Thomas Sutor

PhD

Investigator
James J. Peters VA Medical Center                                                     
thomas.sutor@va.gov | (718) 584-9000 ext 5129

Dr. Sutor is an investigator in the Neurorehabilitation and Cardiovascular Autonomic programs in the Spinal Cord Damage Research Center (SCDRC) at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He obtained his BS and then his MS in Exercise Science from East Stroudsburg University. Following this, he became an exercise trainer and Program Director at Push to Walk, a specialized gym for people with spinal cord injury (SCI), which was his introduction to working with people with SCI and activity-based therapy. After deciding to pursue a career in research, he earned a PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Florida, focusing the neural control of breathing, and how to rehabilitate breathing in people with SCI. After a brief period as a post-doctoral assistant in a lab studying muscle and bone recovery in animal models of SCI, his subsequent post-doctoral work focused on motor and autonomic rehabilitation for people with SCI using various neuromodulation techniques such as acute intermittent hypoxia and spinal cord stimulation. His current interests include continuing exploration of the use of various combinations of neuromodulation and activity-based therapy to improve function and quality of life, as well as pursuing a better understanding of the complex interactions between motor and autonomic function in people with SCI.