States, Gregory, PhD

Dr. Gregory James Russo States is a Senior Research Engineer at MetroHealth in Cleveland, Ohio, with academic training spanning bioengineering, anatomical sciences, and neurobiology.

He completed his doctoral work at the University of Louisville under Dr. David Magnuson, where his research focused on the biomechanics and cardiovascular/electromyographic responses during motorized cycling in a rat model of spinal cord injury.

Dr. States developed a novel apparatus for recording pedal reaction forces during cycling in this model and created a protocol for separating active and passive forces from the resulting measurements — work that challenges the assumption that motorized cycling in rat models is entirely passive and has implications for translating these benefits to clinical populations. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training at Case Western Reserve University, where he worked on engineering design and electrical safety testing of the Networked Neuroprosthesis, an implantable system for functional electrical stimulation (FES).

His current work includes a StrokeNet fellowship focused on falls among stroke survivors, in which he is developing algorithms for detecting foot slips and stops during walking and creating biomechanical models to inform muscle stimulation patterns that can prevent falls. His research integrates translational biomechanics, neural engineering, anatomy, and neurobiology toward restoring locomotor function after central nervous system injury.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

• Biomechanics and cardiovascular/electromyographic responses to motorized cycling in spinal cord injury models
• Engineering design, hardware/software development, and electrical safety testing of implantable neurostimulators (Networked Neuroprosthesis)
• Fall detection and prevention in stroke survivors: algorithm development and biomechanical modeling
• Musculoskeletal modeling and kinematics (canine hindlimb model)
• Translation of bioelectronic therapies for neurological injury

MAJOR PROJECTS & FUNDING

• StrokeNet Fellowship, Research on fall incidents among stroke survivors; development of foot slip/stop detection algorithms and biomechanical models to guide muscle stimulation for fall preventio
• Networked Neuroprosthesis Project, Case Western Reserve University, Engineering design, software/hardware development, and electrical safety testing of an implantable FES system; collaboration with the University of Southern California on translation of bioelectronic therapies
  

HONORS & RECOGNITION

• StrokeNet Fellowship, Case Western Reserve University, 2024–2025
• Departmental Alumni Award, University of Louisville, 2014
• Jerry and Pat Sturgeon Award, University of Louisville, 2013