After serving as interim director since 2014, I am honored and thrilled to now be appointed director of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. I will also be serving as physiatrist-in-chief for The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Lawrence Cardinal Shehan Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

I look forward to continuing to support the important work my team is doing to improve function, independence and quality of life for patients with physical and cognitive limitations. To see some examples of this work, check out the stories in this edition of Restore.

As always, my research interests will remain focused on improving our understanding of the mechanisms underlying motor learning and motor recovery after brain injury, and on developing new interventions and strategies to enhance motor recovery after stroke.

It is exciting to be able to continue many of the activities that I enjoyed as interim director, such as mentoring junior faculty members and students, and establishing a postdoctoral training program aimed at providing the skills needed to conduct independent translational research. But I am also excited about launching the Activity and Mobility Program across Johns Hopkins Medicine to encourage and facilitate exercise for all patients during their hospitalization. In addition, we are developing an inpatient rehabilitation unit at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center to focus on stroke and other neurological conditions, orthopaedics, and spinal cord injuries.

If we can help with any physical medicine and rehabilitation needs, please let us know: 443-997-5476.