Professor, School of Health and Rehab Sciences
Associate Director, School of Health and Rehab Sciences
Director of Research, School of Health and Rehab Science
106 Atwell Hall
453 W. 10th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-0754
Fax: 614-292-0210
michele.basso@osumc.edu
Research Interests: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that results in permanent functional impairments. The goal of Dr. Basso’s research is to develop rehabilitative therapies that promote recovery of mobility. The unique experience is working on the brink of translation and interacting closely with the OSU NeuroRecovery Network (NRN) clinic for human SCI which she directs. This clinic uses treadmill training to promote recovery after chronic, incomplete SCI, and they examine the rate and extent of change in function and quality of life. Recovery of locomotion is complex because it depends on reducing cellular cascades that inhibit learning while at the same time promoting robust neural plasticity. In addition, neuropathic pain can develop after SCI and interfere with recovery.
It is her belief that the optimal therapeutic outcome will result from a treatment that is tailored to the severity of neuropathology, the time of intervention and the specificity of the training task. Cellular factors such as inflammation and matrix biology at the synapse may directly influence the receptivity to training. They combine behavioral, cellular and physiological assessments and take a systems approach to answer these questions. To accurately characterize the type and extent of restitution of function, they also develop new assessment tools which quantify motor and sensory recovery in animals and humans with SCI.
Major Awards:
2011: Helen J. Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to Professional Literature, American Physical Therapy Association
2005: National Research Award, Neurology Section, American Physical Therapy Association
2005: US Patent (Pending) Assessing Active Sensation after CNS Injury
2004, 2005: Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers
2001: Outstanding Faculty Research Award, School of Allied Medical Professions
1997: Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award, The Ohio State University
1998: Co-Director, Outreach Program for African-American Women, selected to fulfill the Alliances Objective for the OSU Medical Center: a National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health
Education:
MA: Motor Learning, Teacher's College, Columbia University
EdD: Motor Learning, Teacher's College, Columbia University
Most Recent Publications:
Hansen, Christopher, Norden, Diana, Faw, Timothy, Deibert, Rochelle, Wohleb, Eric, Sheridan, John, Godbout, Jonathon, Basso, D Michele. (2016). Lumbar Myeloid Cell Trafficking into Locomotor Networks after Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury. Experimental Neurology 282. May 2016, pp 86-98
Song Rachel B, Basso D Michele, da Costa Ronaldo C, Fisher Lesley C, Mo Xiaokui, Moore Sarah A. Adaptation of the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale for use in a clinical model of spinal cord injury in dogs. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 2016.04.023