Living with spinal cord injury (SCI) can have a negative effect on person’s mental health and desire to participate in activities, so there continues to be a need to explore ways of improving mental health.

Associate Professor
Interim Director of Psychology

Areas of Interest
Spinal Cord Injury, Cancer, Chronic Illness

The Center for Engagement in Disability Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (CEDHARS) selected Fedora Biney, Ph.D. and Huacong Wen, Ph.D. as recipients of its spring 2023 pilot grant funding opportunity, “Secondary Data Analysis to Advance Health or Rehabilitation Outcomes Research in People with Disabilities.”

Assistant Professor

Areas of Interest
Spinal Cord Injury, Transverse Myelitis, Wound Care, Osteopathic Manual Medicine

Professor Yuying Chen, M.D., Ph.D. was awarded the prestigious Dr. Margaret Nosek Award by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s (ACRM) Spinal Cord Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group. 

Professor Yuying Chen, M.D., Ph.D. has been promoted to Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation  (PM&R) in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine (HSOM). Chen served as Research Director prior to her promotion.

Dr. Chen joined the department of PM&R faculty in 2000 and has served as Project Director of the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center since 2005. She has gained international recognition for her research involving epidemiology, mortality, and secondary conditions after spinal cord injury (SCI), including obesity, racial health disparities, and social determinants of health. Chen’s most recent honors include being selected to serve on the American Spinal Injury Association Board of Directors, awarded The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s (ACRM) SCI Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group Margaret Nosek Award, selected for the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy Class of 2023, and recognized by The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with the Most Cited Original Research Article Award.

“It is my privilege and honor to promote Dr. Chen to the Vice Chair of Research role. She is a passionate researcher who, through her work, has greatly advanced the worldwide standard of care for those living with spinal cord injury,” states Vu Nguyen, M.D., chair of the Department. We are very fortunate to have had her leadership over the years. It is my hope that we can capture her energy and brilliance to elevate the level of research in the department and at UAB. It’s a great day for UAB PM&R research,” exclaims Nguyen.”

Dr. Chen is a board-certified physiatrist from Taiwan and epidemiologist with extensive training and experience in database management, research methodology, and statistical analysis. She has led a number of studies and published more than 94 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, many of which involved the use of the National SCI Database.

“I look forward to this new chapter of my research career, leading a team of remarkable researchers to expand the Department’s research portfolio and advance rehabilitation science,” said Dr. Chen.

Dr. Chen is the Co-Director for the UAB Center for Engagement in Disability Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. She also serves on the Heersink School of Medicine Faculty Council and Committee on Responsible Research Practices as well as PM&R’s Promotion and Tenure, Finance, Journal Club, and Grand Rounds Committees.

The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) selected Yuying Chen, M.D., Ph.D. to serve on the organization’s board of directors.

Professor Yuying Chen, M.D., Ph.D. is the Director of Research in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. Since 2005, she has served as Project Director of the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, which is within the department of PM&R. She has led a number of studies and published over 100 manuscripts and book chapters, most of which involved the use of the National SCI Database.

Chen is well-known for her commitment to advancing research in spinal cord injury research. Her exemplary leadership within the American Spinal Injury Association, overall contributions to the field, as well as being a well-respected thought leader, are among the reasons for her nomination.

As a member of the ASIA BOD, Chen will serve the organization in multiple capacities, including engaging as a board liaison to committee(s); contributing to organizational development and membership,; and promoting the vision of the organization.

The American Spinal Injury Association’s mission is to advance care, education, and research to improve the lives of persons affected by spinal cord injury. ASIA is governed by a Board of Directors, whose membership composition is reflective of the multidisciplinary nature of its members. There are 10 Directors, three of whom also serve as elected Officers. Board members may serve up to 3 two-year terms, for a total 6 years.

Professor
Director, National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center
Vice Chair of Research

Areas of Interest
Spinal Cord Injury

Associate Professor
Project Director, UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System

Areas of Interest
Spinal Cord Injury, Exercise, Fitness, Activities of Daily Living, Wheelchairs, Mobility, Functional Independence, Outcome Measures

Johan Latorre, M.D. and Rachel Cowan, Ph.D., both faculty members in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, have been elected to represent Heersink School of Medicineon the 2023-2025 UAB Faculty Senate.

The Faculty Senate represents UAB’s faculty in matters of shared governance. The Senate is made up of faculty representatives from all of UAB’s academic units, as well as four officers elected at large by the faculty. Through participation in various councils and committees, the senators will convey the faculty’s views and concerns in matters that affect our University.

“I have been a part of multiple large organizations within institutions such as the Resident Physician Union at the University of Michigan that helped improve the lives of the residents. Now as faculty at UAB, I want to do the same. Being a Senator allows me to have a say in the direction UAB takes and not just the health system/medical school community but the campus as a whole,” Dr. Latorre said.

The incoming Chair of the Faculty Senate, Karen Cropsey, will assign every Senate member to serve as a member of a Faculty Senate Standing Committee. Some senate members may also be asked to serve on University-wide Committees. This two-year service term begins September 1, 2023, and ends August 31, 2025.

“I’m honored to serve as a faculty senator for UAB. It gives me the opportunity to learn more about university operations at a higher level outside my area of research. I’m glad I can be a voice for the concerns of researchers not heard outside Heersink School of Medicine.” Dr. Cowan stated.

The roots of National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) date back to 1970. At that time, the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the United States Department of Health Education and Welfare began to fund demonstration project at medical centers throughout the country, collectively known as the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS).

Past research suggests that an imbalance of gut bacteria develops after spinal cord injury (SCI). This imbalance can lead to cardiometabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) led a collaborative research effort with the UAB Department of Health Services Administration and UAB School of Health Professions Research Collaborative to evaluate the health care needs of people aging with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). Using data from the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) Database managed by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), researchers looked at the demographic information, severity of their injury, employment status, and the health conditions of people living with TSCI between 2015 and 2019.

The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) recently held the largest annual conference in the world for interdisciplinary rehabilitation research. It was the 100th annual conference, and it brought together researchers, clinicians, administrators, and others to learn about cutting-edge research and its translation into clinical practice.

Associate Professor
Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs; Medical Director, Adult Multidisciplinary Spina Bifida Clinic; and Director of the PM&R Cancer Rehabilitation program.

Areas of Interest
Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Cancer Rehab, Musculoskeletal Medicine, Botox, Electromyography

Assistant Professor

Areas of Interest
Effective components of virtual reality as a potential treatment modality and psychological aspects of pain perception. 

Assistant Professor

Areas of Interest
Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, Neurologic Diseases 

Assistant Professor

Areas of Interest
Spinal Cord Injury, Neurorehabilitation, Spasticity

Most people have no idea what microbiome is. Yet, it is one of the most important contributors to our health and wellness.

Simply put, microbiome is all of the microscopic microbes that live on and in our bodies. This includes bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes.

The UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has been at the forefront of the emerging research into the importance of microbiome on health and function after spinal cord injury (SCI). With its latest research, UAB aims to look specifically into the impact of gut microbiome on metabolic and bowel function during the first year after SCI.

“There’s typically slower intestinal movement of waste after SCI that leads to leakage of bile and harmful bacteria into the bloodstream,” says Jereme Wilroy, Ph.D., principal investigator and assistant professor in the Department. “Harmful bacteria in the blood can damage the body’s organs and lead to metabolic disorders and associated complications like obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, all conditions that people with chronic SCI are at an increased for developing.”

For the study, patients will be enrolled in the first few weeks after injury and followed for a year. During that time, periodic blood and stool samples will be collected along with surveys of their bowel function. Samples will be analyzed for microbiome changes. Finding changes may lead to the development of an inexpensive, non-invasive diet- or supplement-based treatment option for improving the health and quality of life for persons with SCI.

This study is the site-specific research project of the UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System.

At the largest World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care (SBWC) in event history, representatives from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Children’s of Alabama made up 17% of the total platform presentations, with 23 oral and 13 poster presentations.