

Moghaddam, M., Collins, J. P., Gardner, C. E., & Rabel, M. C. (2026). Impact of Anatomical Placement on the Accuracy of Wearable Heart Rate Monitors During Rest and Various Exercise Intensities. Sensors, 26(1), 176. https://doi.org/10.3390/s26010176

Moghaddam M, Rabel MC, Werner T and Rolnick N (2025) Effects of autoregulated and non-autoregulated blood flow restriction on vastus medialis oblique responses during low-load resistance exercise. Front. Sports Act. Living 7:1712606. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1712606

Klima, D. W., Rabel, M., Bigelow, J., Greene, M., Smith, P., & Tam, P. (2026). Validity of the Five Times Sit to Stand Test in Healthy Older Men. Perceptual and motor skills, 133(1), 41–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/00315125251347791

Yesko, B., Lee, Y., Rabel, M. C., & Truong, H. A. (2023). An HBCU track-and-field student-athlete perspective on the role of the pharmacist and physical therapist in sports. Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy, 10, 100271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100271

Klima, Dennis & Rabel, Michael & Mandelblatt, Abigail & Miklosovich, Matthew & Putman, Timothy & Smith, Autumn. (2021). Community-Based Fall Prevention and Exercise Programs for Older Adults. Current Geriatrics Reports. 10. 1-8. 10.1007/s13670-021-00354-w

Prosser, C., Mamo, Y., Heimdal, J., Gong, T., & Rabel, M. (2022). Facilitators of African American male PGA members. Sport in Society, 25(10), 1863–1885. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2021.1889514

National and State Presentations

Moghaddam, M., Collins, J.P., Gardner, C.E., Rabel, M. (2026). Arm-Based and Chest Strap Heart Rate Wearable Technologies during Exercise: An Agreement and Accuracy Study. 2026 APTA Combined Sections Meeting. Anaheim, CA.

Collins, J.P., Gardner, C.E., Moghaddam, M., Rabel, M. (2025). Effect of Anatomical Placement on Accuracy of Wearable Heart Rate Monitors Across Activity Intensities. Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of ACSM Regional Conference. Harrisburg, PA.

Gardner, C.E., Collins, J.P., Moghaddam, M., Rabel, M. (2025). Impact of Sex and Body Composition on the Accuracy of Photoplethysmography-Based Wearable Heart Rate Monitors. Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of ACSM Regional Conference. Harrisburg, PA.

Rabel, M., Moghaddam, M., Verhoeven, E.A., Arangamparambil, A., Verk, S., Pavlik, K., McDonald, M. (2025). Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on the Vastus Medialis Oblique: A Pilot Study. 2025 APTA Combined Sections Meeting. Houston, TX.

Moghaddam, M., Rabel, M., Brooks, K., Dunn, C., Furgeson, J.A., Osborne, K., Sowers, E., Sproul, J., Werner, T. (2025). Effects of Autoregulated Versus Traditional Blood Flow Restriction Training on Neuromuscular Function and Perceived Exertion. 2025 ACSM Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA

Moghaddam, M., Rabel, M.C., Werner, T.J. (2024). Autoregulation During Blood Flow Restriction Training: A Pilot Study on Acute Neuromuscular and Morphological Adaptations. Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of ACSM Reg. Conference. Lancaster, PA.

Ibukun Lawal, Brendan Born, Matthew Mannick, Nicolas Rabat, Jerome Thomas, & Michael Rabel. (2024). The Effect of Pelvic Positioning and Shoewear on Gluteus Medius Activation, UMES University Wide Research Symposium, Book of Abstracts, April 18, 2024, 58.

Veronica Yevsukov & Michael Rabel. (2023). Establishing Pro Bono Education for Homeless Shelters: A Student-Led-Interactive Approach. The 2023 Pro Bono Network Conference, Chester PA (Widener University), March 10, 2023.

Dennis Klima, Michael Rabel, Autumn Smith Abby Mandelblatt, Tim Putman, & Matt Miklosovich. (2023). Stepping on for Fall Prevention: A Systematic Review. APTA Combined Sections Meeting, San Diego CA, February 2023.

Veronica Yevsukov & Michael Rabel. (2022). Community Education: An Approach to Provide Services to the Homeless Population. APTA CSM 2023 Global Health Special Interest Group, San Diego CA, February 2023.

Primary Courses:

PHYT 634 – Patient Management – Musculoskeletal I
PHYT 635 – Patient Management – Musculoskeletal II
PHYT 636 – Patient Management – Musculoskeletal III
PHYT 649 – Independent Study
PHYT 789 – Research Project