Kessler Foundation Appoints New Director of Human Performance and Engineering Laboratory

WEST ORANGE, N.J., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kessler Foundation announced that Guang H. Yue, Ph.D., has joined Kessler Foundation Research Center as Director of the Human Performance and Engineering Laboratory. He will assume his position in January 2012.

"The addition of Dr. Yue is an important step for our Research Center, which conducts physical and cognitive research aimed at improving rehabilitation for people with disabilities caused by serious injuries and illnesses," said Rodger DeRose, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kessler Foundation.  

"Dr. Yue's interest in how the brain controls motor function complements our Center's expertise in cognitive function and peripheral neural mechanisms," said John DeLuca, PhD, Vice President of Research at Kessler Foundation. "Adding this accomplished researcher to our team expands our capabilities for advancing rehabilitation strategies for people with stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions." Dr. DeLuca added, "Dr. Yue's dedication to mentoring students, residents and fellows is also important to the Foundation, which is known as a leader in training the rehabilitation researchers of the future."  

Dr. Yue has conducted clinical and basic research in biomechanics and neural control for 18 years. Currently at the Biomedical Engineering Department of The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute and Molecular Medicine Department of The Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, he also has held faculty appointments at Case Western, Cleveland State and Kent State Universities.  

"I look forward to working with the scientists at Kessler Foundation, who collaborate closely with the clinical staff at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation to identify and overcome obstacles to recovery," Dr. Yue said. "This unique relationship provides a rich environment for translational studies in neurorehabilitation based on what we now know about the remarkable plasticity of the human central nervous system. There is much to explore about tapping this plasticity through scientific and clinical research for the benefit of functional recovery in people with disabilities related to loss of movement and mobility."    

Dr. Yue's interests focus on the role of the central nervous system in controlling movement and muscle function, as well as how the central nervous system reacts to injury, chronic disease, and medical intervention. "We need to understand the impact of factors that complicate recovery of function from neurological diseases, including fatigue, immobilization, aging and cognitive deficits," Dr. Yue noted. "Then we can devise effective strategies for rehabilitation."

He has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on more than 20 grants awarded by, among others, the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, pharmaceutical companies and The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Yue serves on the editorial boards and peer review panels of numerous scientific journals. For the National Institutes of Health, he has served as an ad hoc and standing reviewer member for a number of grant review study sections. He is the author/co-author of more than 80 articles and often lectures at regional and international conferences.

Dr. Yue received a doctorate in motor control/biomechanics from the University of Iowa, a masters in exercise science from the University of Northern Iowa, and an undergraduate degree from Beijing Teacher's University. He completed postdoctoral fellowships in physiology (University of Arizona) and biomedical engineering (Cleveland Clinic).

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation is the largest public charity in the field of disability. Kessler Foundation Research Center advances care through rehabilitation research in its seven specialized laboratories under the leadership of noted research directors. Research focuses on improving function and quality of life for persons with injuries of the spinal cord and brain, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other chronic neurological conditions. Kessler Foundation Program Center fosters new approaches to the persistently high rates of unemployment among people disabled by injury or disease. Targeted grant making funds promising programs across the nation. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, people recovering from catastrophic injuries and stroke, and young adults striving for independence are among the thousands of people finding jobs and training for careers as a result of the commitment of Kessler Foundation.

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SOURCE Kessler Foundation