Megan Detloff

Megan Detloff, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy at Drexel University College of Medicine. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience at The Ohio State University (2009) and a BS in Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan (2002). Her research focuses on understanding how injury and rehabilitative exercise influence pain and sensorimotor function post-spinal cord injury (SCI). Her lab employs multidisciplinary approaches, including behavioral assessments, electrophysiology, and molecular analyses to study neuroimmune interactions, nociceptor dysfunction in cerebral palsy, and exercise-mediated neural plasticity.

Key research areas include spinal cord injury-induced neuroinflammation, chronic pain mechanisms, and translational models of cerebral palsy. She leads NIH-funded projects investigating exercise as a therapeutic for neuropathic pain and macrophage-targeted nanotherapies for SCI pain. Collaborators span Drexel and external institutions, including Clemson University and George Washington University.

Dr. Detloff emphasizes DEI in STEM, fostering an inclusive lab environment for diverse trainees. She mentors students in techniques like spinal surgery, behavioral testing, molecular biology, and electrophysiology. Her lab has trained numerous PhD and MS students, including notable alumni like Dr. Jonathan Richards and Daniel Freeman.

Active grants include NIH NINDS and Craig H. Neilsen Foundation funding. Recent lab milestones include student awards and successful defenses, such as Jason Wheeler’s fellowship and Jonathan Richards’ dissertation defense. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, aiming to improve outcomes for SCI and chronic pain patients.