Rate My Professor James Karnes

James Karnes serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences within Georgia Southern University’s Waters College of Health Professions. He earned a B.S. from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, an M.S. from the University of Miami, and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. Karnes joined Georgia Southern University in 2016, having previously held positions at Armstrong State University, including contributions to graduate physical therapy programs. He has served as Physical Therapy program coordinator and Interim Department Chair. Additionally, he manages the Human Gross Anatomy Lab in University Hall and is a member of the President’s Diversity Advisory Council.

Karnes specializes in rehabilitation sciences, with research interests encompassing falls prevention, proprioception, fatigue effects on joint replication, outcomes of the 6-minute walk test, and upper extremity functional tests for return to overhead sports. His expertise includes neurodegenerative diseases, neurobiology, neurophysiology, and synaptic plasticity. Key publications include "Stopping Falls: A United Initiative among Physical Therapy Educators" (2023, Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, co-authored with Taylor, D. W. M., et al.), "Effects of Guarding on the Outcomes of the 6-Minute Walk Test" (2021, Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal, co-authored with Lefebvre, K., et al.), "Effects of Fatigue on Active Joint Replication Proprioception of the Shoulder in Physically Active Individuals" (2021, presentation, co-authored with Bargeron, S. L., et al.), and earlier works such as "NMDA Receptor Blockade Maintains Correlated Motor Neuron Firing and Delays Synapse Competition at Developing Neuromuscular Junctions" (2008), "Culturing Neurons from the Snail Helisoma" (2003), "Continuous therapeutic ultrasound accelerates repair of contraction-induced skeletal muscle damage in rats" (2002), and studies on high-voltage pulsed current and edema formation (1992-1995). His publications have accumulated over 215 citations. Karnes actively mentors graduate physical therapy capstone projects on topics including kinetic force analysis of plyometric exercises and efficacy of knee simulation models for manual therapy skills.