Simon Danner

Simon Danner, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy at Drexel University College of Medicine. His research focuses on computational modeling of spinal neural circuits controlling locomotion, sensorimotor integration, and recovery mechanisms following spinal cord injury.

• Doctorate in Engineering Sciences, Vienna University of Technology (2013)
• MSocEcSc in Computer Science Management, Vienna University of Technology (2011)
• MSc in Medicine and Computer Science, Vienna University of Technology (2010)
• BSc in Medicine and Computer Science, Vienna University of Technology (2008)

Dr. Danner's work combines neural network modeling with musculoskeletal simulations to investigate the interaction between spinal circuits and somatosensory feedback. His studies explore how spinal cord injury alters neural connectivity and how transcutaneous stimulation can modulate locomotor function. Current projects examine V3 interneurons in interlimb coordination and propriospinal neurons in post-injury recovery.

His research has been recognized with awards including the Goldberger/Murray/Boyne/Levine Outstanding Junior Faculty Award (2021) and Young Investigator Award from the Austrian Society for Biomedical Engineering (2015). Dr. Danner's publications span top journals such as eLife, Current Biology, and Brain, with a focus on spinal cord stimulation and computational neurorehabilitation.

He leads the Danner Laboratory, which collaborates with experimentalists to develop predictive neuromechanical models. Current lab members include postdoc Shravan Tata Ramalingasetty and PhD students Andrew Lockhart, Laura Schoenhals, and Austin Chuang. Funded by NIH/NINDS grants R01 NS112304 and R01 NS115900, his work aims to establish therapeutic foundations for improving locomotor function after spinal injury.

• Goldberger/Murray/Boyne/Levine Outstanding Junior Faculty Award (2021)
• Reviewer of the Year, Journal of Neural Engineering (2019)
• Visiting Scholarship, Stanford University (2018)
• Best Poster Award, Karniel Workshop (2018)
• Young Investigator Award, Austrian Society for Biomedical Engineering (2015)