Research

The faculty and residents of the department are actively involved in a variety of research endeavors. Ongoing projects are funded through a variety of mechanisms including government agency, industry, private foundation, and intramural support. Current studies involve the participation of patients with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, back pain, and multiple sclerosis. The department’s close association with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis allows for many collaborative projects, including studies of the benefits of exercise, prevention of urinary tract infections, relief of neuropathic pain, and Dr. Diana Cardenas, Professor and Chair, is the Principal Investigator of a 16 center industry-funded study on the prevention of urinary tract infections in persons with acute spinal cord injury. Recent initiatives have been undertaken to study visual deficits, pain, and quality of life in persons with traumatic brain injuries. The continuous involvement of faculty and medical residents in clinical trials and other research investigations ensures a state-of-the-art, evidence-based clinical practice in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Miller School of Medicine.

Ongoing Research Projects

1. “Prevention of Heterotrophic Ossification in Spinal Cord Injury Patients” – Kresimir Banovac, MD, PhD (PI)
2. “Ultrasound of the carpel tunnel: establishment of normal values for men and women” – Robert W. Irwin, MD (PI)
3. “A Randomized Placebo-Controlled, Study of Patients Treated with BOTOX® (Botulinum Toxin Type A) vs. Saline Injection on Pain Level and Functional Gain in Persons with Back Pain after Lumbar Surgery” – Andrew L. Sherman, MD, MS, (PI); Sponsor: Allergan
4. Visual Field Deficits after Neurological Illnesses”  – Seema R. Khurana, DO (PI)
5. “Improving Hand and Arm Function in Individuals with SCI” – (Field-Fote, PI), Diana D. Cardenas, MD, MHA, (Co-Investigator), Sponsor: NIH
6. “A Prospective, Randomized, Parallel-group, Multi-center Study to Compare the Occurrence of Urinary Tract Infections in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury using either Coated or Uncoated Intermittent Catheters” – Diana D. Cardenas, MD, MHA, (PI, and Coordinating Investigator), sponsor: Coloplast A/S
7.  “MR Spectroscopy as a Diagnostic and Outcome Measure in Pain and SCI” – Eva Widerstrom-Noga, DDS, PhD, (PI); Elizabeth Roy Felix, PhD (Co-Investigator), Diana D. Cardenas, MD (Co-Investigator); Sponsor: Department of Veterans Affairs.
8. “Analysis of Symptom-Based Prediction of Urinary Tract Infection by Spinal Cord Injury Patients on Intermittent Catheterization” – Luiz M. Massa, MD, Diana D. Cardenas, MD, MHA, Jeanne Hoffman PhD
9. “Prevention of Heterotrophic Ossification in Spinal Cord Injury Patients” – Kresimir Banovac, MD, PhD (PI) 
10. “Ultrasound of the carpel tunnel: establishment of normal values for men and women” – Robert W. Irwin, MD (PI) 
11. “A Randomized Placebo-Controlled, Study of Patients Treated with BOTOX® (Botulinum Toxin Type A) vs. Saline Injection on Pain Level and Functional Gain in Persons with Back Pain after Lumbar Surgery” – Andrew L. Sherman, MD, MS, (PI); Sponsor: Allergan
12.  Visual Field Deficits after Neurological Illnesses”  – Seema R. Khurana, DO (PI) 
13. “Improving Hand and Arm Function in Individuals with SCI” – (Field-Fote, PI), Diana D. Cardenas, MD, MHA, (Co-Investigator), Sponsor: NIH