Rakesh Pilkar, Ph.D.

Research Scientist
Kessler Foundation
West Orange, New Jersey

I am Research Scientist in Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering (CMRE) Research at Kessler Foundation and an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Rutgers – NJMS. Within CMRE, I lead the Balance Assessment & Training Laboratory which focuses on improving balance and mobility of neurologically impaired individuals using novel and patient-specific interventions. Specifically, my research focuses on two aspects of rehabilitation - 1) gait and balance rehabilitation after an acquired brain injury (ABI), and 2) neuromuscular electrical stimulation after a spinal cord injury. As a principal investigator, I have conducted clinical trials with funding support from National Institutes of Health (NIH), New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research (NJCSCR), and New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research (NJCBIR). As a co-investigator, I am involved in exoskeleton-assisted gait rehabilitation for stroke as well as SCI populations. My expertise include biomedical signal processing, 3D motion analysis, computational algorithms to quantify gait and posture outcomes and electromyography analysis. I have demonstrated my research skills through my peer-reviewed publications. My expertise, experience and a strong interest in neurorehabilitation have equipped me to successfully complete the proposed project which focuses on developing real-world, objective, and novel outcomes of mobility and balance for individuals with chronic stroke performing activities of daily living in the community.