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Assistant Professor
UTSW Medical Center
Supernus (Products/Services: No) (Contracted Research (Principal Investigators must provide information, even if received by the institution), I am a co-investigator studying the use of Myobloc botulinium toxin for upper and lower limb muscle spasticity, at my institution.)
OMB No. 0925-0001 and 0925-0002 (Rev. 10/2021 Approved Through 09/30/2024)
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
NAME: Klakeel, Merrine J
eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login): N/A
POSITION TITLE: Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, include postdoctoral training and residency training if applicable. Add/delete rows as necessary.)
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION DEGREE Completion Date FIELD OF STUDY
University of Illinois BS 2006 Molecular and Cellular Biology
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine DO 05/2010 Medicine
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital, MI Internship 6/2011 Traditional Osteopathic Internship
Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX Residency 6/2014 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX Fellowship 7/2015 Spinal Cord Injury
A. Personal Statement
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at UT Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. I am a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) fellowship trained Physician who provides care for patients with chronic complications following traumatic and non-traumatic SCI long term. In addition to SCI, I have special interests in spasticity and wound care and is involved in providing care to patients at the sub-specialty Parkland Spasticity Clinic and UTSW Wound Care Clinic.
As an Assistant Professor, I am committed to the medical education for PM&R Residents and UTSW Medical Students. I have contributed to the development of Spasticity Education Program and Autonomic Dysreflexia Simulation training for PM&R Residents and serve as the Medical Student Rotation Course Director for Wound Care and Neurorehabilitation elective rotations. My current research interests involve Spasticity, Wound Care and Medical Education with ongoing research projects in these areas.
Ongoing and recently completed projects that I would like to highlight include:
Klakeel (Co-I)
2021 - Present
A Phase 2/3, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Treatment Efficacy and Safety Study of MYOBLOC® in the Treatment of Adult Upper Limb Spasticity Followed by an Open-Label Extension, Multiple-Treatment Safety Study of MYOBLOC® 2021-Present
Klakeel (Co-I)
2021 – Present
A Phase 2/3, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Treatment Efficacy and Safety Study of MYOBLOC® in the Treatment of Adult Lower Limb Spasticity Followed by an Open-Label Extension, Multiple-Treatment Safety Study of MYOBLOC 2021-Present
Klakeel (Co-I)
2020-Present
Pressure Ulcer Modifiable Risk Identification Using Blood Flow Marker and Metabolic Biomarkers.
B. Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors
Positions
2020 – present PM&R Wound Care Medical Student Rotation Course Director, UTSW, Dallas, TX
2020 – present PM&R Neurorehabilitation Medical Student Rotation Course Director, UTSW, Dallas, TX
2018 – present Spinal Cord Injury Clinic Lead Physician, Parkland Medical Hospital, Dallas, TX
2015 – present Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
C. Contributions to Science
Spasticity is described as the increase in muscle tone after an injury to the central nervous system. Spasticity limits the functional use of the affected limb in patients with diseases of the brain and the spinal cord. I help to train future PM&R Physicians, through the UTSW PMR Residency Program, to obtain competency in diagnosing and managing spasticity and have helped to create a Spasticity Residency Education Program. I have also collaborated with a team of spasticity experts to publish a pocketbook on botulinum toxin doses for the many muscles in the human body. The pocketbook is meant to serve as a quick reference for toxin dosing and muscle selection for practicing clinicians.
a. Amy Mathews MD, Surendra Barshikar, MD, Merrine Klakeel DO, Fatma Gul, MD, Development of a Structured Clinical Spasticity Education Program, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Orlando, October 2018
b. Practical Guide for Botulinum Toxin Injections. Surendra Barshikar, Fatma Gul, Merrine Klakeel, Amy Mathews. DemosMedical Publication, NewYork, NY, Dec 2020
Diabetes is a complex disease that leads to debilitating complications such as diabetic foot ulcers that can lead to repeated infections and ultimately amputations, affecting patient’s daily function. I have contributed to writing a book chapter on the Rehabilitation of the Amputee patient using prosthesis and orthotics.
a. Kowalske, K, Klakeel M. “Chapter 22: Rehabilitation of the Amputee” The Foot in Diabetes, 5th ed. Wiley. 2020
