NYU Steinhardt PhD Student Participates in Inaugural PhD Live! Event

Dannyelle Long, PhD candidate in the Physical Therapy program, was selected to receive expert coaching on presenting doctoral research.

Dannyelle Long stands in front of an NYU backdrop

Out of more than 50 applicants across NYU, eight PhD students from a range of disciplines were selected to participate in the first PhD Live! this spring. This University-wide initiative is aimed at supporting doctoral students’ ability to communicate their complex research to a variety of audiences in a clear, compelling way.

The selected students received group and one-on-one coaching from Ben Lillie, a former TED Talk writer and Moth StorySlam Champion, to refine their dissertations into clear and engaging three-minute talks. Physical Therapy student Dannyelle Long was one of the selected students, and the only one from NYU Steinhardt.

Long trained as a physical therapist in both Jamaica and the U.S. and has worked extensively in outpatient and sports rehabilitation. She is now a full-time PhD student conducting research in the Arthur J. Nelson, Jr. Human Performance Lab, where her work focuses on improving return-to-sport decision-making. She studies how knee movement patterns and muscle activation adapt and change during dynamic, realistic, game-like conditions, with an emphasis on basketball.

Dannyelle Long stands at a podium; behind her, a screen shows an image of a knee with the label Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)

“As a former competitive basketball player, I experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to return to pre-injury performance levels even after completing rehabilitation,” says Long. “Together with my advisor, [Inaugural Robert S. Salant Endowed Associate Professor of Physical Therapy] Smita Rao, I use advanced 3D motion capture and bio-signal technology to study how athletes move and how their muscles function during high-demand, sport-specific tasks. I hope this research improves return-to-sport outcomes and contributes to meaningful change in clinical practice by supporting more realistic, performance-driven rehabilitation strategies.”

Long said she applied to PhD Live! hoping to sharpen and enhance her ability to communicate her research clearly and effectively to all audiences across disciplines and backgrounds.

“Ben’s coaching was great; he really helped us understand how to explain complex ideas in a more storytelling-focused way,” says Long. “I now feel much more equipped to clearly communicate my research and ideas to a broader, non-technical audience, and I have come to appreciate the power of visual storytelling in making complex concepts more engaging and accessible.”

After working with Lillie, students competed in front of a live audience of NYU community members on April 9 at The African Grove Theatre. Judges Anna Deavere Smith, an actress, playwright, and University Professor at NYU Tisch; Catherine Burns, former artistic director of The Moth; and Dave Wiskus, CEO of Nebula, chose three winners for cash prizes. While Long did not take home a top prize, her research impressed such that she was invited to present her talk at a meeting of the University Senate later in the month.

Learn more about the PhD Live! cohort and this year’s winners.