Papers
18
Total Citations
1,384
H-Index
14
About
Susan J. Harkema is a pioneering rehabilitation neuroscientist whose work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery and locomotor rehabilitation. Her research sits at the intersection of neural plasticity, rehabilitation science, and robotic engineering, with a particular focus on retraining movement following neurological injury. Harkema's landmark 2001 review, "Retraining the Injured Spinal Cord" (382 citations), established foundational concepts about how the injured spinal cord retains capacity for functional recovery when provided with appropriate sensory input — reshaping how clinicians approach post-SCI rehabilitation. Building on this, she became a central figure in developing robotic systems to automate and optimize body-weight-supported locomotor training, contributing to devices such as the Pelvic Assist Manipulator (PAM) and algorithms enabling naturalistic, patient-adaptive gait assistance. Her 2007 paper on synchronous robotic gait assistance (253 citations) demonstrated how machines could replicate the nuanced, responsive assistance of skilled human therapists — a critical step toward scalable, consistent rehabilitation. Across her body of work, accumulating nearly 1,300 citations, Harkema has bridged neuroscience and engineering to expand what recovery looks like for individuals with SCI, making her an indispensable voice in translational rehabilitation research.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Retraining the injured spinal cord382 citations · 2001
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- 3Tools for understanding and optimizing robotic gait training147 citations · 2006
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- 5A robotic tool for studying locomotor adaptation and rehabilitation70 citations · 2002
- 6A robotic device for manipulating human stepping62 citations · 2006
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