Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation

Formation	1985
Founder	Dr. Henry H. Kessler
Purpose	Improve function and quality of life for persons with spinal cord, traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, autism, and other neurological and conditions

Kessler Foundation (the Foundation), a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, was established in 1985, to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.Through discovery, innovation, demonstration, application, and dissemination, the Foundation has become a global leader in rehabilitation research. The Foundation’s scientists seek to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes ­­– including employment ­­– for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord.

The Foundation operates 11 Research Centers encompassing 23 Laboratories and a full-time staff of more than 170 scientific, support, and administrative personnel. From 1998 to 2021, the Foundation has invested more than $140 million in internal funds to support research operations and has received more than $121 million in research support from federal, state, and private grants. In addition, the Foundation has invested more than $23 million in capital assets.

Funding supports the work of the Foundation’s scientists, who achieve steady scientific gains that advance rehabilitation and develop ways to help people with disabilities overcome obstacles and lead full and productive lives in their communities. Meanwhile, since 2005, the Foundation’s Center for Grantmaking has invested more than $50 million in organizations that work to create job opportunities through development, placement, employer education, partnerships, and social enterprise.

Foundation scientists collaborate with foremost national and international healthcare systems, government agencies, universities, research centers, software and device developers, and others in the field of rehabilitation research. Scientists often speak at symposia, medical conferences, and in the media, sharing their advances as thought leaders in the rehabilitation arena.

Kessler Foundation maintains two locations: 1199 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, NJ, and 120 Eagle Rock Avenue in East Hanover, NJ.

History

In 1948, Dr. Henry H. Kessler founded the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation (Kessler Institute), a hospital dedicated not only to patients’ physical recovery from catastrophic injury, but also multidisciplinary and comprehensive rehabilitation—physical, mental, occupational, social—of each child and adult. In 1985, the Henry H. Kessler Foundation (Kessler Foundation) was incorporated to raise funds to support programs and services for Kessler Institute, including funding for the research and education departments within the hospital, which were supported through allocations from Kessler Foundation, the government, and other sources.

In 1998, Kessler Institute and its parent company, Kessler Rehabilitation Corporation (KRC), were converted from non-profit to for-profit corporations with Kessler Foundation holding 100% of the stock. The research and education functions and related hospital personnel were spun off as a separate 501(c)(3) named Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation (KMRREC), with the Foundation classified as its supporting organization. In 2003, KRC was sold for $230 million to Select Medical Corporation. Effective 2007, the Foundation and KMRREC merged, creating a single public charity.

Research

Kessler Foundation changes the lives of people with physical and cognitive disabilities through the work of specialized rehabilitation research centers. As of 2022, there are 11 active Research Centers at the Foundation work research areas as neuropsychology, neuroscience, outcomes assessment, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, rehabilitation engineering, gait analysis and motor control.

Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center

In 2012, the Foundation opened the multi-million-dollar Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center, which houses a Siemens Skyra magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 3T scanner, one of the most powerful scanners of its kind. Led by director Glenn Wylie, DPhil, the Center is dedicated solely to advancing rehabilitation research, specifically, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, and the disabling effects of cancer on brain structure and function. The Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center applies state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques to expand scientific knowledge of the brain and spinal cord. The ability to correlate neural activity patterns with structural changes and behavior has accelerated the pace of discovery of new treatments.

Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation

Founded in 2019 under the leadership of co-directors Gail Forrest, PhD, and Steven Kirshblum, MD, the Center’s research team focuses on using methods of neuromodulation to maximize the potential for neuroplasticity to restore function to individuals paralyzed by spinal cord injury. Researchers are combining electrical stimulation with activity-based therapy to effect changes in muscle activation that result in functional improvement. Two methods of spinal cord stimulation are under investigation to reawaken the spinal cord’s ability to conduct impulses to paralyzed muscles: transcutaneous (stimulation pads are placed on the skin, over the spinal cord), and epidural (stimulation pads are surgically implanted directly onto the spinal cord).

Center for Employment and Disability Research

Although the majority of people with disabilities are highly motivated to work, many lack the opportunity to contribute their talents in the workforce. In 2020, 17.9 percent of Americans with disabilities were participating in the labor force compared with 61.8 percent of people without disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.⁴ To find new ways to narrow this gap, the Center for Employment and Disability Research led by director John O’Neill, PhD, seeks ways to expand employment for individuals with disabilities, including veterans, through collaborative research with medical rehabilitation centers and vocational services. Since 2013, Kessler Foundation, in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability, has issued a customized monthly release, National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) based on the monthly jobs report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. nTIDE compares the economic indicators for people with and without disabilities. In response to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the nTIDE team began issuing semi-monthly releases, adding mid-month COVID-19 updates to track the impact on employment of people with disabilities.

The Center explores factors and conducts studies that promote employment and help individuals return to work after neurological trauma. The Foundation has funded three national employment surveys that have influenced legislators, policymakers, philanthropic organizations, and the disability community. Center scientists are also researching and applying a vocational resource facilitation model integrating person-centered employment services into spinal cord injury rehabilitation, significantly increasing patients’ rate of employment. Researchers plan to assess the efficacy of this successful model in other underemployed sub-populations with disability.  

Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research

Researchers at this Center are exploring the latest innovations in mobility research to improve the quality of life for individuals with motor disabilities caused by spinal cord injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, arthritis, and traumatic brain injury. Translational research and the development of assistive technology (e.g., robotics, functional electrical stimulation, virtual reality) improve mobility and motor function to enhance patients’ ability to participate in school, work, and community activities.

Under the leadership of Guang Yue, PhD, six areas of specialized research are headed by leaders in biomechanics, bioengineering, movement analysis, robotics, neurophysiology, and neuroimaging. Their efforts fuel innovative approaches to address disabling mobility deficits. The Foundation scientists have conducted pioneering research in different types of wearable robotics, including the Ekso GT, ReWalk, and Indego. The focus of this robotics research extends beyond restoring mobility to the impact on common complications that affect quality of life, including bone loss, muscle weakness, loss of bowel and bladder function, chronic pain, and sexual dysfunction.

Center for Multiple Sclerosis Research

Improving the overall quality of life for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) is a main priority of the research conducted by the Center’s investigators under the leadership of director John DeLuca, PhD. Much research is focused on cognitive disturbance, cognitive rehabilitation, and ameliorating fatigue, depression, sleep disturbances, personality changes, and caregiver burden. The Center conducts studies that use functional neuroimaging as a “window into the mind,” a technique where researchers are able to visualize the brain areas that become active while subjects are performing particular tasks or are experiencing certain sensations. While there is still no cure for MS, and individuals must contend with a variable and unpredictable disease, interventions aimed at treating these factors can provide patients with some mastery of the disease.

Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research

The Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research improves patient function through cognitive rehabilitation research, particularly in new learning, memory, and processing speed. Under the leadership of director Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, developments in neurocognitive rehabilitation are improving care for persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the U.S. and abroad, and research is extending to new populations. Dr. Chiaravalloti also heads the Northern New Jersey TBI Model System (NNJTBIS). Center researchers study age-related cognitive decline and share process techniques to improve learning and memory in persons with TBI. Trials include the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation protocols in clinical populations and examine post-treatment changes from objective behavior (neuropsychological tests), everyday life (questionnaires, tests of daily life functioning) and at the level of the brain (functional neuroimaging).

Center for Outcomes and Assessment Research

Center researchers here are investigating the influence of personal factors: why some people with spinal cord injury do better than others in achieving fulfilling lives. Quality of life after a spinal cord injury is influenced by many factors – personal, socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental. Under leadership of director Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, outcomes researchers study the impact of these factors on patients’ health, their daily activities, and participation in school, work, and community activities. To determine the reasons that underlie poor outcomes, the scientists examine associations between personal and cultural factors, such as age, gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as employment history and education level.

Regional variations in health and disability prevalence across the U.S. are associated with differences in quality of life for individuals with disabilities, including veterans. Using information from national databases enables researchers to delve into the lifestyle, health, and socioeconomic factors that contribute to the disparities across the U.S. regionally and in local communities. This research guides the development of policies and programs toward areas of greatest need.

Center for Spinal Cord Injury Research

Researchers at the Center for Spinal Cord Injury Research study individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) who have cognitive impairments that adversely affect recovery and overall quality of life. While mobility deficits are readily recognized, they also aim to define the cognitive deficits in this population.

Under the leadership of director Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, the Center has linked patient data with regions and communities across the U.S. to learn how different areas influence long-term health and disability for people. To determine the reasons that underlie poor outcomes for some SCI patients, scientists examine associations between personal and cultural factors. Scientists also researched and identified barriers that exist for veterans who do not always receive the same healthcare and benefits nationwide.

Research in regenerative rehabilitation at Kessler Foundation began in 2018 under the auspices of the Foundation’s Derfner-Lieberman Laboratory for Regenerative Rehabilitation Research. It kicked off with a pilot study⁵ of a new treatment for shoulder dysfunction in manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury, the injection of autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue. As part of a national multi-site study, the team is also expanding its research to active-duty military with disabling knee injuries. In addition, the Foundation’s Dr. Dyson-Hudson and Steven Kirshblum, MD, are co-directors of the Northern New Jersey SCI System (NNJSCIS), a federally funded Model System. NNJSCIS works in collaboration with Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, University Hospital in Newark, and shares data with the national Spinal Cord Injury Model System.

Center for Stroke Rehabilitation Research

Stroke rehabilitation research at Kessler Foundation addresses the spectrum of challenges faced by stroke survivors. Center researchers apply broad-based expertise to find new ways to restore cognitive function and mobility, including the use of low-tech solutions such as prism goggles, and high-tech approaches that include robotics and neuroimaging techniques. Led by interim director John DeLuca, PhD, Center researchers are finding ways for stroke patients to transition back into the community by detecting and treating spatial neglect, expanding knowledge of reading deficits, improving medication adherence, and implementing new interventions during in-patient rehabilitation.

The Center is a leader in rehabilitation research of spatial neglect after stroke. Spatial neglect is an under-recognized disorder affecting perception, mental imagery, and motor action planning. Individuals with spatial neglect show a failure or slowness to report, respond, orient, or initiate action towards stimuli in the side of space opposite to the primary brain injury. Tools developed by Center researchers to detect and treat spatial neglect – e.g., KF-NAP® manual (available in six languages) and videos – are being implemented at a growing number of rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. and abroad.

Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Center researchers are developing new ways to help individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) recover cognitive function and mobility and equip families and caregivers to increase quality of life for individuals and their families. Led by director Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, Center researchers have tested a noninvasive, nonpharmacological, and easy-to-administer behavioral therapy shown to improve learning and memory in MS, and found similar effects in individuals with TBI, as well as improvements in their ability to function in everyday life. This modified Story Memory Technique (KF-mSMT®) is a memory retraining protocol where participants are taught to facilitate new learning by utilizing context and imagery. Developed by Dr. Chiaravalloti and her team, the KF-mSMT is available in English and Spanish as a resource for clinicians on the Kessler Foundation Learning Center website.

Under development is a computerized training program using neuroimaging to show how behavioral changes correlate with brain activation patterns and may prove effective for improving TBI patients’ social functioning. Neuroimaging is also helping researchers learn more about the underlying mechanisms of cognitive fatigue in TBI and MS populations and veterans with Gulf War Illness. Collaborative studies are underway on virtual reality (VR)-based tools for assessing cognitive function, for treating cognitive impairments, and for improving balance deficits in individuals with TBI. The Center’s VR research offers a new approach to engaging individuals with TBI as well as the aging population and stroke survivors with interactive programs aimed at improving cognitive and physical function.

Center for Autism Research

The primary goal for the Center for Autism Research, established in 2022 at Kessler Foundation, is to improve quality of life for people on the autism spectrum. The Center explores outcomes and develops interventions for children, young adults, and adults on the spectrum with particular focus on the critical transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Led by Helen Genova, PhD, the Center helps patients overcome barriers to community integration and social functioning. The team uses a broad range of techniques—including principles of positive psychology, virtual reality, web-based interventions, neuroimaging, and eye-tracking—to address the complex issues facing individuals on the spectrum. The Center’s objective is to deliver results which are meaningful, accessible, and evidence-based to clinicians, educators, parents, and individuals on the autism spectrum.

Model Systems: Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury

Kessler Foundation is home to two federally funded Model Systems, which are leaders in independent and collaborative medical research and patient care. The Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System (NNJSCIS) is part of the national Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS), and the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain Injury System (NNJTBIS) is part of the national Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (TBIMS). The Foundation’s NNJSCIS and NNJTBIS provide a multidisciplinary continuum of rehabilitative care, beginning with acute care and extending through rehabilitation, reintegration to the community and the workplace, and re-entry into full community life. Both Model Centers have received multimillion dollar federal grants, which allow them to continue their cutting-edge work in rehabilitative care for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Each Model System Center contributes to a national data center, participates in independent and collaborative research, and provides information and resources to individuals with SCI or TBI, their families and care givers, health care professionals and the public. While there are 14 Model SCI Systems² and 16 TBI Model Systems³ in the U.S., as of 2022, the Foundation is one of only six centers to operate dual Model Systems for spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.

Grantmaking

Although individuals living with disabilities represent the largest minority group seeking employment in today’s marketplace⁷, they are often not considered an integral part of general employment programs and corporate diversity. Many people with disabilities lack opportunities to use their skills in the workplace because of incorrect assumptions about their work-related abilities or their desire for challenging careers. Due to the ongoing national issue of high unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities, Kessler Foundation’s Center for Grantmaking funds a broad range of initiatives aimed at expanding job opportunities for people with disabilities. Under the leadership of Elaine E. Katz, MS, SLP-CCC, senior vice president of grants and communications.

The Foundation has invested more than $50 million in organizations that work to create job opportunities through development, placement, employer education, partnerships, and social enterprise. This innovative grantmaking is enabling people with disabilities to overcome obstacles to the workplace and meet the needs of American businesses. Since major funding was initiated in 2005, the Foundation has achieved a reputation in the disability community as a knowledgeable resource for best practices in employment options. The Center offers several types of grants:

Signature Employment Grants are awarded nationally to fund new pilot initiatives, demonstration projects, or social ventures that lead to a generation of new ideas to solve the high unemployment and underemployment of individuals with disabilities.

Community Employment Grants enable New Jersey organizations to support, train and place people with disabilities in competitive-integrated-employment.

Special Initiative Grants are awarded for New Jersey projects or programs run by organizations that operate within the broad spectrum of disabilities in the state.

Foundation-Directed Grants provide funding for projects targeting unemployment and other disability issues identified by the Foundation and collaborating agencies and are characterized by active involvement of Foundation staff. Length and dollar amount vary depending on the project funded.

Donor Support

Support from generous individuals and civic-minded organizations spur advances in rehabilitation through innovative research at Kessler Foundation. Because of overwhelming generosity from our community, the Foundation has the capacity to change more lives than ever before. New strides in translating research advances into clinical care at the Foundation’s Research Centers are made possible by our donors.

Books

Kessler, Dr. Henry H. (1970) Disability - Determination and Evaluation. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger

Kessler, Dr. Henry H. (1968) The Knife is Not Enough. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Kessler, Dr. Henry H. (1950) The Principles and Practices of Rehabilitation. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger.

Henry H. Kessler, Papers, 1913 – 1980, New Jersey Medical History Archives and Manuscript Collections, Rutgers University Libraries (libraries.rutgers.edu/health-sciences/visit-study/special-collections-history-medicine/new-jersey-medical-history-collections).

External links

• - Kessler Foundation
• - Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
• - Kessler Foundation Learning Center