John Chae

Dr. Chae serves as Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs for the MetroHealth System and Professor and Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Professor of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Case Western Reserve University. He received his Bachelor of Science and Masters in BME from Duke University and Dartmouth College, respectively. He received his MD and residency training in PM&R from Rutgers University – New Jersey Medical School. He completed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program Fellowship at Case Western Reserve University. His clinical expertise is in stroke rehabilitation.  Dr. Chae’s research focuses on the application of electrical stimulation for neuroprostheses, neural plasticity and the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Neuroprosthetic applications include the development and evaluation of implantable technologies to reanimate hemiparetic upper and lower limb muscles to improve the ADL and mobility functions of stroke survivors. Focus on neural plasticity harnesses the potential role of electrical stimulation mediated activity dependent neuroplasticity, such as contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation, to facilitate the motor and functional recovery of the hemiparetic upper limb. Finally, Dr. Chae and his group is investigating the efficacy of percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation of motor nerves to modulate central sensitization of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Dr. Chae is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. He is past President of the Association of Academic Physiatrists and presently serves on the Board of Scientific Counselors of the NIH Clinical Center.