
Kajana Satkunendrarajah, PhD
Assistant Professor
Locations
- Neurosurgery
- 8701 Watertown Plank Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53226
Contact Information
Education
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Canada, 2014
PhD, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 2008
Sc, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 1999
Biography
Dr. Kajana Satkunendrarajah is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Physiology and a member of MCW’s Neuroscience Research Center. She received her PhD from The School of Medicine at Wayne State University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Krembil Research Institute in Toronto, Canada.
Rhythmic motor behaviors such as breathing and locomotion are controlled by highly complex neural systems and allow an organism to sustain life and interact with the surroundings. These behaviors are generated and regulated by a specific network of neurons within the CNS. These networks are often disrupted following injury to the central nervous system, threatening the individual’s survival and quality of life.
Dr. Satkunendrarajah’s research program is focused on elucidating the anatomy, function, and plasticity of neural networks controlling motor behavior in health and disease. Her research on motor control and spinal cord injury combines fundamental neuroscience, respiratory, and locomotor physiology, as well as preclinical neural circuit manipulation using cutting-edge viral techniques, optogenetics, and pharmacogenetics in transgenic mice. The overall aim of her research program is to further understand the neural control of motor behavior and to use this knowledge to develop new therapies that enhance motor recovery after spinal cord and brain injury. Ultimately, translation of these approaches to patients with spinal cord and brain injury is the primary goal.
Honors and Awards
2009 - Postdoctoral Fellowship Award in Spinal Cord Injury Research, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.
2017 - Young Investigator Award, AOSpine North America
2017 - Young Investigator Award, AOSpine North America
Research Experience
- Cervical Cord
- Electrophysiology
- Forelimb
- Gait Disorders, Neurologic
- Locomotion
- Mice
- Mice, Transgenic
- Motor Activity
- Neuroanatomy
- Neuronal Plasticity
- Optogenetics
- Respiration
Methodologies and Techniques
- Disease Models, Animal
- Electrophysiology
- Evoked Potentials, Motor
- Plethysmography, Whole Body
- Recovery of Function
Research Interests
Elucidating neural networks in the control of breathing and locomotion in health and disease.
Publications
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Bilateral cervical contusion spinal cord injury: A mouse model to evaluate sensorimotor function.
(Reinhardt DR, Stehlik KE, Satkunendrarajah K, Kroner A.) Exp Neurol. 2020 Sep;331:113381 PMID: 32561411 06/21/2020
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Sensory cortical control of movement.
(Karadimas SK, Satkunendrarajah K, Laliberte AM, Ringuette D, Weisspapir I, Li L, Gosgnach S, Fehlings MG.) Nat Neurosci. 2020 01;23(1):75-84 PMID: 31740813 11/20/2019
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Cervical excitatory neurons sustain breathing after spinal cord injury.
(Satkunendrarajah K, Karadimas SK, Laliberte AM, Montandon G, Fehlings MG.) Nature. 2018 10;562(7727):419-422 PMID: 30305735 10/12/2018
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(Wilcox JT, Satkunendrarajah K, Nasirzadeh Y, Laliberte AM, Lip A, Cadotte DW, Foltz WD, Fehlings MG.) Neurobiol Dis. 2017 Sep;105:194-212 PMID: 28578003 06/05/2017
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(Suzuki H, Ahuja CS, Salewski RP, Li L, Satkunendrarajah K, Nagoshi N, Shibata S, Fehlings MG.) PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0182339 PMID: 28771534 PMCID: PMC5542671 08/05/2017
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A New Acute Impact-Compression Lumbar Spinal Cord Injury Model in the Rodent.
(Moonen G, Satkunendrarajah K, Wilcox JT, Badner A, Mothe A, Foltz W, Fehlings MG, Tator CH.) J Neurotrauma. 2016 Feb 01;33(3):278-89 PMID: 26414192 PMCID: PMC4744888 09/29/2015
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(Satkunendrarajah K, Nassiri F, Karadimas SK, Lip A, Yao G, Fehlings MG.) Exp Neurol. 2016 Feb;276:59-71 PMID: 26394202 09/24/2015
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Bilateral contusion-compression model of incomplete traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.
(Forgione N, Karadimas SK, Foltz WD, Satkunendrarajah K, Lip A, Fehlings MG.) J Neurotrauma. 2014 Nov 01;31(21):1776-88 PMID: 24949719 PMCID: PMC4186801 06/21/2014
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(Wilcox JT, Satkunendrarajah K, Zuccato JA, Nassiri F, Fehlings MG.) Stem Cells Transl Med. 2014 Oct;3(10):1148-59 PMID: 25107585 PMCID: PMC4181397 08/12/2014
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(Wu Y, Satkunendrarajah K, Fehlings MG.) Neuroscience. 2014 Apr 18;265:302-12 PMID: 24508749 02/11/2014
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(Figley SA, Liu Y, Karadimas SK, Satkunendrarajah K, Fettes P, Spratt SK, Lee G, Ando D, Surosky R, Giedlin M, Fehlings MG.) PLoS One. 2014;9(5):e96137 PMID: 24846143 PMCID: PMC4028194 05/23/2014
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The role of neural precursor cells and self assembling peptides in nerve regeneration.
(Zhao X, Yao GS, Liu Y, Wang J, Satkunendrarajah K, Fehlings M.) J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013 Dec 19;42:60 PMID: 24351041 PMCID: PMC3878249 12/20/2013