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About

Pamela W. Duncan is a pioneering researcher in neurorehabilitation, whose work has fundamentally shaped how we understand and treat motor recovery after stroke. Her key research areas include robot-assisted therapy, locomotor training, and the economic evaluation of rehabilitation interventions. Duncan’s most impactful contribution is her landmark 2010 multicenter randomized trial on robot-assisted therapy for long-term upper-limb impairment after stroke, which demonstrated that even patients with chronic deficits—six months or more post-stroke—could benefit from intensive robotic rehabilitation. This study, cited over 1,400 times, provided critical evidence that the window for recovery extends far beyond the acute phase. She also challenged prevailing assumptions in her provocative 2012 article questioning the efficacy of body weight–supported treadmill training and robotic-assistive steppers, arguing that these technologies had not outperformed progressive over-ground training. Beyond clinical outcomes, Duncan conducted rigorous cost-effectiveness analyses, showing that while robot-assisted therapy adds expense, it may be justified by improved function. Her work has been instrumental in guiding evidence-based rehabilitation policy and practice, particularly through the VA ROBOTICS multicenter trial. Duncan’s research remains essential reading for clinicians and scientists seeking to optimize post-stroke recovery.