Carolynn Patten, PhD, PT, FAPTA

Dr. Patten is a neuroscientist and physical therapist whose clinical and research work focuses on motor dysfunction associated with aging and adult neuropathologies, such as stroke. Her research program investigates the neural basis of human movement, with the goal of improving recovery and quality of life for individuals affected by central nervous system injuries. She is a professor and head of the Divison of Physical Therapy in the University of Washington Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. 

Her research centers on understanding the neural basis of human movement, investigating motor control and learning from a neuromechanics perspective. Using behavioral and neurophysiological methods, her work aims to identify biomarkers that predict motor recovery after stroke and the factors that influence rehabilitation outcomes.

Previously, Dr. Patten directed the Biomechanics, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Lab at the University of California, Davis, and co-led the UC Davis Center for Neuroengineering and Medicine. Projects in the BRaIN Lab explored neural mechanisms and biomechanical consequences of central nervous system pathologies, novel ways to induce neuroplasticity and motor recovery, and individual differences in recovery trajectories and responses to rehabilitation interventions.