Ela Lewis, MSPT

About Me

Helping shape and implement the strategies that make Shirley Ryan AbilityLab a local, national and global market leader, Ela Lewis works to ensure patients are able to access the right care at the right time across the organization’s continuum. Her focus on building strong, collaborative relationships with referral partners helps patients connect to the specialized care they need.

After earning a master’s degree in physical therapy, Ela joined Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (then the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) in 1998 as a physical therapist treating inpatients with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Soon, she transitioned into research, studying the neural mechanisms underlying spasticity in SCI. Ela created and published the SCATS, a spinal cord assessment research tool; today, SCATS is still used by clinicians around the world to assess lower-extremity spasticity. She also has served as an author on 16 peer-reviewed scientific articles. 

Ela’s passion for neuroscience and research led her to pursue outside ventures for a decade, where she worked for successful robotic research ventures backed by Northwestern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. She was awarded a patent as an inventor on the KineAssist, an overground neurorobotic device for gait and balance training. 

She returned to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in 2011 as the executive director of market development, building relationships with referral sources, patients and families. In the time since, she and her team have played a pivotal role in growing admissions to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, creating a more seamless, supportive experience for patients traveling to the flagship hospital from near and far.

Ela lives in Chicago with her husband and two children.