Cramer, Steve, M.D.

Biography
Dr. Steve Cramer is a Professor of Neurology and Anatomy & Neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine. He is also the Vice Chair for Research, the Clinical Director of the Stem Cell Research Center, and the Director of the Neuroimaging Core of the UC Irvine Institute for Clinical & Translational Science. Dr. Cramer graduated with Highest Honors from University of California, Berkeley; received his medical degree from University of Southern California; did a residency in internal medicine at UCLA; and did a residency in neurology plus and a fellowship in cerebrovascular disease at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also earned a Masters Degree from Harvard Medical School in Clinical Investigation.

Research in Lay Terms
Many people have problems with weakness after brain injury such as stroke. My research asks the questions: how can we return voluntary control of movement? We take part in a variety of clinical trials to try to find the best methods to reducing human disability.

Research Focus
Dr. Cramer’s research focuses on brain repair after central nervous system injury in humans, with an emphasis on recovery of movement after stroke. Treatments under examination include robotic, cell-based, brain stimulation, growth factors, and other pharmacological approaches. An important question is how to predict the response of individual patients to such restorative therapies. He co-edited the book “Brain Repair after Stroke,” is an Assistant Editor at the journal Stroke, and is the author of over 100 articles.

Detail on Research
Dr. Cramer’s research examines a range of restorative agents. He is the PI of a number of clinical trials, including NIH-funded and industry-sponsored. A key component of this research is identifying the factors that distinguish patients–why do some subjects have a robust response to treatment while others show little change. Genetic variation, differences in personality and background, and specific features of brain injury each influence a person’s capacity to recover. A major goal of the research is to use this information to guide translational clinical trials to optimize recovery at the individual level.

PubMed LINK http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=cramer-sc

Department Affiliations Neurology, Anatomy & Neurobiology

Favorite Book The Interpretation of Dreams --Sigmund Freud"
Favorite Movie

Favorite Quote “So much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.” --William Carlos Williams

Additional Links:

https://anatomy.uci.edu/?s=cramer

https://cnlm.uci.edu/about/steve-cramer/