NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE - CANCER.GOV

Contact Information


Primary Contact

Diane Damiano
Director

Location

10 Center Drive
MSC 1604
Bethesda, MD 20892

Overview

The Neurorehabilitation and Biomechanics Research Section (also referred to as the NAB LAB) is a multidisciplinary group of highly qualified scientists, clinical and technical staff, and trainees with diverse backgrounds including medical, physical therapy, neuroscience and biomedical engineering expertise.

Clinical Services

Clinical services include comprehensive physical and functional assessments by Certified Adult and Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine physicians and our team of physical therapists. Based on this initial assessment additional evaluations may be recommended included motion analysis, balance and or strength testing. Clinician recommendations will be available to patients to share with their treating physicians and therapists.

Training and Education

We are committed to developing the next generation of neurorehabilitation researchers by attracting highly qualified individuals with diverse talents and backgrounds. We typically recruit postdoctoral fellows for a training period ranging from two to three years as well as one-year post-baccalaureate and summer IRTAs (Intramural Research Training Awards). As a trainee, you would be typically assigned to one or more of our active research projects. We are highly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in our Section and welcome all to apply. The Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) External Link Icon coordinates the application process and provides ongoing support and education throughout the trainees’ time at NIH.

In addition to trainees funded by our department, we also welcome trainees funded by other NIH programs or institutions outside of NIH who are interested in our research and have the relevant educational background and qualifications.

Major Instrumentation

  • Motion capture Vicon system with twelve Vantage cameras (Vicon Motion Systems, Inc; Denver, CO)
  • Three AMTI OPT464508-2000 force plates (Advanced Medical Technology, Inc; Watertown, MA)
  • Split-belt instrumented treadmill (Bertec Corporation; Columbus, OH)
  • 16 channel Trigno wireless EMG (Delsys Inc; Boston, MA)
  • ZeroG dynamic body-weight support system (Aretech, LLC; Ashburn, VA)
  • SMART EquiTest and long forceplate (NeuroCom International, Inc; Clackamas, OR)
  • iU22 Philips ultrasound machine (Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.; Eindhoven, the Netherlands)
  • System 4 Biodex dynamometer (Biodex Medical Systems; Shirley, New York)
  • 32 channel Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) system – noninvasive optical brain monitor (TechEn, Inc; Milford, MA)
  • 64 channel MOVE wireless EEG system with actiCAP electrodes (Brain Products; Germany)

User Guidelines

If you would like to learn more about our research or are interested in joining our team, please email the principal investigators, Dr. Diane Damiano at damianod@cc.nih.gov Email Icon or Dr. Tom Bulea at thomas.bulea@nih.gov Email Icon.

Keywords

EEGMRIbalancebrain imagingcc-corefNIRSClinical Research Supportinfraredmagnetic resonance imagingmotor coordinationneuromotor assessmentnih-corerehabilitationvirtual functional anatomy