Joan Stilling

Joan Stilling, M.D., M.S., is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, and holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor appointment at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is also an Assistant Attending Physiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Her expertise focuses on neurological rehabilitation, stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and concussion management. Dr. Stilling specializes in non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for neurorehabilitation.

Education: She earned a B.E. in Chemical Engineering from McGill University (2011), an M.D. from the University of Calgary (2015), and an M.Sc. in non-invasive brain stimulation research from the University of Calgary (2019). Her postdoctoral training included neurorehabilitation and brain stimulation at Johns Hopkins University.

Research: Dr. Stilling investigates mechanisms of post-stroke motor and language recovery using fMRI and TMS, and explores tDCS for post-stroke fatigue and TMS for post-traumatic headaches. Her work integrates engineering principles with clinical practice to advance neurorehabilitation therapies.

Awards:

• Wilibald Nagler Clinical Scholar in Rehabilitation Medicine (Weill Cornell Medical College)
• Super Doctors New York Rising Star (multiple years)

Roles & Clinical Practice: She manages spasticity, performs electromyography, and prescribes orthotics. Her clinical practice emphasizes stroke, TBI, and neurological rehabilitation. She contributes to residency and fellowship programs in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.