Yiliu Cao is a physical therapist and PhD student in the Movement Science program within the Department of Physical Therapy. She earned her BS in Movement Science from the University of Michigan in 2021 and her DPT and MPH from Northwestern University in 2025. During her graduate training, she was involved in several research projects at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, including developing a predictive model for sub-acute stroke rehabilitation outcomes and examining how transportation barriers influence access to prosthetic and orthotic care. Before her PhD, she worked at Duke Health and received additional orthopedic clinical training. Her interdisciplinary background sparked her interest in understanding how mechanical and contextual factors influence the presentation and outcomes of musculoskeletal dysfunction, and in translating biomechanical and data-analytic insights into individualized rehabilitation care. Outside of academic and clinical work, Yiliu is passionate about endurance sports and can often be found swimming, running, cycling, or trying new ways to stay active. She also enjoys crafts.
