Dr. Coker has worked in the field of traumatic SCI since 1997. She obtained a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in May 2001, where she won the James W. Alley Award for Outstanding Service to Disadvantaged Populations, and a PhD in Clinical Science from the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus in 2020. Dr. Coker has won several awards for research presentations and publications, most recently being awarded the American Spinal Injury Association MJ Mulcahey Award for rehabilitation outcomes measurement.