Cleveland FES Center

09/29/2025

Sending our congrats to North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium President Ian Burkhart, also a faculty member for the Cleveland Neurodesign Entrepreneurs Workshop and one of the innovators in research studying an implanted brain computer interface to restore movement after spinal cord injury. Bravo for being selected to the MIT Technology Review 2025 Innovators list!
https://www.facebook.com/NASCIConsortium/posts/pfbid0zViMFQGZXQk4kS6iJaLLg6Fh98kNWftAzcW9H1FEM9fwYPkDc8GbjPSvurHkSbKEl

We are proud to celebrate our own Ian Burkhart, President of NASCIC, on his inclusion in MIT Technology Review’s 2025 Innovators Under 35. This recognition honors Ian not only for what he has achieved personally, but for the tremendous impact he’s fostering in the spinal cord injury and neurotechnology communities.

Ian’s journey - from participating in brain-computer interface research, regaining function and founding the BCI Pioneers Coalition - has shown what’s possible when those living with spinal cord injury lead innovation.

At NASCIC, we’ve seen first-hand how Ian’s leadership inspires researchers, clinicians and community members alike. This acknowledgment by MIT Technology Review underscores the importance of centering individuals with spinal cord injury in research and the power of their voice in shaping technology that serves people.

Please join us in congratulating Ian for this richly deserved honour.

https://www.technologyreview.com/innovator/ian-burkhart/?utm_source=tr_staff_outreach&utm_medium=tr_staff_social&utm_campaign=TR35-SOCIAL&utm_content=guestbp

09/26/2025

Save the date: Our first Neural Prosthesis Seminar for the fall is Thursday, Oct. 16 at 3pm, at the Case Western Reserve University Wolstein Research Building Auditorium. This event is open to all: our colleagues, connections, students, members, trainees, friends, alumni, supporters and followers.

Our special guest is David Borton PhD: Interim Director of the Brown University Institute for Biology, Engineering, and Medicine(I-BEAM), Associate Professor of Engineering and Brain Science at Brown University, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery-Department of Neurosurgery at Island Hospital, and Biomedical Engineer at Providence VA Medical Center.

Dr. Borton will be speaking on Neurotechnology to replace, restore, and reprogram function across the nervous system.

Don't miss this enlightening event! We look forward to seeing you there. Save the date here: https://evt.to/eomieioew

09/22/2025

One of our own, Investigator Emily Graczyk PhD was featured on WKYC Channel 3 - Cleveland Studios this morning discussing the $9.9 million Department of Defense funding awarded to Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland VA Medical Center to study sensory-enabled upper limb prosthetics. Watch it here: https://fescenter.org/center-researcher-dr-emily-graczyk-shares-details-of-sensory-enabled-prosthetic-pilot-study/

09/12/2025

We are thrilled to be co-hosting the Cleveland NeuroDesign Entrepreneurs Workshop at Case Western Reserve University over the next few days! Eight teams of participants with the help of the program's multidisciplinary faculty members from neuroscience organizations are moving through the biodesign process, from developing a concept to refining it to creating a market plan and commercialization strategy.

Very proud to again be part of this hands-on, accelerated education program! Many thanks to the co-sponsors of this event and the outstanding faculty team.

Blackrock Neurotech IEEE Engineering Medicine and Biology Society Precision Neuroscience Saluda Medical Micro Systems Technologies Cirtec Medical

09/10/2025

Congratulations to FES Center investigators Anne Bryden PhD, OTR/L and Kimberly Anderson PhD who are among the authors of a new journal article in Frontiers in Rehabilitative Sciences documenting original research to assess how people with spinal cord injuries and their support people feel about getting back into their communities after injury.

The researchers surveyed both civilians and military Veterans who had spinal cord injuries, and found that it's very difficult to predict how well someone will get back into everyday life just by looking at medical tests.

Read the article here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/rehabilitation-sciences/articles/10.3389/fresc.2025.1617764/abstract

09/08/2025

Our Fall Lineup of Seminars is impressive, with the return of our Neural Prosthesis Seminar Series and State of FES Center Presentation & Reception! (Note the updated date and location for this event.)

We hope to see you at these events!

09/03/2025

Our kickoff to the First Tuesdays Seminar Series was a hit, thanks to guest speaker Stephen Lewis, an Executive Committee member of the Center and Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Dr. Lewis presented on the study of renal nerve electrical stimulation to resolve hypertension.

Our thanks to Dr. Lewis and everyone who joined us at the Fairmount for this insightful presentation! Please mark your calendar to join us Oct. 7, same time and place. Our two speakers will be announced soon!

08/28/2025

Researchers at the Center are currently recruiting for and studying the use of the Myomo MyoPro wearable exoskeleton to facilitate motor-learning-based therapy for individuals who have suffered a stroke which affected their upper limb motor function.

For details on this study visit https://lnkd.in/e6pudBPJ

08/20/2025

Our Neural Prosthesis Seminar Series begins Thursday, Oct. 16 at 3 pm eastern!

These tech and academic neuroscience talks focus on both emerging research and clinical approaches often using neuromodulation for rehabilitation and/or symptom relief.

Get a glimpse by checking out last season's Seminars on our YouTube channel. Here's the video replay from Guest Speaker Levi Hargrove PhD from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Hargrove visited in May and presented on Machine Learning-Based Controllers for Bionic Limbs.

May 22, 2025

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

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

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!