Our Team
Clinicians, scientists, and students working together on transparent, participant-led spinal cord injury research.
Ceren Yarar-Fisher, PhD
Dr. Yarar-Fisher is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research at the Ohio State University Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Director of Clinical Research at the Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury. Her translational research program focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in the acute and chronic stages with the purpose of developing novel dietary and rehabilitation strategies to improve neuro-recovery, metabolism, and bowel function. Thus, her laboratory is currently developing and testing therapeutic diets and electrical stimulation programs to evaluate new ways to prevent neuronal death, promote recovery and function in the acute stages and improve body composition, gut microbiome composition, and skeletal muscle and metabolic health in the chronic stages of SCI. She has received several NIH and NIDILRR funding to support her investigations in SCI. She was selected as one of the 10 Outstanding Young Persons of Turkey by Junior Chamber International for her work in Academic leadership and accomplishment. She served two years as Treasurer, Chair-Elect, and Chair in American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) SCI-Special Interest Group, and is a member of ACRM, Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals, American College of Sports Medicine and American Physiological Society. Dr. Yarar-Fisher’s goal in mentoring is to have trainees leave her laboratory with the training and integrity to become leaders in their chosen field. Her mentoring style is empowerment- oriented, culturally sensitive, and excellence-driven. Dr. Yarar-Fisher intentionally created a space within her laboratory that harnesses her team’s collective interests to build a strong team with a common goal of contributing discoveries in SCI research and medicine and improving the quality of life for those impacted by the injury while recognizing and celebrating her team’s diverse backgrounds and identities. She believes science works best to produce novel insights when influenced by diverse ideas from individuals working together. She has had the privilege of mentoring over 50 trainees, including high school, undergraduate, medical, and graduate students. She has also provided early-career mentoring and coaching for five early-career faculty. Throughout her career, Dr. Yarar-Fisher has devoted time to support the critical peer-review process, serving as an editorial board member of a prestigious SCI journal, an active manuscript reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals, abstract reviewer for prestigious organizations including the ACRM, and ad-hoc reviewer for the various NIH, DOD, NIDILRR study sections.
Raquel Minarsch, PT, DPT
I am a physical therapist with clinical and research experience in patient populations with neurological conditions including SCI, stroke, brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases. I received my Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The Ohio State University in 2010 and worked in outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (formerly known as Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) for 6 years. I became a Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist in 2015, and in 2016 returned to OSU where I continued to work as a PT in inpatient rehabilitation and acute care settings. In 2017 my career shifted to primarily research, first as an interventionist and outcomes assessor then progressed to a full-time clinical research coordinator in neurodegenerative and SCI research. I am now pleased to focus further on facilitating research aimed to promote improved outcomes in individuals with SCI. Outside of work I enjoy staying busy with my husband and 2 sons, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and being active, especially outdoors.
Jia Li, PhD
I am a research scientist in the Pro-SCI Laboratory. I am from China, and I earned my master's degree in Molecular Genetics from the University of Cincinnati and my PhD degree in Nutrition Sciences from Purdue University. During my PhD training, I was involved with clinical trials investigating several aspects of dietary components on metabolic health outcomes. I greatly appreciated the applicability of human clinical nutrition research. In the meanwhile, I became interested in exploring the underlying mechanisms for the development of cardio-metabolic diseases. I joined Dr. Yarar-Fisher's lab in 2017 to further expand my training in nutrition research and gain additional skillset in microbiome and metabolomics analyses. My current research projects include: 1) investigating the effects of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet on body composition, metabolic health, and gut microbiome in patients with long-standing spinal cord injury and 2) understanding the relationship between gut microbiome and glucose control in individuals with SCI supported by the NIDILRR Mary Switzer Research fellowship and Craig Nielsen Foundation postdoctoral fellowship. I love spending time with my family, cooking cuisines from across the world, and traveling.
Sana Chahande
I am a master’s student in the Applied Neuroscience program here at the Ohio State University. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Ohio State in 2022. My interest in spinal cord injuries comes from spending over four years engaging with the community in central Ohio in various aspects such as through employment at Martha Morehouse and volunteering with Adaptive Sports Connection. I am excited to be involved with Dr. Yarar-Fisher’s lab to bridge my interests in scientific understanding of SCI rehabilitation and providing holistic care to patients. In the future, I want to spend more time interacting with patients which is why I am pursuing a career as a physician. When I have free time, I love spending it with my friends and family, exploring new restaurants in Columbus, traveling, and finding new ways to stay active.
Avery Homer
I am an undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-med track at The Ohio State University. My interest in spinal cord injuries stems from my fascination with the central nervous system and its role in shaping human function and recovery, as well as my passion for helping others and improving their quality of life. I am excited to be involved with Dr. Yarar-Fisher’s lab, where I can explore the scientific aspects of spinal cord injury recovery while contributing to meaningful advancements in rehabilitation. In the future, I hope to continue combining my interests in neuroscience and medicine to provide compassionate, research-informed care to patients. In my free time, I enjoy finding new movies to watch with friends, going on runs, and drawing or doing something crafty.
Ayush Mehra
I’m a medical student at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, where I also earned my bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences in 2024. My research background spans several areas within physiology and rehabilitation, including studies on brain activity following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, the effects of repetitive head impacts in law enforcement cadets, and body composition in Hispanic adults and individuals with Down syndrome. Currently, I’m involved in research exploring nutrition and metabolic health in individuals with spinal cord injury. Beyond that, I’m also interested in wearable technology, nutritional supplementation, and body composition, particularly how these tools can be used to enhance clinical outcomes across diverse populations. My future goal is to become an academic physiatrist who bridges nutrition science, body composition, and cutting-edge technology to help patients achieve their goals, have fun, and live life fully on their own terms. Outside of academics, I’m a certified personal trainer and youth soccer coach who enjoys staying active - whether it’s playing soccer, lifting, running half-marathons, or training for triathlons. I’m also a big fan of Ohio State football, a passionate home cook who loves experimenting with new recipes, and the kind of person who reads every food label at the grocery store.
Reem Bader
I am an undergraduate student studying Neuroscience at The Ohio State University. I am one of the clinical research assistants in the Pro-SCI lab. I initially became interested with the world of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehab after shadowing a physiatrist at OSU. After being introduced to this field, I was eager to work with Dr. Yarar-Fisher and her team to contribute to SCI research. I enjoy contributing to this research through both patient interaction and technical aspects, this has been an incredible opportunity for me to connect scientific learning and real-world application. I plan to attend Medical school, following my undergraduate education. My goal is to continue working with patients who have neurological disorders throughout my career. In my free time I enjoy playing tennis, running, cooking and exploring all that Columbus has to offer!
Ryan Danley
I am a human resources strategist at American Honda, where I have spent more than a decade working across leadership development, talent strategy, organizational effectiveness, compliance and ethics, compensation, and training. I am also a Butler University alumnus. In 2019, I sustained a C7 motor-incomplete spinal cord injury in a snowmobiling accident in Canada. I now contribute to the Pro-SCI Lab as a PLEX (person with lived experience) and community consultant. I am particularly interested in collaborative research that brings together scientific expertise, lived experience, and the genuine interests of everyone involved. I believe the strongest research grows from shared curiosity and a real investment in the questions being explored. That connection gives the work its energy and creates the potential to take it further. Outside of work and research, I enjoy traveling, music, adaptive fitness, and learning about human behavior. I am also passionate about universal design and finding new ways to make the world more accessible for people with spinal cord injuries and others.