Presenting Author
Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic
Dr. Joline Brandenburg is a consultant in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. She holds the academic rank of Assistant Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as in Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Brandenburg graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. She completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic in 2008 and a clinical fellowship in Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in 2010.
Dr. Brandenburg’s research interests span the translational spectrum with her work initially involving evaluation muscle properties in children with cerebral palsy using a novel technology, ultrasound elastography. Based on this work she moved into use of an animal model of developmental onset spasticity to further investigate the mechanisms underlying differences in motor unit properties and development in conditions early onset spasticity. Her work is focused on understanding basic mechanisms related to motor unit development and changes that occur when disruptions happen in the fetal and postnatal time points. In this work, the diaphragm and phrenic motor neuron are key areas of investigation as respiratory dysfunction is a leading cause of death in many conditions of developmental onset spasticity.
In addition, she currently serves on the Executive Board for the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. She is Chair of the Cerebral Palsy Common Data Elements Oversight Committee for NINDS and is on the NINDS Common Data Elements Oversight Committee. She is also the incoming director for the multidisciplinary Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida Clinic at Mayo Clinic.
Furthermore, she is the mom to a middle school teenager with cerebral palsy who is quite active with girl scouts, sled hockey, 4-H, and competing in western classes at local and regional horse shows. And when time permits, Dr. Brandenburg even gets to compete at the horse shows with her daughter’s horse too.