Enhancing functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

The goal of our lab is to enhance functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). Our approach to SCI research uses animal models to identify changes that occur within the spinal cord after injury. Specifically, we are interested in the changes that contribute to movement dysfunction. Once we have identified these changes, such as alterations in protein expression or neuronal excitability, we can create therapies that target these changes and produce a more functional motor output. We measure therapeutic effects not only in vitro on the local neuronal functions, but also in vivo on the overall behavior. We want to ensure that we are affecting the desired local neuronal target, and that this modification leads to overall improvements in function. In particular, we are focused on examining ventral motoneuronal and dorsal spinal interneuronal behavior, isolated spinal reflexes, single motor unit recordings, muscle activation and patterning during locomotion and gross hyperreflexia.