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Jeanne Zanca, PhD, MPT, Joins Spinal Cord Injury Research Team at Kessler Foundation

2013-02-11 17:49:15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kessler Foundation Appoints Jeanne Zanca, PhD, MPT, to Senior Position in Spinal Cord Injury Research

West Orange, NJ. February 12, 2013.  Jeanne M. Zanca, PhD, MPT, has assumed the position of senior research scientist at Kessler Foundation. Dr. Zanca joined Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) & Outcomes Assessment Research on January 28, 2013, reporting to director Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD.  

“Dr. Zanca is an accomplished scientist who adds an important dimension to spinal cord research at Kessler Foundation,” said Rodger DeRose, president and CEO. “Her expertise enables us to extend our clinical research and supports the mission of our SCI Model System center, the Northern New Jersey SCI System (NNJSCIS). Dr. Zanca is a co-investigator for the NNJSCIS and will lead efforts to disseminate research findings.

“With the scope of the Foundation’s research, the expertise of its dedicated scientists, and its wealth of collaborative projects, there are many opportunities to contribute to advances in rehabilitation research,” noted Dr. Zanca. “I am pleased to be a part of those efforts.” Her interests include the prevention and treatment of secondary complications, promotion of health and function through innovative rehabilitation interventions and assistive technology, and the development of a system for classifying rehabilitation interventions.

Dr. Zanca joined the Foundation from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she served as assistant director for SCI Research in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She received her PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Pittsburgh, her Masters of Physical Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh, and her BA in Biology and Psychology from Rutgers University.  She is a licensed physical therapist. She has chaired the Task Force on Secondary Complications and Aging in the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s SCI Special Interdisciplinary Interest Group since 2010.

About SCI Research at Kessler Foundation

SCI research addresses restoration of function and mobility after SCI and the prevention and treatment of common secondary medical complications, including pain, musculoskeletal overuse injuries, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory complications. Kessler Foundation is one of 14 NIDRR- funded SCI Model System centers in the US, the Northern NJ SCI System (NNJSCIS) (H133N110020). NNJSCIS is a cooperative effort of Kessler Foundation, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, and UMDNJ in Newark. Drs. Dyson-Hudson and Steven Kirshblum, MD, co-direct the NNJSCIS. John DeLuca, PhD, is the Foundation’s VP for Research & Training.

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, the largest nonprofit organization in the field of disability research and employment, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition and mobility for people with multiple sclerosis, brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, and other disabling conditions. The Foundation is one of eight centers with federally funded model systems in spinal cord and traumatic brain injury. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for job training and employment for people with disabilities.

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Carolann Murphy
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Lauren Scrivo
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