Program Areas

• Clinical
• Basic Science
• Technology Development

Only through diligent and careful research can we continue to improve treatment options for individuals with neurological damage or disease

The Cleveland FES Center environment fosters collaborative research on the local, national, and international level. Locally, the FES Center partners of the Cleveland VA Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, and MetroHealth Medical Center bring together the scientists, engineers, and clinicians that enable innovations in science and technology to become useful new treatments for people in need.

“There is a very active interplay between members of the group that allows for real breakthroughs to come about,” says Dr. Peckham, Director of the Cleveland FES Center. “Sometimes the laboratory scientist will discover something new about the nervous system that the clinicians can use in a very practical way to improve the lives of their patients. Sometimes the clinicians will bring their theories and experience to the laboratory scientists in order to study a specific problem or have a specific question answered. Not only do the engineers here develop and supply the tools the clinicians and scientists need to do their work, the engineers also actively participate in the research process. I think the Cleveland FES Center is unique in that it brings together a range of top-notch researchers with the different skills, backgrounds and perspectives necessary to develop and test really innovative new treatment options. Together this ‘meeting of the minds’ has developed and implemented many new technologies that have greatly improved the lives of individuals with neurological impairments.”

Traditionally, this interdisciplinary team has conducted research aimed at improving the lives of people suffering from spinal cord injuries or stroke. This includes restoration of arm and hand function, standing, walking, swallowing, breathing, bowel and bladder function, as well as treatments for pain, spasticity and pressure sores. The FES Center continues to refine treatment options in these areas and is expanding the Center’s scope to include other neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As the Cleveland FES Center looks toward the future, we will continue to develop and test new technologies and treatments including tapping into brain signals to drive neural prostheses, and treatment options that compliment ongoing advances in nerve regeneration and repair.