John Chae

John Chae, MD, is a Professor at Case Western Reserve University's Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the School of Medicine. He also serves as Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs at MetroHealth System and Co-Director of the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute. Dr. Chae specializes in stroke rehabilitation, focusing on neuroprosthetics, neural plasticity, and pain management. His clinical expertise includes treating hemiplegia and chronic musculoskeletal pain through electrical stimulation therapies. He holds a BS from Duke University, an MS from Dartmouth College, and an MD from Rutgers University.

• Educations:
  • Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, Duke University
  • Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, Dartmouth College
  • Doctor of Medicine, Rutgers University – New Jersey Medical School

Research Interests: Dr. Chae's work centers on advancing neuroprosthetic technologies for stroke survivors, exploring neural plasticity mechanisms to enhance motor recovery, and developing novel pain interventions. His current projects include implantable stimulation systems for limb reanimation and percutaneous nerve stimulation for chronic pain. Key areas include:

• Electrical stimulation for hemiparetic limb recovery
• Activity-dependent neural plasticity
• Central sensitization modulation in chronic pain

Awards:

• Member, National Academy of Medicine
• Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
• Past President, Association of Academic Physiatrists
• Board Member, NIH Clinical Center Scientific Counselors

Labs/Teams: Dr. Chae leads research at the Neural Engineering Center and collaborates with the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute, focusing on translating neurotechnology into clinical applications for stroke and pain management.