Body
Nationally recognized brain injury expert and distinguished physiatrist Flora Hammond, MD, the Nila Covalt Professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Indiana University School of Medicine and chief of medical affairs at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, has been named the Paul B. Magnuson Professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, effective Jan. 4, 2027.
Dr. Hammond, who will also serve as senior vice president at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, succeeds Elliot J. Roth, MD, who has served as chair of the department for more than 30 years and will become the emeritus Paul B. Magnuson Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine.
In her new roles at Northwestern and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Dr. Hammond will oversee the PM&R department’s clinical, research and educational missions and No. 1-rated residency program, with a focus on advancing innovation in rehabilitation science, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and enhancing patient outcomes.
"It is a privilege to step into this role at Northwestern and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. I'm excited to work alongside this team of clinicians, scientists and educators to expand what's possible in rehabilitation medicine, strengthen our academic mission and help shape the next generation of physiatrists," said Dr. Hammond.
Dr. Hammond credits her years leading the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Indiana University School of Medicine with shaping the vision she now brings to Northwestern and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
An accomplished physician-scientist, Dr. Hammond’s research focuses on improving life after injury through better understanding of injury effects, recovery trajectories and long-term treatment strategies. Her extensive research portfolio includes more than 330 peer-reviewed publications. She maintains an active clinical practice in rehabilitation medicine and conducts funded research in brain and spinal cord injury. She is board-certified in PM&R and brain injury medicine.
“Flora is one of the world’s most respected leaders in rehabilitation medicine, and her remarkable achievements as a clinician, investigator and mentor make her uniquely suited to lead this department into its next chapter,” said Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for medical affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We are delighted to welcome Flora to Northwestern, where her vision and outstanding academic leadership will further strengthen our missions."
Dr. Hammond’s awards and honors include the Association of Academic Physiatrists Distinguished Academician Award and Young Academician Award, Brain Injury Association of America William Fields Caveness Award, Robert L. Moody Prize for Distinguished Initiatives in Brain Injury, and American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Distinguished Member Award. She has served as a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems project director since 1998 and currently serves as TBI Model Systems Executive Committee’s chairperson. She also serves on The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation and Journal of Neurotrauma editorial boards.
“Flora’s career reflects the very best of academic rehabilitation medicine — rigorous science, compassionate patient care and a deep commitment to improving patient outcomes,” said Pablo Celnik, MD, chief executive officer, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. “Her expertise will be invaluable in advancing our academic mission and preparing the next generation of leaders in physical medicine and rehabilitation.”
Dr. Hammond received her Doctor of Medicine degree at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and continued her medical training with an internship at AMI Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver, her residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and her brain injury fellowship at Wayne State University in Detroit. Prior to her current role at Indiana University School of Medicine, she served on the faculty at Carolinas Rehabilitation in Charlotte, N.C.
Dr. Roth will remain as a faculty member and professor of PM&R to continue his research on novel methods to enhance patients’ recoveries and outcomes. Widely recognized as a leading expert in interdisciplinary neurorehabilitation and for his contributions to stroke rehabilitation, he also will continue to serve as a physiatrist in The John and Kathy Schreiber Brain Innovation Center at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and as program director for the hospital’s brain injury medicine fellowship.
“We are deeply grateful for Elliot’s years of unwavering dedication and visionary leadership. He has had a profound impact in the rehabilitation field and on our organization, and has shaped the department’s trajectory for many years to come — ensuring a smooth transition as Flora steps into the role,” said Dr. Celnik. “At the same time, we are thrilled our community will continue to benefit from Elliot’s expertise as he will remain active seeing patients, teaching, mentoring and conducting research.”
During his more than three-decade tenure as chair, Dr. Roth expanded the department’s research and training capacity, including centralizing the Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC) in one space and the development of the Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics (MPO). He has been instrumental in advancing the field of neurological rehabilitation and is currently project director of a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on methods to enhance community living for people with physical disabilities. He recently completed RRTC grants on stroke rehabilitation, which he led for more than 20 years, and on health and function in physical disability. He is the principal investigator on several other research projects focused primarily on neurorehabilitation, including an NIH-supported project on stroke-induced hand dysfunction and a project focused on treatment of long COVID. He has published more than 180 papers on neurorehabilitation, and he holds a patent on a method and apparatus for artificially stimulating cough reflex in people with spinal cord injuries.
“We are grateful to Elliot for his longstanding service as chair and his commitment to Northwestern; he has influenced the careers of many professionals, and improved the lives of many patients,” said Dr. Neilson. “I also want to extend my gratitude to Matt Lesniak, chair and Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurosurgery, for his leadership, and to the entire search committee for their dedication and efforts during this process.”
