Patrick E. Crago is the department chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He received the B.S.E.E. from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1967, and the M.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, in 1970 and 1973 respectively, followed by post-doctoral studies in neuromuscular physiology at Johns Hopkins University.

He returned to Case as a Senior Research Associate in 1976, and joined the BME faculty in 1982. In 1999 he was appointed the Allen H. and Constance T. Ford Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and chairman of the department.

His major research interests are in the area of movement control and regulation of posture, particularly the restoration of movement by neuroprostheses employing neuromuscular stimulation. This research emphasizes the role of feedback, muscle mechanical properties of the limbs in the execution and regulation of movements. Current research projects include the control of wrist flexion/extension and elbow extension in patients with spinal cord injuries. Other projects involve the clinical implementation and evaluation of closed-loop stiffness regulation for hand grasp, and the development of muscle models suitable for use in the stimulations with neuronal models.

[edit] Selected Publications

• Memberg WD, Crago PE, Keith MW. Restoration of elbow extension via FES in individuals with tetraplegia, J. Rehab. Research and Development, 40(6):477-486, 2003.

• Lin CC, Crago PE. A structural model of the muscle spindle, Ann Biomed Eng, 30:68-83, 2002.

• Lin CC, Crago PE. Neural and mechanical contributions to the stretch reflex: A model synthesis, Ann Biomed Eng, 30:54-67, 2002.

• Neustadter DM, Drushel RF, Crago PE, Adams BW, Chiel HJ. A kinematic model of swallowing in Aplysia californica based on radula/odontophore kinematics and in vivo MRI, J. Exp. Biol. 205:3177-3205, 2002.

• Perreault EJ, Kirsch RF, Crago PE. Voluntary control of static endpoint stiffness during force regulation tasks, J. Neurophysiology, 87:2808-16, 2002.