Cleveland FES Center

Cleveland FES Center The Center focuses on the application of electrical currents to either generate or suppress activity in the nervous system.

This technique is known as functional electrical stimulation (FES) The Cleveland FES Center is a consortium of five nationally recognized institutions: Department of Veteran Affairs, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute. Through the support of these partners, the Cleveland FES Center is able to provide a conti

nuum of advancement. VISION STATEMENT

The vision of the Cleveland FES Center is to merge cutting edge research and creative engineering into the clinical environment to create comprehensive options for patients and their families, and the clinicians who care for them. The FES Center will be a fertile environment in which researchers, engineers, and clinicians work in collaboration to develop technological solutions that improve the quality of life of individuals with neuromuscular impairments through the use of functional electrical stimulation. To bring these options to those who need them, the FES Center enables the transfer of this technology into clinical deployment. The four pillars of the FES Center Vision are:

-Fundamental studies to discover new knowledge
-Enabling technologies for clinical application or the discovery of knowledge
-Clinical research that applies this knowledge and technology to individuals with neuromuscular impairments
-Transfer of knowledge and technology to the clinical community and to industry

Shoutout to Associate Medical Director Aasef Shaikh MD, PhD and PhD candidate Prajakta Joshi, authors of a new article i...
07/31/2025

Shoutout to Associate Medical Director Aasef Shaikh MD, PhD and PhD candidate Prajakta Joshi, authors of a new article in Clinical Neurophysiology, detailing their team's research finding that long-term exercise programs may restore neural connections in Parkinson's patients. Read about it: https://fescenter.org/cleveland-researchers-decode-exercise-parkinsons/

University Hospitals Case Western Reserve University, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Our own Aasef Shaikh MD PhD, Associate Medical Director of the FES Center, Vice Chair of Research for the University Hos...
07/29/2025

Our own Aasef Shaikh MD PhD, Associate Medical Director of the FES Center, Vice Chair of Research for the University Hospitals Department of Neurology, the Penny and Steve Weinberg Chair in Brain Health at University Hospitals, and Professor of Neurology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine was recently featured on the Science@UH podcast.

Listen in to hear about Dr. Shaikh's pioneering work studying the use of deep brain stimulation and exercise programs to improve symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. https://www.uhhospitals.org/research-and-education/news-and-events/science-at-uh-podcast/neuroscience-in-motion-exploring-vision-cognition-brain-boosting-power-of-exercise-for-parkinsons?articleid=c0865576-dc28-4e1d-9a44-00299854c623

Yesterday was our Summer NeuroTech Talk for July, a seminar featuring speakers from industry and academia presenting on ...
07/25/2025

Yesterday was our Summer NeuroTech Talk for July, a seminar featuring speakers from industry and academia presenting on neuroscience research, careers and innovations, hosted by our own Christopher Pulliam, PhD. The turnout was excellent as usual; thanks to everyone who attended.

Also many thanks to our excellent speakers. Juan Hincapie from Medtronic shared a look at new approaches to pain management using neuromodulation, and Michael Moffitt from Case Western Reserve University, Department of Biomedical Engineering discussed work in his lab using photobiomodulation to control pain.

Stay tuned for details on upcoming presentations!

Interested in learning more about what our investigators and staff members do? The clinical & basic studies they're lead...
07/17/2025

Interested in learning more about what our investigators and staff members do? The clinical & basic studies they're leading? And about the transformative innovations under development to help improve quality of life for Veterans and civilians? Then check us out on YouTube, starting with this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_Jx-zKeVqfzx87OesRxhuQMXuXLN6lrK

Research & Development - US Department of Veterans Affairs Cleveland VA Medical Center Case Western Reserve University MetroHealth University Hospitals Cleveland Clinic Syracuse VA Medical Center

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This week's Center Directors Retreat was an outstanding event and we were happy to co-host alongside the Advanced Platfo...
07/11/2025

This week's Center Directors Retreat was an outstanding event and we were happy to co-host alongside the Advanced Platform Technology Center.

Day Two of the Research & Development - US Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research Development & Translation Center Directors Retreat brought still more highlights:

Among them were celebrations of top research awards for our very own Bolu Ajiboye Phd and Robert Kirsch PhD, presented by Neal Peachey, Associate Chief of Staff, Research at the Cleveland VA Medical Center.

FES Investigator Dr. Ajiboye recently won the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

And FES Center Director Dr. Kirsch recently received the Paul B. Magnuson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rehabilitation Research and Development. This award is the highest honor for VA Rehabilitation Researchers.

Our thanks to Advanced Platform Technology Center and to all attendees and presenters!

It's a beautiful day in Cleveland for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Research & Development - US Department of ...
07/08/2025

It's a beautiful day in Cleveland for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Research & Development - US Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research Development & Translation Center Directors Retreat! The retreat is largely virtual but we, with the Advanced Platform Technology Center, are proud to host. Our thanks to all VA RRDT Center Directors and local investigators in attendance.

Congratulations to MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine for ranking No. 1 in National Inst...
07/03/2025

Congratulations to MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine for ranking No. 1 in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding among Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Departments at U.S. medical schools.

In 2024, the Dept. of PM&R at MetroHealth was awarded more than $90 million in total research funding. This funding drives innovation in restoring function, independence and mobility for people who have experienced injury and/or disease.

We were thrilled to attend the Department's celebration this week with congratulatory comments from John Chae MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for the MetroHealth System; Stan Gerson MD, Dean and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Christine Alexander-Rager, MD, President and CEO of MetroHealth System; and Richard Wilson MD, Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at MetroHealth.

His research findings have been published in more than 450 journal articles and his mentorship has influenced the lives ...
06/17/2025

His research findings have been published in more than 450 journal articles and his mentorship has influenced the lives of countless students and colleagues. Not to mention achievements like winning the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) Engineering Innovator Award last year.

This recent article from Case Western Reserve University, Department of Biomedical Engineering shines a light on FES Center investigator Dominique M. Durand PhD, the EL Lindseth Professor of Biomedical Engineering at CWRU-BME.

Always a presence at FES Center events like our NP Seminars and First Tuesday gatherings, we're pretty proud of Dr. Durand, too. Read on for more on his fascinating career unravelling the interactions and circuitry among neurons of the brain. https://case.edu/bme/about/news-events/newsletter/pacesetter-neural-engineering

We congratulate Lexi Soltesz, doctoral student at Wayne State University and winner of the Anthony F. DiMarco MD Award a...
06/12/2025

We congratulate Lexi Soltesz, doctoral student at Wayne State University and winner of the Anthony F. DiMarco MD Award at the 2025 American Spinal Injury Association - ASIA Annual Meeting early this month!

Soltesz studies autonomic dysfunction and sleep impairments, and earned the honor for the abstract “Mild Intermittent Hypoxia May Improve Sleep Quality and Cognition in Individuals with SCI.”

ASIA's Anthony F. DiMarco MD Award is given in the area of respiratory to foster research in spinal cord injury, engage individuals and enhance membership in ASIA.

Dr. DiMarco is a Center investigator and Professor of Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiology and Biophysics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. For more than two decades, Dr. DiMarco has been a leader in researching the restoration of respiratory muscle function in persons with spinal cord injury. He has received more than $17 million in funding as a Principal Investigator by the National Institutes of Health and the Food & Drug Administration over the past 25 years.

Read more about Soltesz' award here:

. Congratulations Lexi Soltesz, a PhD student in the Translational Neuroscience Program at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Soltesz has been named recipient of the 2025 Anthony F. DiMarco MD Award for the abstract “Mild Intermittent Hypoxia May Improve Sleep Quality and Cognition in In...

We’re excited to take part in the National Science Foundation (NSF) ReDDDoT Workshop at Case Western Reserve University ...
06/10/2025

We’re excited to take part in the National Science Foundation (NSF) ReDDDoT Workshop at Case Western Reserve University this week!

This two-day conference brings together 20-plus invited leaders from academia, industry, and policy—many with lived experience of mobility disabilities—to explore how public interest technologies can improve access to education and employment.

FES member Anne Bryden PhD, OTR/L, Director of Clinical Trials at the Institute for Functional Restoration, is a co-PI on the project.

A standout moment: a powerful keynote from bioengineering legend Rory A. Cooper, PhD, PLY, National Medal of Technology recipient and director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Human Engineering Research Laboratories in Pittsburgh.

The ReHAB study, comprising researchers and clinicians from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland VA Medical Center...
06/05/2025

The ReHAB study, comprising researchers and clinicians from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland VA Medical Center and University Hospitals, is working to restore upper arm function for people with spinal cord injury, using brain computer interface and functional electrical stimulation devices together. Research participants are able to move and handle objects under their own power with the help of these technologies. Learn more at https://rehabstudy.org/2/

06/04/2025

Our SpringFESt event last month at Merwin's Wharf was a real treat! Our thanks to everyone who joined for food, games and fun!

Address

10701 East Boulevard
Cleveland, OH
44106

Telephone

(216) 231-3257

Website

https://twitter.com/ClevelandFES, http://www.linkedin.com/company/cleveland-functional-electrical

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Our Story

The Cleveland FES Center is a consortium of five nationally recognized institutions: Department of Veteran Affairs, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute. Through the support of these partners, the Cleveland FES Center is able to provide a continuum of advancement. VISION STATEMENT The vision of the Cleveland FES Center is to merge cutting edge research and creative engineering into the clinical environment to create comprehensive options for patients and their families, and the clinicians who care for them. The FES Center will be a fertile environment in which researchers, engineers, and clinicians work in collaboration to develop technological solutions that improve the quality of life of individuals with neuromuscular impairments through the use of functional electrical stimulation. To bring these options to those who need them, the FES Center enables the transfer of this technology into clinical deployment. The four pillars of the FES Center Vision are: • Fundamental studies to discover new knowledge • Enabling technologies for clinical application or the discovery of knowledge • Clinical research that applies this knowledge and technology to individuals with neuromuscular impairments • Transfer of knowledge and technology to the clinical community and to industry