Cynthia Pineda

Cynthia Pineda, MD, is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) specialist and staff physiatrist at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (MNRH), MedStar Washington Hospital Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) and MedStar Montgomery Medical Center (MMMC). She is the associate program director of PM&R residency training at MGUH/MNRH, director of continuing medical education programs at MNRH, and director of medical education at MMMC. In addition, she is an associate professor of clinical rehabilitation medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Dr. Pineda serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. Her research has been published in professional journals, including Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and PM&R: the Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation. In addition, she co-authored a chapter about creating safe environments for patients with brain injury, which was published by MNRH.

Dr. Pineda was selected to participate in the MedStar Teaching Scholars program, in which she earned a certificate in medical education research. She is a fellow of the American Academy of PM&R, a diplomate member the Association of Academic Physiatrists and an associate member of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions. She frequently presents her research on rehabilitation and medical education at national association conferences.

Her medical degree is from De La Salle Health Sciences Institute, Philippines. She completed an internship in internal medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital, Chicago, and a residency in PM&R at MGUH/MNRH.

Research Interests

Dr. Pineda’s research interests include

• Rehabilitation
• Medical education and simulation
• Health services research
• Quality improvement and patient safety
• Pressure ulcer prevention

Selected Research

Virtual Patient Simulation in Pressure Ulcer and Patient Safety Education

Dr. Pineda is the principal investigator for this project to improve educational approaches for medical students. This project is sponsored by a Georgetown University School of Medicine Curricular Innovation Research and Creativity in Learning Environment grant.

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Spinal Cord Injury: Secondary Conditions in the Rehabilitation of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

Dr. Pineda is training director for this project to help care providers manage or prevent cardiometabolic syndrome, obesity and pressure ulcers in patients with spinal cord injury. This research is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

View Dr. Pineda's publications on PubMed