Michael Berger

Dr. Berger draws inspiration for his research by observing his patients’ journey through the rehabilitation process after spinal cord injuries and peripheral nerve injuries. It is both inspiring and humbling to watch a patient experience a catastrophic and life-altering event, but then rise to the challenge of their new reality and return to a healthy, meaningful life. Dr. Berger sees his role in this process as finding ways to remove or lessen the impact of the physical, social and emotional barriers these patients encounter during rehabilitation, whether immediately after the injury or many years later. Being a clinician-scientist also offers Dr. Berger the unique opportunity to witness and share in the frustrations and setbacks of his patients, in order to generate research and evidence that will lead to improvements in rehabilitation and function.

Dr. Berger is an early career clinician-scientist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, with sub-specialty training in electrodiagnosis and neuromuscular diseases. His research investigates the downstream effects (e.g. changes and adaptations) of neurotrauma on the peripheral nervous system, including the neuromuscular and autonomic nervous systems, using a combination of human neurophysological and imaging measurement techniques. These are the systems that are directly responsible for effective interactions with the patients’ environment. Understanding and mitigating the downstream effects of neurotrauma on these systems, will allow for more targeted and patient-specific disease-modifying and rehabilitation treatments.