Episode 14: Transforming Neurorehabilitation Through Research

For 30 years, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute has been conducting research spanning basic neuroscience to clinical neuroscience and neurorehabilitation with an eye toward improving the lives of individuals with neurological disabilities. In this episode, MRRI Founding Director John Whyte, MD, PhD, current MRRI Director Dylan Edwards, PhD, and Associate Director Laurel Buxbaum, PsyD, look back at what the institute has accomplished and ahead at the work that is still to be done.

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Episode 13: Upcoming Changes to the PM&R Landscape

In this episode of MossRehab Conversations, Alberto Esquenazi, MD, The John Otto Haas Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Chief Medical Officer at MossRehab, and Thomas J. Smith, MBA, Chief Operating Officer of MossRehab, discuss upcoming changes being implemented by CMS to post-acute care.


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Episode 12: Designing a Collaborative Approach to Excellence in Rehabilitation

While MossRehab clinicians use the latest evidence-based practices in medical care, scientists within Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI) remain at the forefront of scientific discovery to advance neurorehabilitation assessment and treatment. Research findings bring new clinical practices and scientific advancements that benefit the patient while clinicians keep researchers current on rehabilitation trends. In this episode of MossRehab Conversations, Alberto Esquenazi, MD, The John Otto Haas Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Chief Medical Officer at MossRehab, and Dylan Edwards, PhD, Director of MRRI, discuss how the clinical and research arms of MossRehab work together.

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Episode 11: Developing Apps for Mobile Rehabilitation

Along with communications, entertainment and interpersonal relationships, modern technology, smartphones and devices such as Siri and Alexa are now at the heart of some revolutionary changes in therapy and rehabilitation, allowing healthcare providers to guide and monitor their patient's progress. In this episode of MossRehab Conversations, Amanda Rabinowitz, PhD, director of the Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI) talks with Mike Jones, PhD, VP of clinical research and assistive technology at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta about the relatively new field of mRehab.

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Episode 10: Partnering in Rehabilitation to Improve Outcomes

As the clinical director of musculoskeletal spine and sports rehabilitation medicine at MossRehab, Christopher Plastaras, MD, is an expert in spine care. This level of specialization brings him some of the most challenging cases. When he needs a second opinion or additional insight that only a functional manual therapist can give, he turns to his colleague and fellow clinician, James Poston, PT, OCS, CFMT. Learn how these specialists combine their skill sets to improve outcomes for patients at MossRehab.

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Episode 9: Caring for Rehab Patients During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic raised many questions for the rehabilitation community. Most notably, how do you provide for the rehabilitation needs of those who currently have or are recovering from such an easily transmitted disease, while keeping the rest of your patient population safe? Learning from the experiences of rehab experts from around the globe, Alberto Esquenazi, MD, Chief Medical Officer at MossRehab discusses the approach he took in creating the first of its kind COVID-19 rehabilitation unit.

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Episode 8: Robotics and Neurostimulation in Stroke Rehab

Research has shown that robotics and non-invasive brain stimulation both can improve recovery from central nervous system damage. Can that recovery be enhanced by combining the two techniques? In this MossRehab Conversation, Dylan Edwards, PhD, discusses his research into both areas and what he is learning from using them together. Dr. Edwards recently joined the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute as director. Previously, he worked at Burke Neurological Institute, where he was the director of the Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Laboratory and director of the Restorative Neurology Clinic.

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Episode 7: A More Scientifically Rigorous Approach to Stroke Rehab

More rigorous scientific study, along with advanced technologies, has been transforming stroke rehab in recent years. In this MossRehab Conversation, Joel Stein, MD, discusses his exploration into some of the latest advances. Dr. Stein is Simon Baruch Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. 

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Episode 6: Advancing the Brain/Computer Connection

Can we, by reading electrical signals in the brain, control a robotic arm? That is the question that has driven cutting-edge research into advanced prosthetics by Michael Boninger, MD. Dr. Boninger is vice chair for research, physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh and senior medical director post acute care UPMC. He is the author of five U.S. patents, and is also recognized for extensive research on spinal cord injury, assistive technology and overuse injuries, particularly those associated with manually propelling a wheelchair. 

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Episode 5: Helping Stroke Patients Deal with Severe Spasticity

Is there an answer for stroke patients when conventional treatment for severe spasticity doesn't yield the desired results? In a recent article in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, Michael Creamer, DO, and colleagues shared results from their research into intrathecal baclofen therapy in treating patients with severe, post-stroke spasticity. Dr. Creamer shared the findings and their implications for physiatrists in a conversation with Michael Saulino, MD, clinical director of intrathecal therapy services at MossRehab. Dr. Creamer is a spinal cord injury and pain specialist at Central Florida Pain Relief Centers and an assistant clinical professor at Florida State University involved in training medical students. 

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Episode 4: Translating Research into Physical Rehabilitation Treatment

In this second part of a MossRehab Conversation with John Whyte, MD, PhD, Dr. Whyte talks about his work mentoring future researchers and his vision for translating theoretical research into treatment. Dr. Whyte is retiring as director of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute later this year. 

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Episode 3: Defining and Measuring Progress in Physical Rehabilitation

In this first of a two-part MossRehab Conversation, John Whyte, MD, PhD, discusses his body of research, including seminal work on disorders of consciousness and more recent exploration into how to define and measure progress in rehabilitation more effectively. Dr. Whyte is retiring as director of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute later this year.

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Episode 2: Dealing with the 'Fitness Crisis' Among People with Disabilities

Clinicians and therapist don't often focus on promoting fitness and wellness among people with disabilities after they are discharged into the community. James Rimmer, PhD, talks about his research and the need for a new approach. Dr. Rimmer is the inaugural Lakeshore Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Sciences and director of the Lakeshore Foundation/University of Alabama Birmingham Collaborative. He has been developing and directing physical activity and health promotion programs for people with disabilities for the past 30 years.

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Episode 1: An Advanced Approach to Attaching Prosthetics

Joseph B. Webster, MD, discusses advances in care for people who have had amputations, including his groundbreaking work with osseointegration - bonding the connectors for prosthetics directly to a patient's bone rather than using the more traditional socket. Dr. Webster is a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs, primarily in Richmond, Va. He is also national medical director for VA's Amputation System of Care.