Lewis Wheaton Elected President of the American Society of Neurorehabilitation

Biology Professor Lewis Wheaton has been named president of the American Society of Neurorehabilitation (ASNR). Established in 1990, the organization is dedicated to advancing the science of neurorehabilitation and helping patients with chronic neurological disabilities by advancing clinical care and research.

“ASNR is a great society because of the range and breadth of its work, spanning cellular neuroscientists all the way to people that do massive multicenter phase three clinical drug trials,” says Wheaton, who has been involved in the organization for nearly two decades. “I am excited to serve as its president.”

Wheaton’s research interests initially drew him to ASNR — his research examines changes in the brain following a stroke or upper limb loss in order to inform the design of therapies that promote better limb function and prosthetics; his belief in the organization’s mission led him to join its leadership team. 

“I got involved in the executive board because I appreciated the vision of the society and the opportunities it provides for engaging more people in neurorehabilitation-based research and training the next generation of neurorehabilitation researchers,” he says.

Wheaton was elected ASNR vice president in 2022 and worked during the subsequent three years to develop the organization’s strategic plan. When he assumes the role of ASNR president this April, he will implement that plan. 

“We’re focusing on how to broaden and improve the sense of community within the society,” he shares. “Two of our goals are centered on enhancing our multidisciplinary focus and expanding engagement. We want to bring in not only people from other disciplines — as other disciplines are connected to the goals of neurorehabilitation — but also develop a culture that supports diverse groups of people entering the field.” 

Wheaton recognizes the parallels between his work at ASNR and the College of Sciences: “It is very consistent with many of the things that I've always enjoyed at the College: creating a community that brings people together, that people want to be a part of, and that they see a home for themselves in,” he explains, referencing his efforts as director of the Center for Programs to Increase Engagement in the Sciences (C-PIES) and mentoring students in his research lab. 

About Lewis Wheaton

Wheaton joined the Institute as an assistant professor in the School of Applied Physiology (now the School of Biological Sciences) in 2008. He is currently a professor in Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech, an adjunct professor in the Department of Rehabilitation at the Emory School of Medicine, and a member of the Children’s Center for Neurosciences Research at the Emory Children’s Pediatric Research Center.

Wheaton received a B.S. in biology from Radford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience and cognitive science from the University of Maryland, College Park. He studied neural function and recovery of motor control after stroke as a fellow at the Medical Neurology Branch of the National Institutes of Health and performed neuroscience research in aging and stroke motor control as a postdoctoral fellow at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Maryland.

About the American Society of Neurorehabilitation

The American Society of Neurorehabilitation (ASNR) was created in 1990 to advance clinical care and the science of neurorehabilitation and neural repair. The 2025 edition of the ASNR annual meeting will take place in Atlanta in late April.