Brent D. Anderson, PT, PhD, OCS, NCPT is a licensed physical therapist and orthopedic certified specialist who has practiced physical therapy for more than 30 years. In 1989, he received his degree in physical therapy from the University of California San Francisco and completed his studies in the Pilates method with Elizabeth Larkam at the Center for Sports Medicine at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, California. He continued to learn from first- and second-generation Pilates teachers, including Eve Gentry, Carola Trier, Ron Fletcher, Romana Kryzanowska, Kathy Grant, Lolita San Miguel, Mary Bowen, Jean-Claude West, and Alan Herdman. After graduating, Dr. Anderson moved back to his hometown, Sacramento, California, and started practicing physical therapy; he embarked on a journey filled with continual learning and practice. Several years later, the then-Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Nancy N. Byl, PT, MPH, PhD, FAPTA, encouraged him to seek his doctoral degree. In 1997, Dr. Anderson moved to Miami to pursue his doctoral degree at the University of Miami. It was there that he met his lifelong professional friend and mentor, Dr. Carol M. Davis, DPT, EdD, MS, FAPTA. His doctoral dissertation focused on chronic low back pain and the comparison of active vs passive intervention, as well as the comparison of behavioral vs physical measures and their ability to predict outcomes. In 2005, Dr. Anderson completed his doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Miami. Dr. Anderson's professional studies did not stop there. His professional growth continued with years of intense manual therapy training and practice combined with more than 30 years of dance medicine and Pilates education, myofascial studies with Dr. Davis, and personal investigation and practice of energy medicine and meditation. His unique skill set has allowed him to create an exciting and holistic approach to health and well-being. Dr. Anderson is the founder and CEO of Polestar, one of the leading Pilates education companies in the world. At the time of printing, Polestar has provided Pilates education and teacher training in more than 60 countries and in 15 languages since 1992. Dr. Anderson was involved in the development of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) Pilates Certification Program and the PMA Certification Examination and served on the PMA (now the National Pilates Certification Program) Certification Commission. Dr. Anderson has become a renowned lecturer at national and international symposia and consults with physical therapists, dance companies, universities, and other educational bodies throughout the world. He is a leading authority in performing arts medicine, Pilates for rehabilitation, pain management through movement, and spine health. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, and serves on the board of directors for the School of the Arts for Boys Academy and Bgood.org, a community-empowering organization. He has served as president of the Performing Arts Special Interest Group of the orthopaedic section of the American Physical Therapy Association and is the past chairman of the board of directors for Shake-a-Leg Miami.
