Dr. Ilan Kurz Profile

Dr. Ilan Kurz

Senior lecturer
PhD PT

Department :	Recanati School for Community Health Professions Physical Therapy
Room :	310 בנין דייכמן למקצועות הבריאות
Phone :	972-8-6477573 972-8-6479547 972-8-6479549
Email :	kurzi@bgu.ac.il
Office Hours :

Education

2011 – Present Ph.D. Student, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Advisor: Itzhak Melzer, Ph.D. Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Title of thesis: Perturbation Walking Training Intervention Using the BaMPer System to Improve Balance Control Function and Reduce Fall Rates in the Elderly– A Randomized Controlled Trial.
2005 – 2007 M. Med. Sc. Master of Medical Sciences Thesis , Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Advisors: Dr. Itzhak Melzer, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, and Dr. Jacob Kaplansky, PhD., Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer- Sheva, Israel. Title of thesis: " Identifying Fallers among Elderly Population Using Clinical and Biomechanical Measures" .
1998 - 2000 MSPT, Master of Science in Physical Therapy, specializing in Orthopedic Rehabilitation. Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut, USA.
1992 - 1996 BPT, Bachelor of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences,
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Research Interests

Developing improved methods of testing postural and dynamic balance so as to increase our ability to identify individuals who are at risk of sustaining falls.

Research Projects

Perturbation Walking Training Intervention Using the BaMPer System to Improve Balance Control Function and Reduce Fall Rates in the Elderly– A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Publications and funding summary / representative publications and grants

1. Kurz I., Plotkin D., Melzer I. “A-Angle and Q-Angle in Anterior Knee Pain Patients”. Journal of the Israeli Society Physiotherapy, 1: 6-8, 1998 (Hebrew).
2. Melzer I, Kurz I, Shahar D, Levi M , Oddsson LIE. "Application of the Voluntary Step Execution Test to Identify Elderly Fallers". Age & Ageing 2007; 36(5): 532-7. (Impact factor =2.2).
3. Melzer I, Sarid O, Kurz I, Jette AM. "Relations Between Self Reported Function and Disability and Balance Performance Measures in The Elderly". Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development 2007; 44(5): 685-692. (Impact factor =0.8)
4. Melzer I, Kurtz I, Sarid O. Late life function and disability instrument – The Hebrew Version. Journal Israel Society Physiotherapy , 2008 April; 10(1): 12-17 [Hebrew].
5. Melzer I, Kurtz I. Self Reported Function and Disability in Late Life: A Comparison between Recurrent Fallers and Non-Fallers. Disability and Rehabilitation , 2008 Nov 25:1-8. (Impact factor =1.0).
6. Sarid O , Melzer I , Kurz I , Shahar D , Ruch W . The Effect of Helping Behavior and Physical Activity on Mood States and Depressive Symptoms of Elderly People. Clinical Gerontologist, 2008 Volume 33 Issue 4, 270. (Impact factor =0.73).
1. Melzer I, Marx R, Kurz I. Regular exercise in the elderly is effective to preserve the speed of voluntary stepping under single-task condition but not under dual-task condition. A case-control study. Gerontology. 2009; 55(1):49-57. (Impact factor =1.6).
8. Shahar DR, Levi M, Kurtz I, Shany S, Zvili I, Mualleme E, Shahar A, Sarid O, Melzer I. Nutritional status in relation to balance, gait, and falls in the elderly. Annals of Nutrition and metabolism , 2009 Mar 6;54(1):59-66. (Impact factor = 1.3).
1. Melzer I, Kurz I. Self-reported function and disability in late life: a comparison between recurrent fallers and non-fallers. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2009;31(10):791-8. (Impact factor =1.8).
2. Melzer I, Kurz I, Oddsson LI. A retrospective analysis of balance control parameters in elderly fallers and non-fallers. Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon). 2010 Dec; 25(10):984-8. (Impact factor =2.5).
11. I. Melzer, I. Kurz, D. Shahar and L.I.E. Oddsson. Do voluntary step reactions under dual task condition have an added value over single task for fall prediction” – A Prospective Study. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research ' 2010; 22: 360-366. (Impact factor =1.5).
12. Melzer I, Kurz I, Oddsson LIE. A retrospective analysis of balance control parameters in elderly fallers and non-fallers . Clinical Biomechanics . 2010 (Impact factor =2.5).
1. Kurz I, Berezowski E, Melzer I. Frontal Plane Instability Following Rapid Voluntary Stepping: Effects of Age and a Concurrent Cognitive Task. Journal of Gerontology A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013 May 16. (Impact factor =4.6).
2. Kurz I, Oddsson L, Melzer I. Characteristics of balance control in older persons who fall with injury - A prospective study. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. 2013 Aug; 23(4):814-9. (Impact factor =1.97).