Neurological Disorders Core

Major strengths include respiratory function in neuromuscular disorders (Spinal Cord Injury, Pompe Disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and ALS), neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease), and other clinical disorders (cancer cachexia, heart failure, sleep apnea).

	Researcher/Clinician Name	Title	Department	Cores	Specialties
	David Borchelt, PhD	Professor & Director	Department of Neuroscience	Neurological Disorders Core	Prior transmission of ALS
	Prodip Bose, MD, PhD	Professor & Director	Department of Neurology	Neurological Disorders Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	Spasticity after TBI/SCI
	Erica Dale, PhD	Assistant Professor	Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics	Basic Breathing Research Core, Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotechnology Core	Spinal stimulation induced phrenic motor plasticity; neurostimulation and functional recovery of breathing capacity after spinal injury
	Emily Fox, PT, DPT, PhD, NCS	Research Associate Professor	Department of Physical Therapy	Basic Breathing Research Core, Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotherapeutic Oxygen Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	Phrenic/diaphragm pacing as rehabilitative tool; therapeutic intermittent hypoxia and spinal injury
	David Fuller, PhD	Professor & Program Director	Department of Physical Therapy	Basic Breathing Research Core, Airway Defense Core, Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotherapeutic Oxygen Core, Neurotechnology Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	Spinal stimulation and recovery of breathing activity with opiate-induced respiratory depression and spinal injury; Regulation of airway muscles; hyperbaric oxygenation, intermittent hypoxia and respiratory plasticity, Pompe disease
	Elisa Gonzalez-Rothi, DPT, PhD	Research Assistant Professor	Department of Physical Therapy	Basic Breathing Research Core, Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotherapeutic Oxygen Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	Respiratory plasticity induced by neurostimulation and intermittent hypoxia; spinal cord injury; sleep apnea & pathogenic intermittent hypoxia after SCI
	Christopher Kaufmann, PhD, MHS	Assistant Professor	Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics	Basic Breathing Research Core, Neurological Disorders Core	sleep disorders and neurodegeneration
	Jada Lewis, PhD	Professor	Department of Neuroscience	Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotherapeutic Oxygen Core	Pathogenic and therapeutic IH in neurodegenerative disease
	Carolina Maciel, MD, MSCR	Clinical Assistant Professor	Department of Neurology	Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotherapeutic Oxygen Core	Cognitive function after cardiac arrest/recovery; neurocritical care, TBI
	Gordon Mitchell, PhD	Preeminence Professor & Director	Department of Physical Therapy	Basic Breathing Research Core, Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotherapeutic Oxygen Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	Intermittent hypoxia induced respiratory plasticity, therapeutic intermittent hypoxia in spinal injury and ALS
	Maria Nikodemova, MS, PhD	Research Associate Scientist	Department of Physical Therapy	Basic Breathing Research Core, Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotherapeutic Oxygen Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	microglial plasticity in healthy CNS and during neurodegeneration; APOE4 phenotype, sleep apnea; the role of microglia and neuroinflammation in regulating respiratory motor plasticity during hypoxia and after spinal cord injury
	Kevin Otto, PhD	Professor & Senior Associate Chair	Department of Biomedical Engineering	Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotechnology Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	Neural interfaces, multi-channel implantable micro devices for neural stimulation, autonomic neuroengineering; neuroprosthetics; spinal/epidural stimulation
	Laura Ranum, PhD	Professor & Director	Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology	Neurological Disorders Core	Genetics of neurodegenerative neuromuscular disease: myotonic dystrophy and ALS
	Christine SchmidChristine Schmidt, PhDt, PhD	Professor & Chair	Department of Biomedical Engineering	Neurological Disorders Core, Neurotechnology Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	Neuroregeneration after peripheral or spinal cord injury
	Yasin B. Seven, MS, PhD	Research Assistant Scientist	Department of Physical Therapy	Basic Breathing Research Core, Neurotechnology Core, Neurological Disorders Core, Spinal Cord Injury Core	Neuroprotection in spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases, nanoparticle-based targeted drug delivery
	James Wymer, MD, FAAN	Professor	Department of Neurology	Neurological Disorders Core	Diagnosis and management of neuromuscular diseases, including ALS, muscle diseases and peripheral neuropathies