Scientific Research

Control of Sensorimotor Function and Repair Across the Lifespan, Dietary, and Environmental Variables

January 28, 2026

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST

The speaker will discuss the main steps of his career by linking personal experiences to scientific challenges and achievements. The speaker will talk about how environmental factors including diet and physical activity affect metabolism and immunity to control physiology and repair in the sensorimotor system to optimize function. He will discuss the implications of this work in conditions spanning traumatic, vascular, inflammatory, degenerative, and metabolic damage to the spinal cord and peripheral nerves.

This session’s speaker will be Simone Di Giovanni, PhD, and will be moderated by Kajana Satkunendrarajah, PhD, 2025 Program Committee member.

This was selected as a part of the Neuroscience 2025 programming: Theme D – Neuroimmunity, Neurovasculature, and Neural Injury.

Speakers

Simone Di Giovanni, PhD

Simone Di Giovanni, PhD, is a neurology consultant and holds a chair in restorative neuroscience at Imperial College where his research group investigates the molecular mechanisms that control nervous system repair. The lab studies how environmental factors including diet and physical activity affect metabolism and immunity that in turn influence physiology and repair in the sensorimotor system to optimize function. Previously, since 2006, he worked at the University of Tuebingen, Germany as a research group leader, where he was also a consultant clinician in stroke and neurology.

Kajana Satkunendrarajah, PhD

Kajana Satkunendrarajah, PhD, is an associate professor of neurosurgery with secondary appointments in physiology and biomedical engineering and associate director of the Neuroscience Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Formerly at the Krembil Research Institute, University of Toronto, her research focuses on spinal cord injury, neuroplasticity, and neuromodulation. She investigates excitatory spinal interneurons, corticospinal circuits, and translational strategies to restore respiratory and motor function. She earned her BS from the University of Manitoba, PhD, from Wayne State University, and completed postdoc training at the University of Toronto.

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Control of Sensorimotor Function and Repair Across the Lifespan, Dietary, and Environmental Variables

Speakers

Webinar Refund Policy What is the cancellation/refund policy for webinars? If SfN changes fundamental details of the webinar (date, time, or speakers), nonmember registrants may request a registration refund. SfN webinars can be watched on-demand if someone is unable to attend the live broadcast.

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