Chet Moritz, PhD
| Title: | Professor, Hwang Endowed Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering |
|---|---|
| Division: | Physical Therapy |
Pronouns: he/him/his
Chet Moritz is the Hwang Endowed Professor in the department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, with joint appointments in Rehabilitation Medicine and Physiology & Biophysics. He was named an Allen Distinguished Investigator and appointed to the Christopher & Dana Reeve International Consortium on Spinal Cord Repair. Dr. Moritz serves as the Co-Director for the Center for Neurotechnology, a former NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC). He directs the Restorative Technologies Laboratory (RTL) which focuses on developing technologies to treat paralysis due to spinal cord injury. Current research in the lab includes a multi-site clinical trial of spinal stimulation to restore hand function for people with spinal cord injury, stimulation to improve walking for children with cerebral palsy, and optogenetic stimulation to guide neuroplasticity and recovery in the injured spinal cord of animals.
Education and Training
- University of California, Berkeley, PhD 2003
- University of Colorado, Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2004
- University of Washington, Postdoctoral fellowship, 2008
Notable Awards
- 2020: Weill Neurohub Investigator
- 2018: Cherng Jia and Elizabeth Yun Hwang Endowed Professorship of Spinal Cord Injury Research
- 2015-2018: Member, International Research Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
- 2013-2018: Allen Distinguished Investigator
- 2012: DARPA Young Faculty Award 2009: National Institutes of Health (NIH) EUREKA Award recipient
Teaching Interests
Dr. Moritz teaches courses in exercise physiology, as well as neural engineering. He employs a mix of active, collaborative and problem-based learning strategies in the classroom. He also mentors graduate students in the Rehabilitation Sciences, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Neuroscience PhD programs.
Research Interests
Our Restorative Technologies lab leverages neurotechnology to improve function after brain and spinal cord injury. For example, we employ electrical stimulation of the spinal cord to improve function function of the hands, legs and autonomic system after spinal cord injury. Spinal stimulation also improves spasticity and walking function for children with cerebral palsy. Ongoing collaborations also explore implanted brain stimulation to improve hand function after stroke. For more information, please see: Restorative Technology Laboratory