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

2003 - Thomas C. Rumble Fellowship, Wayne State University School of Medicine
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.

Sensory cortical control of movement.

(Karadimas SK, Satkunendrarajah K, Laliberte AM, Ringuette D, Weisspapir I, Li L, Gosgnach S, Fehlings MG.) Nat Neurosci. 2019 Nov 18.
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.
Generating level-dependent models of cervical and thoracic spinal cord injury: Exploring the interplay of neuroanatomy, physiology, and function.

(Wilcox JT, Satkunendrarajah K, Nasirzadeh Y, Laliberte AM, Lip A, Cadotte DW, Foltz WD, Fehlings MG.) Neurobiol Dis. 2017 Sep;105:194-212.
Neural stem cell mediated recovery is enhanced by Chondroitinase ABC pretreatment in chronic cervical spinal cord injury.

(Suzuki H, Ahuja CS, Salewski RP, Li L, Satkunendrarajah K, Nagoshi N, Shibata S, Fehlings MG.) PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0182339.
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.
Riluzole promotes motor and respiratory recovery associated with enhanced neuronal survival and function following high cervical spinal hemisection.

(Satkunendrarajah K, Nassiri F, Karadimas SK, Lip A, Yao G, Fehlings MG.) Exp Neurol. 2016 Feb;276:59-71.
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.
Neural precursor cell transplantation enhances functional recovery and reduces astrogliosis in bilateral compressive/contusive cervical spinal cord injury.

(Wilcox JT, Satkunendrarajah K, Zuccato JA, Nassiri F, Fehlings MG.) Stem Cells Transl Med. 2014 Oct;3(10):1148-59.
Riluzole improves outcome following ischemia-reperfusion injury to the spinal cord by preventing delayed paraplegia.

(Wu Y, Satkunendrarajah K, Fehlings MG.) Neuroscience. 2014 Apr 18;265:302-12.
Delayed administration of a bio-engineered zinc-finger VEGF-A gene therapy is neuroprotective and attenuates allodynia following traumatic spinal cord injury.

(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.
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.
Do omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ameliorate spinal cord injury?: Commentary on: Lim et al., Improved outcome after spinal cord compression injury in mice treated with docosahexaeonic acid. Exp. Neurol. Jan; 239:13-27.

(Satkunendrarajah K, Fehlings MG.) Exp Neurol. 2013 Nov;249:104-10.

Kajana Satkunendrarajah, PhD