Rehabilitation and Neural Engineering Laboratory

Michael Boninger, MD

  • Distinguished Professor
  • Administrative Director

Dr. Michael Boninger is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine. He has joint appointments in the Departments of Bioengineering, Rehabilitation Science and Technology, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute as well as the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine. He is also the Associate Dean for Sustainability in the School of Medicine and responsible for running the school’s Office of Sustainability in Medicine. Finally he is the Chief Medical Sustainability Officer for UPMC. In these sustainability roles, Dr. Boninger is working to reduce the carbon footprint of UPMC and the School of Medicine and increase education and engagement climate health.

 

Dr. Boninger earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and his medical degree at The Ohio State University. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan, where he became the chief resident. He came to the University of Pittsburgh when he won a postdoctoral fellowship in engineering and rehabilitation technology in 1994.

Dr. Boninger has an extensive publication record of well over 300 peer-reviewed papers and has receive substantial funding from numerous agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Dr. Boninger’s students have won over 50 national awards. Dr. Boninger holds 4 United States patents and has received numerous honors, including being inducted into the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Science.

Research Interest Summary

Research education, assistive technology, biomechanics, neuroprosthetics, spinal cord injury, wheelchairs, sustainability.

Research Interests

Dr. Boninger’s central research focus is on enabling increased function and participation for individuals with disabilities through development and application of assistive, rehabilitative and regenerative technologies. Dr. Boninger is the director of the University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury, a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Center of Excellence, he is also PI or Co-PI on several projects funded by DARPA and NIH.

Dr. Boninger also has extensive experience and publications related to training researchers. He is co-director and PI for the Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program (RMSTP), which is an NIH funded grant that provides mentorship for physician researchers across the country. Dr. Boninger is also C0-I and former PI on the Alliance for Regenerative Rehabilitation Research and Training (AR3T). This NIH funded national center is charged with elevating the science of regenerative rehabilitation. Finally Dr. Boninger has been a speaker related to decarbonizing the healthcare sector.