Dr. Martina Spiess

Position at the ZHAW

Research Associate

https://www.zhaw.ch/de/gesundheit/forschung/ergotherapie/

Expertise and research interests

As a rehabilitation scientist, I am interested in the application of new technologies in rehabilitation, especially in how they can be optimally used to achieve the best possible results for clients.

Educational background

University of Florida
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Rehabilitation Sciences · (2008 - 2012)

Universities of Zurich and Maastricht (Joint Program)
MPTSc, Physical Therapy Science · (2002 - 2005)

Physiotherapy School Leukerbad
Certified Physical Therapist (Swiss Red Cross) · (1996 - 2001)

Professional milestones

Hocoma AG
Senior Clinical Research Coordinator (2018-2020)
Clinical Research Coordinator (2014-2017)

Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich
Post-Doctoral Researcher (2013-2014)

Balgrist Universitäy Hospital, Zurich
Research Assistant (2005-2008)

Different In-, and Outpatient Settings in Switzerland
Staff Physical Therapist (2001 - 2005)

Membership of networks

• International Industry Society for Advanced Rehabilitation Technology (IISART)

• Linguistic and occupational therapy support for augmentative and alternative communication in young adults / Team member / Project ongoing
• Artificial Intelligence for Myoelectrically Controlled Cooperative Arm Prostheses / Project co-leader / Project completed
• Digital Health for parents facing language and cultural access barriers to the Swiss health system / Team member / Project completed

Spiess, Martina Rebekka; Steenbrink, Frans; Esquenazi, Alberto, 2018. Getting the Best out of Advanced Rehabilitation Technology for the Lower Limbs: Minding Motor Learning Principles. PM&R 10.9, Supplement 2 (2018), S165–S173. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.pmrj.2018.06.007

Fox,Emily J.; Tester, Nicole J.; Butera, Katie A.; Howland, Dena R.; Spiess, Martina R.; Castro-Chapman, Paula L.; Behrman, Andrea L., 2017. Retraining walking adaptability following incomplete spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord Series and Cases 3.1 (2017), p. 17091. www.nature.com/articles/s41394-017-0003-1

Petersen, Jens A.; Spiess, Martina; Curt, Armin; Weidner, Norbert; Rupp, Rüdiger; Abel, Rainer; Schubert, Martin, 2017. Upper Limb Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 31.5 (2017), pp. 432–441. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1545968316688796

Spiess, Martina Rebekka; Colombo, Gery, 2017. Intensity: What Rehabilitation Technology Can Add to the Subject
Neurol Rehabil 23.1 (2017), pp. 53–56. www.researchgate.net/publication/316878204_Intensity_What_rehabilitation_technology_can_add_to_the_subject

Esquenazi, Alberto; Maier, Irin C.; Aurich-Schuler, Tabea; Beer, Serafin M.; Borggraefe, Ingo; Campen, Katrin; Luft, Andreas R.; Manoglou, Dimitrios; Meyer-Heim, Andreas; Spiess, Martina R.; Wirz, Markus, 2016. "Clinical Application of Robotics and Technology in the Restoration of Walking". In "Neurorehabilitation Technology", Springer International Publishing pp. 223–248, 2016. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-28603-7_12

Tester, Nicole J.; Fuller, David D. ; Fromm, Jason S.; Spiess, Martina R.; Behrman, Andrea L.; Mateika, J. H, 2014. Long-term facilitation of ventilation in humans with chronic spinal cord injury. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 189.1 (2014), pp. 57–65. europepmc.org/article/PMC/3919124

Kuhn, Fabian; Halder, Pascal; Spiess Martina Rebekka, EMSCI Study Group; Schubert, Martin, 2012. One-year evolution of ulnar somatosensory potentials after trauma in 365 tetraplegic patients: early prediction of potential upper limb
Function. Journal of neurotrauma 29.10 (2012), pp. 1829–37. www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/neu.2011.2277

Petersen, Jens A.; Spiess, Martina; Curt, Armin; Dietz, Volker; Schubert, Martin; EMSCI Study Group, 2012. Spinal Cord Injury: One-Year Evolution of Motor-Evoked Potentials and Recovery of Leg Motor Function in 255 Patients. Neurorehabil Neural Repair (2012), Volume: 26 issue: 8, page(s): 939-948. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1545968312438437

Spiess, Martina Rebekka; Jaramillo, Jeffrey P.; Behrman, Andrea L.; Teraoka, Jeffrey K.; Patten Carolynn, 2012. Unexpected Recovery after Robotic Locomotor Training at Physiologic Stepping Speed - a Single Case Design. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 93.8 (2012), pp. 1476–1484. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003999312001785


Schuld, Christian; Wiese, Julia; Hug, Andreas; Putz, Cornelia; van Hedel, Hubertus J.A.; Spiess, Martina Rebekka; Weidner, Norbert; EMSCI Study Group; Rupp, Rüdiger, 2011. Computer implementation of the international standards for neurological classification of spinal cord injury for consistent and efficient derivation of its subscores including handling of data from not testable segments. J Neurotrauma 29.3 (2011), pp. 453–61. www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/neu.2011.2085

Spiess Martina Rebekka; Schuld Christian, 2009. Comment on ”Restoration of walking function in an individual with chronic complete (AIS A) spinal cord injury”. J Rehabil Med 43.4 (2011), pp. 367–8. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21327323/

Spiess, Martina Rebekka; Muller, Roland M.; Rupp, Rüdiger; Schuld, Christian; van Hedel, Hubertus J.A., 2009. Conversion in ASIA impairment scale during the first year after traumatic spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma 26.11 (2009), pp. 2027–36 www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/neu.2008.0760

Spiess, Martina; Schubert, Martin; Kliesch, Uta; Halder, Patrick, 2008. Evolution of tibial SSEP after traumatic spinal cord injury: baseline for clinical trials. Clin Neurophysiol 119.5 (2008), pp. 1051–61. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18343719/

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