Susan J. Harkema, PhD
Professor, Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville
Frazier Rehab Institute, UofL Health, Louisville Kentucky

Susan J. Harkema, PhD, Professor, holds the Owsley B. Frazier Rehabilitation Chair in Neurological Surgery and is the Associate Director of the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville. Over the last 27years, her research has focused on neural plasticity of spinal networks and recovery of function after spinal cord injury. Her more recent studies have shown that people with chronic paralysis can regain the ability to voluntarily move their legs and stand independently while also recovering cardiovascular and bladder function with epidural stimulation. This broadened the scope of the translational research program to include technology development to improve implantable epidural stimulators.

Dr. Harkema leads the KSCIRC translational faculty within the Pediatric NeuroRecovery, Adult NeuroRecovery, and Epidural Stimulation Programs. Over the past decade, these programs have collectively been awarded over $72 million in research dollars with the aim to improve motor, cardiovascular and bladder function, health, and quality of life of adults and children living with paralysis. During that time, she also led six rehabilitation centers and nine community fitness and wellness centers in the translation of scientific knowledge into clinical practice as the Director of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network.

Dr. Harkema’s research interest has been understanding neural mechanisms of the human spinal circuitry that initially focused on locomotion and began with a model of diagnosed motor clinically complete spinal cord injury. Over the years, serendipitous discoveries expanded and allowed her to take advantage of her graduate degree in physiology to unravel mechanisms of the human spinal circuitry that modulate the autonomic nervous system. She has maintained an NIH funded research program since 1998 and she has been funded by grants from the NINDS, NCRR, NIBIB; as well as the DOD, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the Paralyzed Veterans Administration, Wings for Life and the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.

During her career, she has published more than 110 scholarly manuscripts and book chapters; delivered over 100 worldwide lectures and keynotes; been a grant reviewer for the NIH, Roman Reed, Mission Connect, FISM Society; and she has sat on numerous advisory boards and review panels. It is important to note that many of her 18 mentored graduate students and post-doctoral fellows have excelled in their careers.

In addition to the above accomplishments, Dr. Harkema has co-authored seven United States patents and received several honors and awards throughout her career. In 2007, the National Spinal Cord Injury Association nominated her into the SCI Hall of Fame for Achievement in Research in Quality of Life; 2008, she was a co-recipient of the Reeve-Irvine Research Medal which is awarded to individuals who have made critical contributions to promoting repair of the damaged spinal cord and recovery of function; 2011, she received the Difference Maker Award from the Rick Hansen Foundation as well as the Breakthrough Award from Popular Mechanics; 2012, she received the John Stanley Coulter Award for significant contribution to the field of rehabilitation by the ACRM; 2014, she received the Innovator of the Year award from Business First; 2018, the Paul J. Corcoran, MD Distinguished Lecture from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School; and in 2019, she again received the Innovator of the Year award from Business First.

Dr. Harkema earned her Bachelor of Science and PhD from Michigan State University and conducted her postdoctoral fellowship in neurophysiology at the University of California, Los Angeles.