Principal Investigator
B.Sc. [Kinesiology] (University of Calgary)
M.Sc. [Neuroscience] (University of Western Ontario)
Ph.D. [Neuroscience] (University of British Columbia)
Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia
ICORD Associate Director, Operations
Research Interests
anesthesiology; Clinical trials; MRI; Neuropathic pain; Outcome measuresDr. Kramer’s current research interests are focused on understanding the relationships between spinal cord injuries and neuropathic pain. Historically, pain has been measured from “yes or no” scores generated from pinprick stimulation. This approach, however, represents only one way that peripheral touch can be interpreted by the spinal cord sensory pathway. Dr. Kramer has made several important contributions to the validation of a newer technique known as Contact Heat Evoked Potential stimulation (CHEPs). CHEPs provides recordings of electrical signals reaching the brain, allowing complementary information regarding the spinal cord sensory pathway to be identified.
As part of Dr. Kramer’s ongoing research program, advanced neuroimaging and quantitative sensory testing techniques will continue to be developed to better understand how changes in the central nervous system (CNS) relate to the development of neuropathic pain. Using large SCI datasets, he is exploring the relationship between pain, neurological recovery, and other secondary health outcomes (e.g., cardiovascular disease). His research program will enable implementation of novel interventions aimed at improving outcomes and quality of life for people with SCI.
On September 1, 2020, Dr. Kramer became an Assistant Professor with the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia. He majored in Kinesiology for his B.Sc. undergraduate degree major at the University of Calgary, and then turned his focus to neuroscience for graduate research. He obtained a M.Sc. degree from the University of Western Ontario and completed his Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Kramer spent the next two years as a postdoctoral fellow, first at the Spinal Cord Injury Center in Uniklinic Balgrist (University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland), and then as a Senior Research Fellow at the Hulse Spinal Cord Injury Laboratory in the Shepherd Center (Atlanta, Georgia, USA). From 2014 to 2020, he was an Assistant Professor in UBC’s School of Kinesiology.
Dr. Kramer says he enjoys his time at ICORD because of the diverse research interests among principal investigators and trainees. He adds that “there are not many facilities like ICORD in the world, where international experts are brought together in preclinical and clinical SCI research. With the expertise and facilities all in one building, it is an amazing opportunity to perform the highest level of research.”
Recent Collaborations:
Dr. Kramer is working closely with Dr. Corree Laule to integrate advanced anatomical MRI into the assessment of damage in the spinal cord after injury. The goal of this collaboration is to leverage Dr. Laule’s experience in the field of Multiple Sclerosis, and translate new imaging techniques into the field of SCI. He hopes to begin collecting data in individuals with SCI in the next few months. He also has collaborations with colleagues at the University Hospital Balgrist in Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Kramer is a member of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and the Hugill Anesthesia Research Centre.
Major Findings:
Dr. Kramer’s research has repeatedly shown that spinal cord sensory pathways can be examined with a variety of quantitative techniques sensitive to minor changes in sensory impairments. Furthermore, his work using evoked potentials has shown improved potential for tracking changes in sensory function corresponding to individual spinal segments. He is in the process of finalizing plans for his next phase of research efforts with Dr. Corree Laule.
Techniques employed in lab:
- Electroencephalography (EEG, a technique for measuring electrical activity in the brain)
- Electrophysiological recordings (e.g., somatosensory and contact heat evoked potentials)
- Anatomical and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Questionnaires to assess neurological function (e.g., International Standards for the Neurological Classification of SCI).
Awards:
Some of Dr. Kramers’s recent major awards and accomplishments include:
- Scholar, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, 2014
- North American Spine Society, Clinical & Research Travelling Fellowship, 2014
- Scholar, Clinical Research Pillar, (jointly funded by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Rick Hansen Institute), 2014
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship, International Foundation for Research in Paraplegia, 2011
- Trainee Award, Rick Hansen Institute, 2008
Trainee Awards
| Year | Name | Award |
| 2024 | Paulina Scheuren |
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| 2023 | Amy Zhao | Summer Student Research Program, University of British Columbia |
| Ryan Loke |
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| Himali Bergeron-Vitez |
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| Cassandra Choles |
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| Jessica Archibald | VCHRI Rising Star Award | |
| Jessie McDougall | ICORD Travel Award | |
| Hannah Ro | NSERC Undegraduate Student Research Award | |
| Lukas Linde | TroHNS award for best abstract in translation research or human neuroscience in SCI, ASIA | |
| Bobo Tong | ARM poster award, ICORD | |
| Jaimie Lee |
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| Nicole Bailey | Experimental Medicine Travel Fund, UBC | |
| Himali Bergeron-Vitez | Honorable mention for Master’s posters, ICORD | |
| 2022 | Jaimie Lee |
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| Lukas Linde | Trainee Travel Award, ICORD | |
| Lucie Bourguignon |
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| Nicole Bailey |
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| Cassandra Choles | Trainee Travel Award, ICORD | |
| Himali Bergeron-Vitez |
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| Jessica Archibald |
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| Bobo Tong | ITC Symposium 1st place poster award (post-doc/ staff), ICORD | |
| Dr. Lukas Linde | 1st Place Best Poster Award (12th Annual Whistler Anesthesiology Summit) | |
| Paul Aspinall | Poster Presentation Award Winner (12th Annual Whistler Anesthesiology Summit) | |
| Himali Bergeron-Vitez | Oral Presentation Award Winner (12th Annual Whistler Anesthesiology Summit) | |
| 2021 | Dr. Lukas Linde |
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| Paul Aspinall | Trainee Travel Award (ICORD) | |
| Cassandra Choles | Trainee Travel Award (ICORD) | |
| Himali Bergeron-Vitez | Trainee Travel Award (ICORD) | |
| Jaimie Lee |
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| Freda Warner | ICORD Annual Research Meeting Poster Award (ICORD) | |
| Jessica Archibald |
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| Nicole Bailey |
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| Jessie McDougall |
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| 2020 | Hannah Goodings |
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| Jessica Archibald |
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Current Lab Members
| Undergraduate Students | Medical Students | Masters Students | Ph.D. Students | Postdoctoral Fellows | Research Staff |
| Amy Zhao | Lorenz Mauerer | Arezoo Assadinia | Lucie Bourguignon | Dr. Paulina Scheuren | Oscar Ortiz |
| Hannah Ro | Cassandra Choles | Jessie McDougall | Dr. Lukas Linde | Bobo Tong | |
| Atrina Shadgan | Himali Bergeron-Vitez | Ryan Loke | Sharisse Lin | ||
| Sahar Akbari | Jessica Archibald | Himali Bergeron-Vitez | |||
| Catherine Blouin | Lukas Linde | ||||
| Jaime Lee |
Current Opportunities in Lab:
Interested students should contact Dr. Kramer with inquiries.
Opportunities:
Recent publications
- Bourguignon, L et al.. 2025. Author Correction: Impact of commonly administered drugs on the progression of spinal cord injury: a systematic review.. Commun Med (Lond). doi: 10.1038/s43856-025-01345-0.
- Scheuren, PS et al.. 2025. Glutamate levels in the cingulate cortex are associated with objective markers of pain sensitivity by way of pre-stimulus alpha band oscillations.. Neurobiol Pain. doi: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2025.100204.
- Lin, WZ, Lee, JJ, Chertcoff, A, Tremlett, H, Kramer, JLK. 2025. Safety reporting quality in multiple sclerosis clinical trials: A review of phase III clinical trials included in FDA approval of disease-modifying treatments.. Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. doi: 10.1177/20552173251390649.
- Lukas, LP et al.. 2025. Exploring synthetic controls in rare diseases with a proof of concept in spinal cord injury.. BMC Med. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-04405-3.
- Scheuren, PS et al.. 2025. Enhanced clinical trial stratification in spinal cord injury: the value of electrophysiology.. Brain. doi: 10.1093/brain/awaf354.
