For Julie Keysor, it’s personal. Not only has she struggled with arthritis after a series of knee operations when she was 25, but so does her 8-year-old daughter. They are two of 46 million Americans now suffering with the disease, a number expected to climb to 67 million in the next 3 decades as the US population ages.

“There are very few effective interventions once people experience the pain and functional limitations of arthritis. Many become restricted in their ability to get around, which ultimately can lead to them becoming isolated in their homes.”

Keysor, an associate professor of physical therapy and athletic training and director of the Center for Enhancing Activity & Participation among Persons with Arthritis, has a $4 million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The overarching goal: finding ways of keeping people with arthritis active and able to pursue regular activities, especially after joint and knee operations.

“There are very few effective interventions once people experience the pain and functional limitations of arthritis. Many become restricted in their ability to get around, which ultimately can lead to them becoming isolated in their homes.”

Keysor is feverishly at work, making sure this won’t be the case for her daughter and millions of others.