Rate My Professor Katharina Stibrant Sunnerhagen

Katharina Stibrant Sunnerhagen is Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Chief Physician at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. She holds the position of Head of Section in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation and serves as a senior consultant physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. With an MD and PhD, she leads the Rehabilitation Medicine research group, focusing on stroke recovery, physical activity levels post-stroke, neurological rehabilitation, and person-centered care in rehabilitation settings. Her work examines factors influencing stroke outcomes, such as prestroke physical activity reducing severity of intracerebral hemorrhage symptoms, regular walking linked to lower risk of severe stroke, and exercise protecting against major brain hemorrhage.

Sunnerhagen has made significant contributions to clinical guidelines and international stroke research. She co-authored key publications including 'Person-centered care—ready for prime time' (2011, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing), 'Guidelines for management of ischaemic stroke and transient ischaemic attack 2008' (Cerebrovascular Diseases), the 'Action Plan for Stroke in Europe 2018–2030' (European Stroke Journal), and the '2022 guideline for the management of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage' from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (Stroke). Her research appears in high-impact studies like the Global Burden of Disease analyses on nervous system disorders (2024, The Lancet Neurology) and risk factors (2024, The Lancet). With over 34,000 citations on Google Scholar, her influence extends to developing tools such as the Post-Stroke Checklist and Saltin-Grimby Physical Activity Level Scale. She received the 2023 Excellence in Post-Acute Stroke Rehabilitation Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and recognition as an Excellent Teacher at the University of Gothenburg. Sunnerhagen contributes to European stroke guidelines and participates in advancing rehabilitation research priorities for spinal cord injury and stroke recovery.