Center Leadership

A multidisciplinary leadership team directs research and guides each focus area in the Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center at Mayo Clinic.

Director

The director of the Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center is Christopher H. Evans, Ph.D., a professor of orthopedics and of physical medicine and rehabilitation in the College of Medicine and Science at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Evans is dedicated to advancing the science of rehabilitation medicine through research, education, translation and innovative clinical practice. He collaborates with center leaders to discover, translate and apply best practices in rehabilitation medicine, ultimately providing an improved quality of life for people with disabilities.

Co-director

Ralph E. Gay, M.D., D.C., M.S., a physiatrist, is the co-director of the Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center. In this role, Dr. Gay assists Dr. Evans in oversight of the center's activities and is the primary liaison between the center and clinical groups involved in rehabilitation research. His clinical interests and research focus areas are in spine disorders and upper extremity disability. Dr. Gay is also an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation in the College of Medicine and Science at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Research focus area directors

• Assistive and restorative technology: Kristin D. Zhao, Ph.D.
• Functional outcomes of rehabilitation: Andrea L. Cheville, M.D.
• Medical rehabilitation: Nathan K. LeBrasseur, Ph.D., M.S.
• Musculoskeletal rehabilitation: Christopher H. Evans, Ph.D.
• Neurological rehabilitation: Kendall H. Lee, M.D., Ph.D.