Sheba Medical Center and the Kessler Foundation Partner to Expand Revolutionary Spinal Stimulation Rehabilitation for People with a Spinal Cord Injury

Under the agreement, Sheba will serve as the Kessler Foundation’s exclusive collaborating site in Israel, and the partners will work together on training, protocol sharing, and studies to evaluate how spinal stimulation combined with intensive activity-based training may improve movement, mobility, and other functions in appropriately selected patients.

“People with a spinal cord injury are looking for treatments that can move beyond the lab and into real-world care, underscoring the need for restorative approaches that address the substantial, lifelong challenges they and their families face,” said Prof. Amitai Ziv, Director of the Integrated Rehabilitation Hospital at Sheba Medical Center.

Building the Framework for Clinical Translation

Training is already underway as Sheba’s clinical and research teams develop the expertise needed for a spinal stimulation research center. This groundwork is expected to support future integration into clinical and rehabilitation practice, with a pilot program expected to begin within the next six months.

The organizations are also sharing treatment approaches and planning studies to better understand who may benefit from spinal stimulation and how patient outcomes evolve over time. This approach reflects the shared goal of advancing rigorous research while supporting responsible clinical translation.

“Spinal stimulation is a rapidly evolving area of neurorehabilitation, and progress depends on strong clinical partners who can help evaluate outcomes and scale best practices,” said Rodger DeRose, President and CEO at Kessler Foundation. “This collaboration is focused on sharing protocols, training teams, and generating data that can guide where—and for whom—these approaches may be most beneficial.”

Bringing Together Research and Clinical Expertise

The partnership brings together internationally recognized experts in spinal cord medicine, neuromodulation research, neural plasticity, functional recovery, and advanced rehabilitation technologies. Their combined expertise will support the development and responsible implementation of spinal stimulation research and clinical programs at Sheba.

The Kessler Foundation’s team includes Steven Kirshblum, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Director of the Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation; Susan Harkema, PhD, Director of Consortium Growth at the Reynolds Center; and Gail Forrest, PhD, Director of the Reynolds Center.

Einat Engel-Haber, MD, Research Scientist at the Reynolds Center, will transition from the Kessler Foundation to Sheba Medical Center to lead the implementation and expansion of spinal stimulation research and clinical programs at Sheba. Dr. Engel-Haber brings clinical and technical expertise, holding a medical degree with a specialty in physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as a Bachelor of Science in computer science and mathematics from Tel Aviv University.

Sheba Medical Center further strengthens the collaboration through Dr. Gabi Zeilig, Head of Innovative Projects in Rehabilitation and an internationally recognized clinician-scientist in spinal cord medicine, and Meir Plotnik, PhD, neuroscientist and Director of the Advanced Technologies in Rehabilitation (CATR) research center, who specializes in postural and locomotion control.

Together, these leaders bring decades of scientific innovation, clinical expertise, and translational research experience to the collaboration.

Supporting Safe and Responsible Clinical Progress

As the program develops, the work will focus on understanding how spinal stimulation can be delivered safely, effectively, and in the right clinical context.

Dr. Kirshblum said the approach requires coordination. “It involves patient evaluation, device programming, and intensive rehabilitation working together,” he added. “By aligning protocols and measuring outcomes in a consistent way, collaborations like this can help the field understand what works best, and how to deliver it safely.”

Through this collaboration, Sheba Medical Center and the Kessler Foundation aim to advance spinal stimulation rehabilitation by:

• Training clinicians and researchers in delivering spinal stimulation safely and effectively
• Supporting clinical studies and translational research to evaluate patient outcomes
• Expanding access to specialized spinal stimulation rehabilitation programs
• Generating and sharing insights to refine protocols and future innovation

Advancing Evidence-Based Neurorehabilitation

Sheba Medical Center and the Kessler Foundation are committed to expanding the knowledge, training, and clinical infrastructure needed to evaluate emerging neurorehabilitation approaches for people living with a spinal cord injury. By building a robust foundation for rigorous research and responsible clinical translation, the partnership aims to ensure that more patients can be evaluated for, and potentially benefit from, promising therapies that go beyond what’s currently available.

As the collaboration progresses, the organizations will continue developing the protocols and clinical evidence needed to guide carefully evaluated rehabilitation programs. Together, they will work to refine best practices, share insights across the field, and support the next generation of evidence-based neurorehabilitation that improves movement, mobility, and quality of life for people with spinal cord injury.