Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Message from the Vice Chair for Research:
In 2003, the NIH Roadmap Initiative was implemented with an "integrated vision to deepen our understanding of biology, stimulate interdisciplinary research teams, and reshape clinical research to accelerate medical discovery and improve people's health." The purpose of implementing this initiative was based, in part, on the "scale and complexity of today's biomedical research problems," which will require scientists to "move beyond the confines of their own discipline and explore new organizational models for team science." As such, future NIH funding will favor synergistic "interdisciplinary research teams" focusing on clinically relevant strategies encompassing the entire spectrum of patient care.

The overall goal of the research program in PM&R is to identify and test innovative and complimentary rehabilitation interventions, and utilize rehabilitation outcome measures to document the short- and long-term impact of these strategies on improving quality of life.

One of the major themes of the NIH Roadmap is to promote private-public partnerships. The rehabilitation programs at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital have played a pivotal role in ongoing clinical studies (inpatient and outpatient) originating from the University of Kentucky. Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital also has a leadership role and active participation with community-based support groups, education and research programs in rehabilitation, data management of numerous indices of functional outcome, and long-term assessment of quality of life.

Working with faculty and staff from the University of Kentucky and Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, the research program in PM&R will continue to identify and incorporate assessment tools to optimize measures of human performance and recovery. By combining the strengths of the two Institutions, we have the opportunity to become one of the nation’s top rehabilitation research programs. Since it's inception in 2006, the Division of Research has grown to include over 25 research and staff who have brought in over $5 million in sponsored research funding. During this time, the Division of Research has consistently rated in the top 20 in NIH funding compared to other public medical schools. We plan to maintain this distinctive edge by:

• Improving the quality of patient care by identifying and facilitating the integration of unique research teams from the various Colleges at the University of Kentucky and Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital.
• Attracting established investigators and support staff with areas of expertise that bridge and synergize interactions between the basic sciences, clinical research and the Cardinal Hill rehabilitation programs.
• Successfully compete on a national level for federal and private foundation funding opportunities.
• Providing leadership and mentoring for residents, research fellows and young faculty.
• Developing programs that will increase the regional and national recognition of the PM&R research program.

Dr. Joe Springer is Professor and Vice Chair for Research in PM&R and in 2004 was appointed the Cardinal Hill Endowed Chair in Neurorehabilitation. In 1980, he received a B.S. in Neuroscience from Texas Christian University, and in 1984 received his Ph.D. in Psychobiology from the State University of New York. Dr. Springer joined the faculty in 1995 in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Kentucky. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, the Advisory Board of the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, has been a member of the editorial board of numerous journals in the neuroscience field, and has served on numerous NIH study sections and the Research Advisory Board of several private foundations. Dr. Springer's research interests include CNS trauma, cell death mechanisms and mitochondrial function, treatment strategies in CNS trauma, and rehabilitation and recovery of function following CNS damage. Hobbies include mountain climbing, fishing, golfing, ornithology, and playing guitar.