Overview
Professor, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Associate Director, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
453 W. 10th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-366-4559
Fax: 614-292-0210
Email: michele.basso@osumc.edu
Research Focus
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that results in permanent functional impairments. The goal of Dr. D. Michele Basso’s research is to develop rehabilitative therapies that promote recovery of mobility. The unique experience is working on the brink of translation and interacting closely with the OSU NeuroRecovery Network (NRN) clinic for human SCI which she directs. This clinic uses treadmill training to promote recovery after chronic, incomplete SCI and we examine the rate and extent of change in function and quality of life. Recovery of locomotion is complex because it depends on reducing cellular cascades that inhibit learning while at the same time promoting robust neural plasticity. In addition, neuropathic pain can develop after SCI and interfere with recovery. It is her belief that the optimal therapeutic outcome will result from a treatment that is tailored to the severity of neuropathology, the time of intervention and the specificity of the training task. Cellular factors such as inflammation and matrix biology at the synapse may directly influence the receptivity to training. We combine behavioral, cellular, and physiological assessments and take a systems approach to answer these questions. To accurately characterize the type and extent of restitution of function, we also develop new assessment tools which quantify motor and sensory recovery in animals and humans with SCI.
To learn more about Dr. D. Michele Basso's research visit her lab at
Most Recent Publications
Hansen, Christopher, Norden, Diana, Faw, Timothy, Deibert, Rochelle, Wohleb, Eric, Sheridan, John, Godbout, Jonathon, Basso, D Michele. (2016). Lumbar Myeloid Cell Trafficking into Locomotor Networks after Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury. Experimental Neurology 282. May 2016, pp 86-98
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303240608_Lumbar_Myeloid_Cell_Trafficking_into_Locomotor_Networks_after_Thoracic_Spinal_Cord_Injury
Song Rachel B, Basso D Michele, da Costa Ronaldo C, Fisher Lesley C, Mo Xiaokui, Moore Sarah A. Adaptation of the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale for use in a clinical model of spinal cord injury in dogs. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth. 2016.04.023
Major Awards
- 2011: Helen J. Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to Professional Literature, American Physical Therapy Association
- 2005: National Research Award, Neurology Section, American Physical Therapy Association
- 2005: US Patent (Pending) Assessing Active Sensation after CNS Injury
- 2004, 2005: Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers
- 2001: Outstanding Faculty Research Award, School of Allied Medical Professions
- 1997: Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award, The Ohio State University
- 1998: Co-Director, Outreach Program for African-American Women, selected to fulfill the Alliances Objective for the OSU Medical Center: a National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health
Education
- 1991: Ed.D., Motor Learning, Movement Sciences and Education Department, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY.
- 1986: M.A., Motor Learning, Movement Sciences and Education Department, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY.
- 1984: B.S., Physical Therapy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.