Kessler Foundation in partnership with Overlook Medical Center is first in NJ to implant novel spinal stimulator

State-of-the-art therapy uses electrical stimulation of the spinal cord combined with months of intensive training to restore function for individuals with spinal cord injury

EAST HANOVER, N.J. and SUMMIT, N.J., Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation at Kessler Foundation is proud to announce the implantation of a spinal cord epidural stimulator in an individual with paralysis, marking a significant advancement in spinal cord injury treatment and rehabilitation. The surgical procedure was funded by the Joseph and Cheryl Marino Family Foundation and performed by neurosurgeon Robert F. Heary, MD, at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, part of Atlantic Health System, home of the Atlantic Neuroscience Institute.

This groundbreaking procedure, combined with intensive training, has the potential to improve individuals' motor and autonomic function.

Gail Forrest, PhD, director of Kessler Foundation's Reynolds Center, emphasized, "This success underscores the potential of epidural spinal stimulation to change lives."

This protocol is part of an NIH-funded exploratory and development research study through The BRAIN Initiative to investigate bladder function and locomotor ability in individuals who have lived with spinal injury for less than 12 months. Once implanted, the device delivers electrical impulses directly into the spinal cord that potentially allow individuals to regain critical bodily functions, prospectively improving bladder function, motor control, and quality of life. 

Claudia Angeli, PhD, assistant director of the Reynolds Center, anticipates future success. "We are eager to expand our understanding of the benefits of spinal cord epidural stimulation in our endeavor to make this technology more accessible to all with spinal cord injury," Angeli said.

Chief Medical Officer of Kessler Foundation and co-director of the Reynolds Center, Steven Kirshblum, MD, added: "Kessler Foundation is excited to be the first in New Jersey to harness the potential of epidural spinal stimulation, a potentially groundbreaking therapeutic technology. The goal is to build upon the wealth of existing neuromodulation research and enhance the lives of individuals with spinal cord injury across multiple domains, potentially paving the way for improved function and quality of life in the future."

Kessler Foundation is proud to collaborate with Atlantic Health System as future surgeries are planned to continue this important research.

With the support of the Reynolds Foundation and other donors, the Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation at Kessler Foundation is transforming the potential for recovery after spinal cord injury. To date, more than 70 individuals with paralysis have contributed to the steady progress at the Reynolds Center.

About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research. Our scientists seek to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes, including employment, for adults and children with neurological and developmental disabilities of the brain and spinal cord including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and autism. Kessler Foundation also leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities.

About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 21,000 team members and 5,440 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.

The not-for-profit system offers more than 550 sites of care, including its eight hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children's Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ.

The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,700 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.

Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 30 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse, and Atlantic Health Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.

Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of six regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability, has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University, is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers, and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.

For those interested in participating in a spinal stimulation research study, contact: [email protected] 

SOURCE Kessler Foundation