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, FPRD
Adjunct Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Senior Scientist, Department of PM&R, Carolinas Rehabilitation
Director, Department of PM&R Residency Research Education Program
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 a National Institutes of Health T32 post-doctoral fellowship in neurorehabilitation research in the Department of PM&R at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed advanced training in Parkinson disease in the Department of Neurology at Dusseldorf University, Germany. He has been active in many research projects in stroke, traumatic brain injury, and 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 people living with PD.  Dr. Hirsch is very involved with the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and in international advocacy and research projects. He enjoys spending time with his wife, two boys, and salsa dancing.

5 Key publications:

1. Kaagman D, Wegen EEH, Cignetti N, Rothermel E, Vanbellingen T, Hirsch MA.  Effects and mechanisms of exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and clinical outcomes in people with Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Science. Feb 2024;14(3):194; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14030194.
2. Goldman JG, Volpe D, Ellis TD, Hirsch MA, Johnson J, Wood J, Aragon AN, Biundo R, DiRocco A, Kasman GS, Iansek R, Miyasaki J, McConvey VM, Munneke M, Pinto S, St. Clair KA, Toledo S, York MK, Todaro R, Yarab N, Wallock K.  Delivering multidisciplinary rehabilitation care in Parkinson’s disease: An international consensus statement. Journal of Parkinson's Disease. January 2024;14(1):135-166. doi: 10.3233/JPD-230117. 
3. Gomes ESA, Van den Heuvel OA, Rietberg MB, De Groot V, Hirsch MA, Van de Berg WDJ, Jaspers RT, Vriend C, Vanbellingen T, van Wegen EEH. (HIIT-The Track) High-intensity interval training for people with Parkinson’s disease: Individual response patterns of (non-)motor symptoms and blood-based biomarkers—A crossover single-case experimental design. Brain Sciences. 2023 May 24;13(6):849. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13060849  
4. Hammond FM, Davis C. Hirsch M, Snow J, Kropf M, Schur L, Kruse D, Ball A.  Qualitative examination of voting empowerment and participation among people living with traumatic brain injury.  Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2021 Jun;102(6):1091-1101. 
5. 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.

Lorelei Johnson, PhD, CCC-SLP  
Research Scientist, Department of PM&R, Carolinas Rehabilitation
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Co-Director, Department of PM&R Residency Research Education Program

Lorelei Johnson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a research scientist at Atrium Health’s Carolinas Rehabilitation. She completed her clinical training in speech-language pathology in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She earned her doctoral degree and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of South Carolina in the Aphasia Lab and the Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery (C-STAR). Her research interests include the interaction of motor and language recovery in stroke survivors, predictors of long-term aphasia recovery, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, neuroimaging methods, and post-stroke quality of life.

Key publications:

1. Haley KL, Jacks AJ, Kim S, Rodriguez M, Johnson LP. Normative values for word syllable duration with interpretation in a large sample of stroke survivors with aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 2023;32(5S):2480-2492. doi:10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00300.
2. Blackett DS, Varkey J, Wilmskoetter J, Roth R, Andrews K, Busby N, Gleichgerrcht E, Desai R, Riccardi N, Basilakos A, Johnson LP, Kristinsson S, Johnson L, Rorden C, Spell LA, Fridriksson J, Bonilha L. Neural network bases of thematic semantic processing in language production. Cortex. 2022;156:126-143. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2022.08.007.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Wilmskoetter J, Del Gaizo J, Phillip L, Behroozmand R, Gleichgerrcht E, Fridriksson J, Riley E, Bonilha L. Predicting naming responses based on pre-articulatory electrical activity in individuals with aphasia. Clinical Neurophysiology. 2019;130:2153-2163. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2019.08.011.

Maya Andrews, B.S.
Research Manager, Carolinas Rehabilitation, 
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research

Ms. Andrews holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania. She brings extensive experience in managing federally funded research initiatives, including projects supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Her work also encompasses oversight of a wide range of industry-sponsored clinical trials.

She has specialized regulatory expertise in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, as well as Pediatric Plastic Surgery. Additionally, she has conducted research in Vaccine Therapy and within the Chemicals and Coatings industries. In her current role as Research Manager, Ms. Andrews oversees the PM&R research faculty in advancing a nationally recognized research program. She also provides strategic administrative and financial oversight for industry-sponsored studies and serves as the Facility Compliance Advisor for PM&R Research. 

Research Curriculum

Scholarly Activities

2024-2025 Publications and Professional Presentations

• 7 peer-reviewed publications
• 70 professional conference presentations

2023-2024 Publications and Professional Presentations

• 17 peer-reviewed publications
• 67 professional conference presentations

2023-2025 Key Publications

• Raj VS, Patel BD, Mullan S, Hine R, Mack PP, Pugh T. The role of rehabilitation for women with cancer. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2025 May;36(2):253-266. doi10.1016/j.pmr.2024.11.007. Epub 2025 Feb 21.
• Darji N, Zhang B, Goldstein R, Shih SL, Iaccarino MA, Schneider JC, Zafonte R. Geographic variation in inpatient rehabilitation outcomes after traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation ():10.1097/HTR.0000000000001033, January 03, 2025. DOI: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000001033
• Saver J, Duncan PW, Stein J, Cramer SC, Fox EJ, Zorowitz RD, Billinger SA, Eickmeyer SM, Kirshblum SC, Androwis GJ, Edwards J, Savitz S, Koch S, Shall M, Black-Schaffer RM, Bonato P, Cuccurullo S, Barcikowski J, Cao N, Bornstein NM. Ai-driven electromagnetic field therapy to reduce global disability in patients with subacute ischaemic stroke: Primary results of EMAGINE 1 trial. The Lancet. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4964510 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4964510
• Alfano CM, Pugh TM, Tortorella B, Jacob RA, Mitchell CH, Raj VS. Roadmap for connecting cancer rehabilitation with survivorship to improve patient outcomes and clinical efficiency. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2024 Mar 1;103(3S Suppl 1):S10-S15
• Goldman JG, Volpe D, Ellis TD, Hirsch MA, Johnson J, Wood J, Aragon AN, Biundo R, DiRocco A, Kasman GS, Iansek R, Miyasaki J, McConvey VM, Munneke M, Pinto S, St. Clair KA, Toledo S, York MK, Todaro R, Yarab N, Wallock K. Delivering multidisciplinary rehabilitation care in Parkinson's disease: An international consensus statement. Journal of Parkinson's Disease. 2024 January 24;14(1):135-166.
• Haley KL, Jacks, AJ, Kim S, Rodriguez M, Johnson LP. 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
• Yeh JC, Ambady L, Lewis R, Mehta AK, Asher A, Raj VS, Engle JP. Palliative care education in US physical medicine and rehabilitation residency programs: Current practices, perceived needs, and barriers. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2023 Aug;26(8):1128-1132. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0606. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0606. [Epub ahead of print].

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