Kessler Foundation Disability Rehabilitation Research And Employment

Segment from October 2025 Vital Signs Rodger DeRose, president and CEO of Kessler Foundation, explores how rehabilitation research is redefining what recovery can look like across neurological conditions. He describes how innovations in neuromodulation, spinal stimulation, robotics, and brain health research are moving care beyond compensation toward restoration of function and independence. Philanthropic support from donor Tim Reynolds has played a critical role in advancing this work. DeRose highlights Kessler Foundation’s integrated research model, where scientists and clinicians work side by side to identify real-world challenges and rapidly translate discoveries into care. This approach has led to advances in restoring movement, regulating autonomic function, reducing fatigue, and improving cognitive and motor outcomes after conditions such as spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and autism. By embedding innovation directly within clinical settings, researchers can te