Program Session

Bioengineering and Spinal Cord Injury

Saturday, April 2, 2005
9:15 AM - 12:30 PM
Howe Center

Plenary Speakers:

Noami Kleitman, Ph.D.  Program Director, Extramural Research Program, NIH, National Institute of Neurological Diseases (NINDS). Bethesda, MD.
Topic: Scientific and Programmatic Overview of Spinal Cord Injury

Dr. Naomi Kleitman joined NINDS in 2001 as a Program Director in Repair and Plasticity. Her interest is in spinal cord injury research and the development of successful strategies for CNS repair and restoration of function. Translation of fundamental research on neural repair and axonal growth to clinical studies that apply these basic principles is a major goal. Dr. Kleitman received a Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign followed by post-doctoral work at Washington University, St. Louis. She was on the faculty of the University of Miami School of Medicine in The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis for 12 years, studying mechanisms of axonal regeneration in tissue culture and the development of populations of adult rodent and human Schwann cells for transplantation in PNS and CNS injury sites. She also served as the Scientific Liaison for the Miami Project, encouraging interaction between clinicians, rehabilitation and basic researchers, as well as informing the public, patient groups, and the media about progress in spinal cord injury research.

Herbert M. Geller, Ph.D. Head, Developmental Neurobiology, NIH; National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Bethesda, MD.
Topic: Neural Development and Regeneration after SCI

Dr. Geller joined the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in 2001.  From 1972 until joining NHLBI, Dr. Geller was a Professor of Pharmacology and Neurology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, where he was also Director of the Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Head of the Confocal Imaging Facility.  His research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation as well as several private foundations.  He was a member of many different grant review panels for the NIH, NSF and VA.
Dr. Geller received his B.E from the City University of New York, his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and then did Postdoctoral work in Physiology at the University of Rochester before moving to New Jersey.  In 1984, Dr. Geller was a Fogarty International Fellow at University College, London.  He was a visiting Professor at Nagoya City University in Japan in 1991.   He is on the Editorial Board of Glia, the Journal of Neuroscience Methods and the International Journal of Developmental Neurobiology.  He holds an adjunct faculty appointment in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland.
Originally trained in electrophysiology, Dr. Geller's research has used almost all techniques in modern neurobiology, including electrophysiology, light microscopy, electronic imaging, behavioral testing, cell and molecular biology. 
Research Description
Research in the Geller laboratory is concerned with understanding the mechanisms that control neuronal migration, pathfinding and growth, both during neural development and in order to stimulate regeneration after injury. These experiments utilize cell biological, molecular biological, immunological and physiological techniques.

P. Hunter Peckham, Ph.D. Executive Director, Cleveland Functional Stimulation Center at MetroHealth Medical Center and The Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopedics at Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, OH.
Topic:  Neural prostheses

The major area of Dr. Peckham's research is in rehabilitation engineering and neuroprostheses. Dr. Peckham's research effort focuses on functional restoration of the paralyzed upper extremity in individuals with spinal cord injury. He and collaborators have developed implantable neural prostheses which utilize electrical stimulation to control neuromuscular activation. They have implemented procedures to provide control of grasp-release in individuals with tetraplegia. This function enables individuals with central nervous system disability to regain the ability to perform essential activities of daily living. His present efforts concern the integration of technological rehabilitation and surgical approaches to restore functional capabilities.

TBN:
Topic: Clinical Issues in Treatment of SCI: A Challenge for Bioengineers.