David S. Ditor

Research

Spinal cord injury is a particularly abrupt and life-altering event that is associated with a wide range of physiological and psychological consequences. My research interests include the secondary health complications that accompany spinal cord injury and the use of exercise as a means of attenuating or reversing these health proplems. My emphasis in this area includes autonomic impairment and cardiovascular disease and dysfunction after spinal cord injury as well as issues surrounding pressure sore development and treatment.

Spinal cord injury is also a dynamic process consisting of the initial trauma and foci of damage, followed by a sequence of events that lead to secondary tissue damage and an expansion of the lesion. My other research interests include neuroprotective strategies that prevent secondary tissue damage and improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury.