Karen J. Nolan, PhD, is associate director in the Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering at Kessler Foundation, and director of the Center’s Acquired Brain Injury Mobility Laboratory. She is also a research professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Clinical Research Scientist at Children’s Specialized Hospital, and Affiliated Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. 

Dr. Nolan is a recognized leader in the field of biomechanics and motor rehabilitation. Her research focuses on improving neurophysiological and functional motor recovery through robotic, orthotic, and clinical interventions, and understanding the mechanisms of recovery of the central nervous system after acute and chronic brain injury. Dr. Nolan has extensive experience in leading the design and implementation of biomechanical research and expertise in balance, gait, rehabilitation robotics, and peripheral motor control. She serves as a grant reviewer for National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, and the Veterans Administration.