Monica Gorassini, University of Alberta

Research

Spasticity Spinal Cord Injury Locomotion High Density Surface Emg Motoneurons Motor Units Persistant Inward Currents Small Conductance Potassium Currents

Latest papers

Muscular torque variability in Parkinson's Disease with and without dopaminergic medication.
Neurophysiologie clinique = Clinical neurophysiology · 2026
Recovery of Dexterous Motor Control via Non-Monosynaptic Corticospinal Pathways.
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026
Early, Intensive, Lower Extremity Rehabilitation Shows Preliminary Efficacy After Perinatal Stroke: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2022

All 7 publications

Latest funding

The role of axonal GABA in facilitating proprioception, movement and recovery from spinal cord injury
CIHR · 2026 · Co-investigator
$1,407,600
The role of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in modulating motoneuron properties to restore motor function after spinal cord injury.
CIHR · 2021 · Nominated PI
$929,475
Role of extrasynaptic GABA in the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury.
CIHR · 2019 · Principal investigator
$1,197,226

All 8 grants and awards

7 publications.

01

Muscular torque variability in Parkinson's Disease with and without dopaminergic medication.

Afsharipour B, Roy FD, Xie H, Schindle M, Ba F, Kong L, Gorassini M, Sankar T

Neurophysiologie clinique = Clinical neurophysiology2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2026.103190 PMID: 42526408

02

Recovery of Dexterous Motor Control via Non-Monosynaptic Corticospinal Pathways.

Sorensen E, Borda L, Ostrowski J, de Freitas RM, Verma N, Fisher LE, Wittenberg GF, Gerszten P, Weber DJ, Pirondini E, Gorassini M, Krakauer JW, Capogrosso M

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences2026

DOI: 10.64898/2026.03.24.26348827 PMID: 41929291

03

Early, Intensive, Lower Extremity Rehabilitation Shows Preliminary Efficacy After Perinatal Stroke: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Hurd C, Livingstone D, Brunton K, Smith A, Gorassini M, Watt MJ, Andersen J, Kirton A, Yang JF

Neurorehabilitation and neural repair2022

DOI: 10.1177/15459683221090931 PMID: 35427191

04

2019 Champion of Change Award.

Musselman KE, Gorassini M, Lam T, Pang M

The journal of spinal cord medicine2019

DOI: 10.1080/10790268.2019.1631586 PMID: 31573462

05

Repetitive mass practice or focused precise practice for retraining walking after incomplete spinal cord injury? A pilot randomized clinical trial.

Yang JF, Musselman KE, Livingstone D, Brunton K, Hendricks G, Hill D, Gorassini M

Neurorehabilitation and neural repair2014Senior author

DOI: 10.1177/1545968313508473 PMID: 24213960

06

Training to enhance walking in children with cerebral palsy: are we missing the window of opportunity?

Yang JF, Livingstone D, Brunton K, Kim D, Lopetinsky B, Roy F, Zewdie E, Patrick SK, Andersen J, Kirton A, Watt JM, Yager J, Gorassini M

Seminars in pediatric neurology2013Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2013.06.011 PMID: 23948685

07

Spinal and brain control of human walking: implications for retraining of walking.

Yang JF, Gorassini M

The Neuroscientist : a review journal bringing neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry2006Senior author

DOI: 10.1177/1073858406292151 PMID: 16957000

The role of axonal GABA in facilitating proprioception, movement and recovery from spinal cord injury

Co-investigatorCIHR2026Project Grant

Principal investigators: Bennett, David J

Keywords: Gaba; Motoneuron; Movement; Muscle; Proprioceptors; Spinal Cord Injury

$1,407,600

The role of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in modulating motoneuron properties to restore motor function after spinal cord injury.

Nominated PICIHR2021Project Grant

Principal investigators: Gorassini, Monica A

Keywords: High Density Surface Emg; Motoneurons; Motor Units; Persistant Inward Currents; Small Conductance Potassium Currents; Spasticity; Spinal Cord Injury; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

$929,475

Role of extrasynaptic GABA in the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury.

Principal investigatorCIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Bennett, David J; Fenrich, Keith K; Fouad, Karim; Gorassini, Monica A

Keywords: Basic Human Physiology; Not An Rct.; Gaba; Interneuron; Locomotion; Motoneuron; Movement; Proprioceptive Afferent; Sensory Transmission; Spasticity; Spinal Cord Injury

$1,197,226

Presynaptic facilitation: the other half of the story

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Gorassini, Monica

$240,000

Early intensive leg exercise to improve walking in children with spastic diplegia from encephalopathy of prematurity

Co-investigatorCIHR2017Project Grant

Principal investigators: Yang, Jaynie F

Keywords: Cerebral Palsy; Children; Electrophysiology; Locomotion; Motor Development; Neuroplasticity; Rehabilitation

$650,250

Intensive motor training after perinatal stroke to enhance walking

Principal investigatorCIHR2012Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Yang, Jaynie F; Gorassini, Monica A

Keywords: Cerebral Palsy; Children; Electrophysiology; Locomotion; Perinatal Stroke; Plasticity; Rehabilitation

$373,461

Mechanisms of spasticity after spinal cord injury and cerebral palsy

Nominated PICIHR2010Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Gorassini, Monica A

Keywords: Cerebral Palsy; Motoneurons; Persistent Inward Currents; Sensory Inputs; Spasticity; Spinal Cord Injury

$728,875

Promoting Spinal and Cortical Plasticity for the Recovery of Motor Function after CNS Trauma

Principal investigatorCIHR2009Emerging Team Grant: Regenerative Medicine and Nanomedicine - LOI

Principal investigators: Bennett, David J; Fouad, Karim; Gorassini, Monica A; Yang, Jaynie F

Keywords: Cellular Electrophysiology; Corticospinal; Locomotor Networks; Rehabilitation; Sprouting; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Biomedical Engineering
Pediatrics
Clinical sciences
Chemical and Materials Engineering
Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
Kinesiology
Neurosurgery

Co-authors at University of Alberta, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Tejas Sankar

Neurosurgery

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Linglong Kong

Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Adam Kirton

Pediatrics

1 shared papers, latest 2022

Tania Lam

Kinesiology

1 shared papers, latest 2019

Jerome Yager

Chemical and Materials Engineering

1 shared papers, latest 2013

Fang Ba

Clinical sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2021

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Spasticity Dear Professor Gorassini, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Muscular torque variability in Parkinson's Disease with and without dopaminergic medication." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "The role of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in modulating motoneuron properties to restore motor function after spinal cord injury." (2021), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]