Alumni News
Keith Hayes - Outstanding Graduate Alumnus for 2008
Keith Hayes will be honored as the outstanding graduate alumnus for 2008 at a celebration on Friday, April 4, 2008.
Keith C. Hayes PhD is a Professor and former Chair in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Professor in the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine at The University of Western Ontario.
After graduating with a PhD from the Dept of Exercise Science in 1973, Dr. Hayes took an appointment in the Dept of Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, where he established a graduate research program in the area of neurophysiology of motor control; combining elements of biomechanics, electromyography and human neurophysiology. While at the University of Waterloo, Dr Hayes served as Chairman of Graduate Studies, was President of the Canadian Biomechanics Society and served on the Executive Committees of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology and the International Society of Biomechanics.
In 1981 Dr Hayes moved to The Univ of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario where he was initially Chair of the Graduate Program in the School of Physical Therapy and then Director of Research and eventually Chairman in The Dept of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
Since 1981 Dr Hayes has focused his research in the area of restorative neurological approaches to the treatment of spinal cord injury. He conducted some of the first studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation of motor cortex that detected preserved but hidden innervation in patients with functionally complete SCI. He also conducted the first human SCI clinical trials of the K+ channel blocking agent, 4-aminopyridine or Fampridine-SR, which has been shown to restore neurological function in patients with SCI or multiple sclerosis; and has served as a consultant to Acorda Therapeutics as they have taken Fampridine-SR through Phase 3 multi-center clinical trials. He currently serves as a consultant to GERON Corp CA for their forthcoming first human clinical trial of embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.
Dr Hayes’ current research focuses on the role of the immune system in modifying axonal conduction in preserved axons within the injured cord. These studies, employing an ex vivo animal model, have revealed a new mechanism of reversible neurologic deficit following trauma. In addition to exploring neuro-restorative opportunities, Dr Hayes directs a program of clinical research at Parkwood Hospital in London, Ontario, examining new ways to manage secondary medical complications arising from SCI. The research program involves investigator-driven human clinical studies of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) assisted bicycling exercise as well as industry-driven clinical trials.
With over 120 peer reviewed publications in journals such as Neuroscience, J Neurotrauma, Brain Research, and Expert Reviews in Neurotherapeutics; generous grant funding from various National and International agencies, and being the recipient of several prestigious awards including Fellowships in Japan and Australia, Dr Hayes has established himself as a leader in the field of Spinal Cord Injury research in Canada and internationally. Dr Hayes serves on numerous International Expert Panels including some for the National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in Washington, DC.
