ICORD is pleased to welcome Dr. Ashley Dalrymple as a new Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor in the UBC Department of Physical Therapy. Dr. Dalrymple also holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Spinal Cord Neuromodulation.
Dr. Dalrymple is the Director of the Neural Engineering and Rehabilitation Via Electrical Stimulation (NERVES) Lab, an interdisciplinary research group focused on using electrical stimulation and neural interfaces to improve sensorimotor function after neural injury. Her work combines engineering, neuroscience, computing science, and rehabilitation to improve walking, restore sensation, and reduce pain through both preclinical and clinical studies.
Originally from Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Dr. Dalrymple completed a BSc in Electrical Engineering (Biomedical Option) and a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Alberta. She went on to complete postdoctoral training at the Bionics Institute in Australia, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University, before serving as an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Utah.
Her research spans neural interfaces, rehabilitation of walking, sensorimotor control, neuromodulation, and reinforcement learning. Dr. Dalrymple has worked extensively with spinal cord stimulation, implanted neural interfaces, and machine learning approaches to improve control of movement and reduce neuropathic and phantom limb pain. Her work bridges exploratory, preclinical, and clinical research to better understand how neural interfaces interact with the nervous system and how they can be used to restore function after injury.
Dr. Dalrymple collaborates with researchers across Canada and internationally, including partners at the University of Alberta, Google DeepMind, West Virginia University, UC Davis, the University of Pittsburgh, and within ICORD.
“ICORD is a unique, collaborative environment at the frontier of spinal cord research. I cannot think of a better place to bring my expertise in neural interfaces to discover and translate neuromodulation therapies to improve sensorimotor function after neural injury. We are at a critical time in the field of neural interfaces – with increasing public and industry engagement – and Canada should be at the forefront of innovation. I am excited to be a part of that.,” said Dr. Dalrymple.
Dr. Dalrymple’s NERVES Lab is currently recruiting graduate students and undergraduate volunteers with backgrounds including but not limited to biomedical engineering, neuroscience, rehabilitation science, kinesiology, and neurophysiology. For more information, visit Dr. Dalrymple’s website at ashleydalrymple.com.
