Research Program

The primary objectives of any resident research project are to ensure that the experience is educational, ethical, productive and an overall positive experience. The Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation research staff and faculty work with our residents to meet the needs of their project and research education. This includes: 

• Participation on departmental clinical trials
• Participation on Investigator initiated studies
• Consultation
• Guidance
• Direction to needed resources
• Information on applying for Carolinas HealthCare Foundation funds
• Explanation of IRB procedures
• Training in regulatory oversight and Good Clinical Practices
• Financial administration and project management

Mark Hirsch, PhD, FACRM, Director of Resident Research Education and Tami Guerrier, Research Manager are here to help guide you through a successful research experience.

Research Directors and Faculty

Mark A. Hirsch, PhD, FACRM
Adjunct Professor, Senior Scientist
Director, Resident Research Education Program (PM&R)
Director, Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Laboratory 

Dr. Hirsch is a fellowship trained movement scientist. He was awarded a PhD from Florida State University (at age 29) and completed an NIH T32 post-doctoral fellowship in neurorehabilitation research at Johns Hopkins Hospital, in the Department of PM&R. He completed advanced training in Parkinson disease in the Department of Neurology at Dusseldorf University, Germany. His current research interests are in gait and balance and in exercise-induced neuroplasticity, mostly in Parkinson disease. Dr. Hirsch conducted pioneering research on patient/provider/scientist collaboration. His contributions to the field of exercise and Parkinson diseases have changed the clinical rehabilitative management of patients with PD.

Dr. Hirsch was appointed Fellow of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. He provides leadership on a variety of ACRM committees including the Neurodegenerative Diseases group and the ACRM Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He enjoys spending time with his wife, two boys, and salsa dancing.

5 Key publications:

1. Hirsch MH, Sood P, Wong DC, Hein A, Heyn PC, van Wegen EEH. In-home falls risk assessment in Parkinson disease: A guide for clinicians. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, Oct;102(10):2051-2054. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.04.001. Epub 2021 Jul 14. PMID: 34272051 
2. van Wegen E, Hirsch MA, van de Berg WDJ, Rietberg MB, Vriend C, Newman M, Vanbellingen T, van den Heuvel OA. High intensity interval cycle ergometer training in Parkinson's disease: Protocol for identifying individual response patterns using a single subject research design. Front Neurol. 22 October 2020, Volume 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/FNEUR.2020.569880
3. Newman M, Hirsch MA, Peindl RD, Habet NA, Tsai TJ, Runyon MS, Huynh T, Phillips C, Zheng N. Use of an instrumented dual-task timed up and go test in children with traumatic brain injury. Gait Posture, 2020 Feb;76:193-197. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2019.12.001. Epub 2019 Dec 12.
4. Hirsch MA, van Wegen EEH, Newman MA, Heyn PC. Exercise-induced increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor in human Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Translational Neurodegeneration. 2018;7:7. DOI : 10.1186/s40035-018-0112-1.
5. Hirsch MA, Sanjak M, Englert D, Iyer SS, Quinlan MM. Parkinson patients as partners in care. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2014 Jan;20(Suppl 1):S174-179.

Lorelei Johnson, PhD 
Research Scientist
PM&R Research Education Program

Dr. Johnson completed her clinical training in speech-language pathology in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and went on to earn her doctoral degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of South Carolina. Her training during that time focused on examining the neurobiology of language as well as clinical studies of post-stroke aphasia. She then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery at the University of South Carolina to gain further training in neuroimaging analysis techniques. Her research interests include post-stroke aphasia treatment and recovery, long-term quality of life, and neuroimaging and noninvasive brain stimulation techniques with an overarching goal of improving the lives of individuals living with aphasia.

Key publications:

1. Haley KL, Jacks, AJ, Kim S, Rodriguez M, & Johnson LP. (2023). Normative values for word syllable duration with interpretation in a large sample of stroke survivors with aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00300.
2. Basilakos A, Hula WD, Johnson LP, Kiran S, Walker GM, Fridriksson J. Defining the neurobiological mechanisms of action in aphasia therapies: Applying the RTSS framework to research and practice in aphasia. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2022;103(3):581-589. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2021.10.017.
3. Johnson LP, Sangtian S, Johari K, Behroozmand R, Fridriksson J. Slowed compensation responses to altered auditory feedback in post-stroke aphasia: Implications for speech sensorimotor integration. J Commun Disord. 2020;88:106034. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2020.106034.
4. Behroozmand R, Phillip L, Johari K, Bonilha L, Rorden C, Hickok G, Fridriksson J. Sensorimotor impairment of speech auditory feedback processing in aphasia. Neuroimage. 2018;165:102-111. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.10.014.

Tami Guerrier, CRA, CBIST
Research Manager, Carolinas Rehabilitation, 
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research

Ms. Guerrier, a certified research administrator (CRA), holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. She has over 30 years of experience in the field of physical rehabilitation with over 20 years of experience with demonstration grants and research administration. Ms. Guerrier has specialized in grants management providing administrative oversight for multiple federal grants including National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grants for TBI Model System, National Institute of Health grants, as well as state and private grant contracts.  She has excellent project management skills with a track record for attaining grant benchmarks and targets for federal and state research/ demonstration projects. Ms. Guerrier is a published author and a presenter at local, state, and national conferences. She has orchestrated curriculum development and product dissemination.  In her present role as research manager, Ms. Guerrier works with the PM&R research faculty in managing a strong, nationally recognized research program in addition to providing administrative and financial oversight for PM&R Research industry sponsored trials. Ms. Guerrier serves as the Facility Compliance Advisor for PM&R Research.

Key Publications:

1. Corrigan JD, Zheng T, Pinto S, Bogner J, Kean J, Niemeier JP, Guerrier T, Haaland B, Horn SD. The effect of pre-existing and co-occurring co-morbid conditions on recovery in the 5 years after rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil. Accepted for publication, 2019.  
2. Bettger JP, Nguyen VQC, Thomas JG, Guerrier T, Yang Q, Hirsch MA, Pugh T, Harris G, Eller MA, Pereira C, Hamm D, Rinehardt EA, Shall M, Niemeier JP. Turning data into information opportunities to advance rehabilitation quality, research, and policy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2018 Jan 30. pii: S0003-9993(18)30047-9. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2017.12.029. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29407515  
3. Harris GM, Collins-McNeil J, Yang Q, Nguyen VG, Hirsch M, Rhoads C, Guerrier T, Thomas JG, Pugh T, Hamm D, Pereira C, Prvu Bettger J. (2016). Depression and functional status among African American stroke survivors in inpatient rehabilitation. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2016.08.039
4. Guerrier, T. & Hammond, F. Eds. (2010) Brain injury it is a journey: A practical guide for families. Wake Forest, NC: Lash & Associates Publishing/Training, Inc.

Research Curriculum

Scholarly Activities

2022-2023 Publications and Professional Presentations

• 19 peer-reviewed publications
• 72 professional conference presentations

2021-2022 Publications and Professional Presentations

• 9 peer-reviewed publications
• 67 professional conference presentations

2021-2022 Key Presentations

• Johnson LP, Guerrier T, Hirsch M, Jacks A, Kim S, Rodriguez M, Thomas G, Welsh K, Haley K. Perspectives on encouraging diversity and inclusion among stroke rehabilitation research teams. Annual Meeting of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Chicago, IL, November 11, 2022. Poster.
• Sewell KL, Gentile D, Williams A, Werts K, Desai SA, Crawford KM, Cline J. The Hope for Home Program: A new model of rehab for unfunded patients. Annual Meeting of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Chicago, IL, November 9, 2022, Symposium.
• Hirsch MA, Heyn PC, Oyesanya T, Downer B, Ogawa E, Lofton L, Desai SA, Siengsukon C, van Wegen EEH, Faieta J. Perspectives on mentoring rehabilitation researchers who identify as members of racial/ethnic minority groups. Annual Meeting of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chicago, IL, November 9, 2022, Symposium.
• Kennelly M, Rup N, Murphy S, Pinto S. The effect of multi-disciplinary clinic on 30-day avoidable hospital readmission following acute inpatient rehabilitation. American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. October 22, 2022. Oral presentation.
• Pinto S, Habet N, Anderson W, Williams K, Werts K, Sims S, Newman M. Dual task impairments during the electronically augmented timed “up and go” (EATUG) in adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Annual Meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists, New Orleans, LA. May 27, 2022. Scientific Paper (Oral) Presentation.
• Crawford KM, Myatt J, Medas R. Are you for real? Managing conversion disorder within the rehabilitation setting. Annual Meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists, New Orleans, LA. Feb 1-5, 2022. Symposium.
• Desai SA, Falco C, Harik L. Rolling with the punches: An interdisciplinary model for treating the neurobehavioral patient. American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Annual Assembly, November 11-14, 2021. On Demand Symposium.

Check out this link for the complete list of PM&R Conference Posters, Presentations and Key Publications.