Canada Research Chair in Rehabilitation, Neuroplasticity and Brain Recovery

Phone: 709-777-2099
Email: Michelle.ploughman@med.mun.ca 

Research involves
Creating new rehabilitation treatments that repair the brain and restore lost functions.

Research relevance
This research will lead to new treatments that promote recovery in stroke and multiple sclerosis, two of the most common neurological disorders in Canada.

Creating new treatments that restore health and repair the brain
Over 400,000 Canadians live with the aftereffects of stroke. Most people who survive stroke have enduring motor, cognitive, and language deficits that affect productivity and quality of life. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disease, diagnosed between the ages of 16 and 40 years. The devastating effects on movement, balance, vision and thinking make it the most disabling neurological disease among young adults in North America. In Canada, about 100,000 people live with MS.

As the tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Rehabilitation, Neuroplasticity and Brain Recovery, Dr. Ploughman’s work involves creating and testing new rehabilitation treatments that promote brain plasticity and restore lost functions. She defies conventional thinking by combining interventions such as aerobic exercise and cognitive training to create recovery synergies in stroke and MS.

Dr. Ploughman’s focus on restorative approaches to these serious neurological disorders has profound impacts on patients, families and communities.