Jeffrey Kleim

Jeffrey Kleim is a retired Associate Professor and former Associate Director of the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering at Arizona State University. He specializes in neural plasticity mechanisms underlying learning and relearning in damaged brains, focusing on stroke and Parkinson’s disease recovery. His work explores therapies to enhance motor function recovery using techniques like intracortical microstimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Illinois, 1997

Research Interests:

His research investigates how motor cortex plasticity in rodents and humans drives recovery post-stroke. Key areas include behavioral and neural signals influencing plasticity, and testing novel pharmacological agents (e.g., TrkB agonists) to improve outcomes. Collaborations span neurotechnology development and traumatic brain injury treatment.

Grants & Activities:

• NSF IUCRC BRAIN Initiative (2015–2016)
• NINDS-funded studies on BDNF genotype and stroke recovery (2011–2013)
• NIH/NICHD projects on TBI pathology (2014–2019)

Teaching:

He taught courses such as Human Systems Neuroscience, Biomedical Product Design, and Introduction to Biomedical Engineering across multiple semesters (2020–2024).