Leslie R. VanHiel
Papers
2
Total Citations
95
H-Index
2
About
Leslie R. VanHiel is a leading researcher in neurorehabilitation, specializing in restoring mobility for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Her work focuses on evaluating the efficacy of advanced therapeutic interventions, particularly robotic exoskeleton training and aquatic therapy, to improve functional outcomes in chronic, incomplete SCI. VanHiel’s major contributions include serving as the principal investigator of the landmark WISE trial (2022), a randomized controlled study demonstrating that a 12-week exoskeleton-based gait training regimen produced clinically meaningful improvements in independent walking speed for community-dwelling participants. This work, cited 73 times, provides critical evidence for integrating robotic rehabilitation into standard care. Additionally, her 2019 study compared peak oxygen consumption responses between aquatic and robotic therapy, offering insights into cardiovascular benefits across modalities. VanHiel’s research is distinguished by its rigorous clinical trial design and focus on translating technology into tangible, patient-centered gains. Her findings directly inform rehabilitation protocols, helping clinicians optimize recovery strategies for individuals with chronic motor incomplete SCI.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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