Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research

Randall Scheibel, Ph.D. heads the research group at the Houston Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC): This research group was originally part of the Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior (LFBBI), which started as a joint venture between Baylor College of Medicine and the MEDVAMC. The LFBBI was established to employ an interdisciplinary approach to the study of brain-behavior relations, including the use of standard neuropsychological instruments, experimental cognitive measures, and both structural and functional neuroimaging. From 2008 to 2013, its personnel and operation partially overlapped with those of the MEDVAMC traumatic brain injury (TBI) Center of Excellence that was led by Dr. Harvey Levin, Ph.D. Since that time this work has continued in the form of several VA funded projects focused on the study of mild TBI and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans and active duty military personnel. With Dr. Scheibel as the current principal investigator (PI), this research now includes participation as a performance site for the Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium – Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (LIMBIC-CENC), as well as a VA merit review study using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine cognitive control and clinical symptoms in veterans with PTSD. Some of the smaller projects have included a study of personality characteristics associated with TBI and PTSD (PI: Dr. Maya Troyanskaya), use of fMRI in athletes with sports-related concussion, and a hormonal intervention for the treatment of symptoms associated with PTSD. In addition, there is currently active collaboration with the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics Analysis (ENIGMA) research network and training relationships involving mentees and students from the University of Houston and the Doris Miller VA Medical Center in Waco, Texas.

Mary Newsome, Ph.D. is a cognitive psychologist who researches neuroplasticity and cognitive changes after brain injury and interventional therapies. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Dr. Newsome currently studies the impact of blast explosions on veterans in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is particularly interested in subcortical changes in the brain that might precede or coincide with symptoms of movement disorders in these veterans (Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, and Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (https://www.limbic-cenc.org/)). With a clinical psychologist, Dr. Wright Williams, she also investigates the impact of different types of therapy for PTSD on the brains of veterans with both brain injury and PTSD (VA grants). Dr. Newsome has begun collaboration with these data with the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics Analysis (ENIGMA) research network. She is also interested in resilience in other at risk groups.

Elisabeth A. Wilde, Ph.D., and Stephen R. McCauley, Ph.D. are clinical neuropsychologists who study brain-behavior relations through the use of multiple imaging modalities including diffusion tensor imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and functional MRI. Dr. Wilde is one of the founding members of the Normative Neuroimaging Library (NNL). The purpose of the NNL is to create a large collection of brain MRI scans (approximately 3000) and other information from healthy individuals to be used as a resource to compare the MRI scans of individuals with disorders or diseases with the MRI scans of healthy individuals. Data collection sites include the University of Virginia, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Utah in addition to military sites including the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) and the 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (WHASC). Dr. Wilde is also the co-Leader of the Brain Injury Working Group for the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics Analysis (ENIGMA) research network.

The Brain Injury Research Center (BRIC) at TIRR Memorial Hermann is directed by Angelle M. Sander, Ph.D. BIRC was established in 1987 with the funding of the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems grant by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Faculty members at BIRC conduct research on prediction of outcomes following brain injury and evaluation of interventions to improve the lives of persons with TBI at all phases of the recovery process. BIRC has housed over 30 federally funded grants covering a range of topics important to persons with TBI, including: prediction and treatment of cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial problems after traumatic brain injury (TBI); intimacy and sexuality after TBI; impact of brain injury on caregivers; cultural disparities in outcomes following TBI. Dr. Sander and Dr. Allison Clark are PM&R faculty members conducting research at BIRC.

The Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at BCM’s Neurosensory Center (CNL) was established in 1995 by Harvey S. Levin, Ph.D. and supported by federal grants, including National Institutes of Health (NINDS and NICHD), Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CNL integrates rehabilitation and neuroplasticity research with multimodality brain imaging, cognitive psychology and neuropsychology. CNL has focused on multidisciplinary traumatic brain injury research involving adult and pediatric populations and has pursued both observational studies and clinical trials. Other areas of research have included sports-related concussion and blast-related TBI in Veterans. As a component of the TRACK-TBI and TBI Endpoints consortia, CNL is investigating sex differences in recovery from TBI. Support from TBI Endpoints and NICHD is facilitating studies on fluid biomarkers of TBI. A grant from the H. Ben Taub Department of PM&R is supporting a pilot study to evaluate the effects of mindfulness meditation in treating chronic pain in persons with spinal cord injury.

The Center for Research on Women with Disability (CROWD) was established in 1993 in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. Its formation was inspired by the outpouring of support from women with disabilities around the nation in response to the announcement of the team's first federally-funded study of women's issues. The center promotes, develops, and disseminates information to improve the health and expand the life choices of women with disabilities. 

David Mansouri, Ph.D. leads a program of research on pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of healthcare-associated infections, particularly infections associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) such as urinary tract infection, pressure wounds and osteomyelitis, device-associated infections and catheter-related infections. These infections remain challenging and can lead to excessive morbidity and mortality with increased healthcare costs. Dr. Mansouri’s laboratory is particularly interested in both novel diagnostic methods including utilization of biomarkers and development of innovative methods against these infections including antibiofilm strategies and novel small antimicrobial molecules that can evade traditional resistant pathways. Dr. Mansouri’s research has been supported by private, public, and federally funded investigative grants and instrumental in successful implementation of innovative methods that have been used to reduce healthcare-associated infections.

Susan Robinson-Whelen, Ph.D. leads a program of research on spinal cord injury (SCI) health and wellness, focused on improving the psychosocial health and well-being of people with SCI, improving weight management of people with SCI, and understanding and addressing the needs of women with SCI. She is a Co-Investigator on the Texas Model Spinal Cord Injury System, and is an Investigator for the TIRR Memorial Hermann Center for Spinal Cord Injury and Disability Research (SCIDR). 

Felicia Skelton, M.D., M.S. is a clinician scientist at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt), one of 18 competitively awarded VA Health Services Research and Development Centers of Innovation. Her research portfolio explores the outcomes of secondary conditions after spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), implementation of evidence-based interventions in SCI/D primary care and optimizing bacteriuria management after SCI/D using mixed methods, big data and machine learning methodologies.

Sruthi Thomas, M.D., Ph.D. , is a pediatric physiatrist and physician scientist who leads the department’s research efforts focused on cerebral palsy (CP). CP is the leading cause of physical disability in children and there is a desperate need for research in this area. There are currently two areas of focus: 1) adult outcomes in cerebral palsy, and 2) the use of neurosurgical interventions for management of severe hypertonicity. Dr. Thomas’ group works closely with the Cerebral Palsy Research Network, a national organization that hosts a CP patient registry with numerous children’s hospitals throughout the United States, including Texas Children’s Hospital, and promotes research in the field. Dr. Thomas was one of the recipients of the department’s inaugural BCM PM&R Pilot Funding Seed Award in 2020. Her ultimate goal is to provide evidence to guide clinical best practices to improve outcomes of importance to her patients with CP.

This area of research is led by Mon Bryant, PT, Ph.D. , who has long-standing interest in exercise intervention.  She is currently a co-investigator on an NIH study to test the effect of lifestyle intervention (exercise and diet) on bone quality in obese older adults (PI-Dennis Villareal, MD), and a VA Merit Review to examine the efficacy of lifestyle therapy and metformin in preventing weight loss-induced reduction in muscle and bone mass in obese older veterans (PI-Dennis Villareal, MD).  Her new R21 collaboration assesses long-term effects of in-home balance training in people with Parkinson’s disease using a smartphone-based wearable balance rehabilitation system (PI- Beom Chan Lee-PhD, University of Houston).

The Prosthetics and Orthotics Center is led by Jared Howell, CPO, MS, FAAOP, and focuses on the development of novel technologies to address prosthetic/orthotic and rehab needs. It is a primary engineering and product development center and seeks to develop new techniques and practices to advance science and clinical practice. Faculty in the center have both clinical and research roles and sit on the front lines of the provision of orthotic and prosthetic care making it an ideal location for late stage clinical trials and product development.  The center and faculty have experience in international research and development of novel clinical options for low- and middle-income countries, 3D printing, and material science.  Faculty collaborate with a number of different departments throughout the college for ongoing research and testing.  

Michael Lee, M.D., M.H.A., C.P.E. has research interests that include management and prevention of secondary conditions in persons with spinal cord injury and in persons with amputation. His current project, "Novel Textile Based Sensors for Inner Prosthetic Socket Environment Monitoring" demonstrates and characterize the novel Flexible InneR-socket Sensing Technology (FIRST) that is seamlessly, unobtrusively, and elegantly integrated into the lower-limb prosthesis socket.  FIRST is based on an electronic-textile fabric structure where the fibers of the fabric act as sensory elements and could simultaneously track tactile forces, moisture/wetness, electromyography (EMG), and body temperature at multiple sensing points around the residual limb.  The multiple sensing capabilities of FIRST I being evaluated in persons with lower limb amputations inside and outside of a laboratory environment. This would enable patients and clinicians to avoid the occurrence of potential skin breakdown and the resulting complications.

The Regenerative Sports Medicine clinical and research mission at BCM is directed by Prathap Jayaram M.D., FAAPMR, CAQ[M4] . The research mission is focused on regenerative rehabilitation strategies to optimize functional recovery in musculoskeletal disability. Recent advances have included developing novel therapies and refining current strategies to combat post-traumatic osteoarthritis which affects individuals with traumatic injuries from our youth athletes to our aging veteran population. The Regenerative Sports Medicine footprint collaborates with Baylor’s world renowned Molecular & Human Genetics department and Department of Orthopedic Surgery. This collaboration has led to discovering targets of disease in pre-clinical models that can have been scaled to clinical trials to improve functional endpoints in patients suffering from musculoskeletal disability.

MEDVAMC is one of the largest facilities in the national VA Medical Center system. Located on a 118-acre campus and built in 1991, MEDVAMC is a state-of-the-art facility, with 357 acute care beds, a 40-bed Spinal Cord Injury Center (currently under expansion to 50 beds), and a 141 bed Community Living Center (like a community skilled nursing facility).

The Spinal Cord Injury Care Line was established to restore and maintain maximal health, independence, productivity, and quality of life of veterans with SCI. This includes: rehabilitation after an acute injury or illness; advanced or focused rehabilitation to address additional rehabilitation goals after the initial rehabilitation process; medical and surgical management of acute and chronic medical complications through the SCI outpatient clinic, SCI home care program, and the SCI inpatient units; and long-term follow-up of medical and rehabilitation needs and preventive health maintenance through annual examinations. The SCI Care Line supports developing and implementing innovative treatment methods derived from continuing education and research.

The SCI Care Line is located on the first floor of the facility (Nursing Units 1A and 1B). It also includes the SCI Outpatient Clinic, SCI Home Care Program, Urodynamics Lab, Occupational Therapy Clinic, Physical Therapy and Kinesiotherapy Clinic, Therapeutic Pool, and a Transitional Living Apartment for training. The DeBakey VA SCI Center is within the VA’s Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders (SCI&D) system of care, servicing the South Central VA Health Care Network (VISN 16). The center provides care to Veterans and active duty personnel. 

We would be interested in partnering with industry in the following areas:

• Machine learning projects necessitating big data of persons with SCI. As the largest integrated system of care for persons with SCI in the nation, the VA has invested in robust databases, including the newly formed SCI/D registry.
• Virtual reality for common chronic conditions after SCI (pain, anxiety, depression).
• Novel technology to detect and or/treat pressure injuries after SCI

If you are interested in partnering with us complete our PM&R Sponsored Research Application.

Apply today!

Dr. Felicia Skelton serves as the site principal investigator, with other SCI physicians (Drs. S. Ann Holmes, Carol Bodenheimer, Maria Dajoyag-Mejia, Donna Huang and Walter Wade) serve as co-investigators as appropriate.

Dr. Skelton is an investigator at the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt) at the MEDVAMC She holds an academic appointment of associate professor in the H. Ben Taub department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Skelton completed medical school at Baylor College of Medicine, residency in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington, where she served as chief resident, clinical fellowship in spinal cord injury medicine at BCM, and a VA health services research and development (HSR&D) post-doctoral fellowship through IQuESt. She is currently funded by a VA HSR&D Career Development Award aimed to develop best practices on urine testing and treatment after SCI. She is also currently or has recently been funded as a co-investigator on five studies funded by VA, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Initiative or the Health Resources and Services Administration. She has numerous peer-reviewed publications and national presentations on her research, clinical care and education, including speaking about her passion of reducing health disparities by recruiting, training, hiring and promoting women and underrepresented minorities into medicine, so that the workforce better reflects the population it serves.