Kirk Personius

Kirk Personius, PT, PhD, is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in the Department of Rehabilitation Science at the University at Buffalo's School of Public Health and Health Professions. His research explores neuromuscular development, regeneration, and disorders, with active investigations into NANOG-mediated nerve recovery and diabetic neuropathy. He teaches Foundations in Physical Therapy and Integumentary courses.

Education:

• Postdoctoral Training: Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
• PhD: Physiology, University of Arizona (1998)
• BS: Physical Therapy, Northeastern University (1989)

Research Focus: Dr. Personius leads a lab studying how motor neuron-muscle communication guides neuromuscular junction development and repairs after injury/disease. Key areas include: NANOG reprogramming to extend nerve regeneration windows, glutamatergic signaling in neuropathy, sarcopenia mechanisms, and muscle stem cell therapies. His work integrates molecular biology, animal models, and translational rehabilitation approaches.

Publication Trends: Recent articles (2022-2025) highlight innovations in skeletal muscle reprogramming, metabolic interventions for aging muscles, and engineered reinnervation strategies. Earlier works (2010s) established foundational insights into NMDA receptor roles in synapse elimination, exercise benefits for frailty, and dystrophy treatments.

Awards:

• Paper selected by Faculty of 1000 Neuroscience (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.)

Lab Leadership: Directs research on neuromuscular repair using murine models, focusing on extending critical periods for functional recovery post-injury through cellular reprogramming and metabolic modulation.