Naoaki Ito, PT, DPT, PhD is a Physical Therapist and postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Nao is currently involved in a multi-center prospective cohort study investigating the risk factors for hamstring strain injuries in American football athletes. His dissertation work, funded in part by the American Academy of Sport Physical Therapy Legacy Fund New Investigator Research Grant Award, focused on improving outcomes after ACL injury using biomechanical and imaging modalities. He has special interests and ongoing institutional level funding to study the application of advanced imaging techniques in patients with lower extremity tendon injuries such as patellar tendinopathy and bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft harvest for ACL reconstruction. Nao has published his research in peer-reviewed journals and presented his research at the national and international level.