Meet the PI
Jonathan Cheng, M.D.
Jonathan Cheng, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is a fellowship-trained hand surgeon with expertise in peripheral nerve reconstruction and microsurgery. Dr. Cheng's clinical practice has a specialized focus on brachial plexus and peripheral nerve repair, and he is the leader of the peripheral nerve and brachial plexus team clinic at Children's Health Children’s Medical Center Dallas.
His research interests in peripheral nerve regeneration and neural interfacing are well-matched with his clinical interests, as his research focus is on the development of real-world solutions to longstanding clinical challenges.
As a member of the UT Southwestern Biomedical Engineering Program, Dr. Cheng mentors Ph.D. doctoral candidates from UT Southwestern and its partner institutions (UT Arlington and UT Dallas).
Research
The basic and translational research interests of Dr. Cheng include mechanistic investigations into peripheral nerve regeneration, neural interfacing for the control of robotic limbs, and bioelectronic medicines for the modulation of systemic disease. Our lab performs a comprehensive suite of outcome measures to assess peripheral nerve recovery and chronic neural interfacing in the research setting.
Current studies include:
- Long gap peripheral nerve regeneration – Translational therapies for peripheral nerve regeneration across a long nerve gap, rapid screening of novel small molecule drugs
- Fascicular targeting of peripheral nerve interfaces -
- Development of precise surgical techniques for placement of chronic peripheral nerve implants
- Design of implantable systems for chronic neural recording and stimulation
- Human trials to investigate the basic physiology of fascicular targeting
- Bioelectronic medicines – Biologically active neural implants for chronic interfacing of autonomic nerves
A bioelectric neural interface towards intuitive prosthetic control for amputees.
Nguyen AT, Xu J, Jiang M, Luu DK, Wu T, Tam WK, Zhao W, Drealan MW, Overstreet CK, Zhao Q, Cheng J, Keefer E, Yang Z, 2020 Oct J Neural EngPercutaneous Fixation of Pediatric Fractures of the Proximal Phalanx Neck: A Novel Technique.
Pientka WF, Cheng J, 2020 Nov Tech Hand Up Extrem SurgComparison of provocative manoeuvres in diagnosing thumb carpometacarpal joint arthritis.
Mailey B, Naram A, Cheng J, 2019 Sep J Hand Surg Eur Vol 7 44 750-752Fascicle specific targeting for selective peripheral nerve stimulation.
Overstreet CK, Cheng J, Keefer EW, 2019 Nov J Neural Eng 6 16 066040Oral Antibiotics Are Effective for the Treatment of Hand Osteomyelitis in Children.
Kargel JS, Sammer DM, Pezeshk RA, Cheng J 2018 Aug Hand (N Y) 1558944718788666
Ben-Amotz O, Pezeshk RA, Sammer DM, Cheng J
2018 11
Plast. Reconstr. Surg.
5
142
718e-721e
Detergent-free Decellularized Nerve Grafts for Long-gap Peripheral Nerve Reconstruction.
Vasudevan S, Huang J, Botterman B, Matloub HS, Keefer E, Cheng J 2014 Aug Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 8 2 e201
Vasudevan S, Yan JG, Zhang LL, Matloub HS, Cheng JJ
2013 Oct
Plast. Reconstr. Surg.
4
132
871-6
Tanner J, Keefer E, Cheng J, Helms Tillery S,
2023
Front Hum Neurosci
17
1083307
Artificial Intelligence Enables Real-Time and Intuitive Control of Prostheses via Nerve Interface.
Luu DK, Nguyen AT, Jiang M, Drealan MW, Xu J, Wu T, Tam WK, Zhao W, Lim BZH, Overstreet CK, Zhao Q, Cheng J, Keefer EW, Yang Z, 2022 10 IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 10 69 3051-3063A portable, self-contained neuroprosthetic hand with deep learning-based finger control.
Nguyen AT, Drealan MW, Luu DK, Jiang M, Xu J, Cheng J, Zhao Q, Keefer E, Yang Z, 2021 Sep J Neural Eng
Cheng J, Yang Z, Overstreet CK, Keefer E,
2021 Aug
Hand Clin
3
37
401-414
Deep Learning-Based Approaches for Decoding Motor Intent From Peripheral Nerve Signals.
Luu DK, Nguyen AT, Jiang M, Xu J, Drealan MW, Cheng J, Keefer EW, Zhao Q, Yang Z, 2021 Front Neurosci 15 667907
Mazal AT, Faramarzalian A, Samet JD, Gill K, Cheng J, Chhabra A,
2020 Jan
Expert Rev Med Devices
Amirlak B, Lu KB, Erickson CR, Sanniec K, Totonchi A, Peled ZM, Cheng JC,
2020 09
Plast Reconstr Surg
3
146
509-514
Amirlak B, Dehdashtian A, Sanneic K, Lu KB, Cheng J,
2019 Jun
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
6
7
e2123
Mazal AT, Ashikyan O, Cheng J, Le LQ, Chhabra A
2018 Dec
Eur Radiol
Ukoha UT, Vandergriff T, Cheng J, Glass DA
2018 Aug
Am J Dermatopathol
8
40
624-625
Asymmetric Sensory-Motor Regeneration of Transected Peripheral Nerves Using Molecular Guidance Cues.
Anand S, Desai V, Alsmadi N, Kanneganti A, Nguyen DH, Tran M, Patil L, Vasudevan S, Xu C, Hong Y, Cheng J, Keefer E, Romero-Ortega MI 2017 Oct Sci Rep 1 7 14323
Nagarkar PA, Cheng J
2017 May
Plast. Reconstr. Surg.
5
139
1172e-1174e
Ukoha UT, Vandergriff T, Cheng J, Glass DA
2017 Apr
Am J Dermatopathol
Cox B, Zuniga JR, Panchal N, Cheng J, Chhabra A
2016 Jan
Eur Radiol
Clinical Impact of Magnetic Resonance Neurography in Patients with Brachial Plexus Neuropathies.
Fisher S, Wadhwa V, Manthuruthil C, Cheng J, Chhabra A 2016 Aug Br J Radiol 20160503
Lachapelle JR, Bjune CK, Kindle AL, Czarnecki A, Burns JR, Grainger JE, Segura CA, Nugent BD, Sriram TS, Parks PD, Keefer E, Cheng J
2016 08
Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc
2016
1794-1797
Law HZ, Amirlak B, Cheng J, Sammer DM
2015 Mar
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
3
3
e333
Peripheral neuropathy: surgical approaches simplified for the imagers.
Kao DS, Cheng J 2015 Apr Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2 19 121-9Chronic sensory-motor activity in behaving animals using regenerative multi-electrode interfaces.
Desai VH, Anand S, Tran M, Kanneganti A, Vasudevan S, Seifert JL, Cheng J, Keefer EW, Romero-Ortega MI 2014 Aug Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2014 1973-6Evaluation of the scratch collapse test in peroneal nerve compression.
Gillenwater J, Cheng J, Mackinnon SE 2011 Oct Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 4 128
Cheng J
2010 Sep
Plast. Reconstr. Surg.
3
126
Cortes W, Cheng J, Matloub HS
2005 Jul
J Hand Surg Am
4
30
Weinfeld AB, Cheng J, Nath RK, Basaran I, Yuksel E, Rose JE
2002 Sep
Plast. Reconstr. Surg.
3
110
The effects of increased gravity and microgravity on cardiac morphology.
Goldstein MA, Cheng J, Schroeter JP 1998 Jun Aviat Space Environ Med 6 Suppl 69