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A Strength-Based Tool to Help Young Adults with Down Syndrome Find Employment

This fully remote study evaluates the effectiveness of our intervention designed to improve job interview skills in young adults with Down syndrome.

Help Reduce Loneliness Among Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of the study is to adapt a loneliness intervention developed for individuals with multiple sclerosis to be utilized by individuals with SCI.

A Strength-Based Tool to Help Autistic Youth and Adults Keep Employment

This fully remote study evaluates the effectiveness of our intervention designed to improve job maintenance skills in youth and adults with autism.

A Remote Walking Study to Support Thinking Skills After Brain Injury

This study is designed to see whether a remote, home‑based walking program can be safely completed by individuals with a history of traumatic brain injury and whether it may help improve thinking and memory. The information learned from this study will help researchers understand if walking‑based exercise programs can be a useful approach to support brain health after injury.

Assistive Soft Skills and Employment Training (ASSET) in Traumatic Brain Injury

This study is investigating whether a 15-week virtual group-training session (ASSET) can enhance the quality of social interaction among adults with TBI.

Autism Parents Online Research Study Opportunity

This fully remote study examines a strength-based parenting program for parents of children on the Autism Spectrum. Participants will attend strength-based coaching sessions and have open discussions with fellow parents.

Identifica cómo el ambiente afecta a tu vida con una lesión de la médula espinal.

Estamos realizando un estudio de investigación remoto para entender el rol que tiene el ambiente de la comunidad en la vida diaria de las personas con una lesión de la médula espinal.

A Strength-Based Tool to Help Autistic Adults Find Employment

This fully remote study evaluates the effectiveness of our intervention designed to improve job interview skills in adults with autism.

Help Develop a New Survey About Spinal Cord Injury and Receiving Personal Assistance

This fully remote study helps design a new survey to explore how receiving personal assistance affects the well-being of people with SCI. Participants will complete questionnaires and attend a 2-hour online focus group during one day.

A Strength-Based Intervention to Improve Job Interview Skills in Young Adults with ADHD

This fully remote study evaluates how effective a strength-based intervention is in improving job interview skills in young adults with ADHD who may have difficulty with job interviews or want to improve these skills.

Evaluation and Impact of Spatial Neglect in TBI

This study examines how prevalent spatial neglect is after a traumatic brain injury and how it may affect their daily lives. People with spatial neglect often pay much more attention to one side of the body while ignoring the other side even though they have no difficulty seeing.

Impact of Transportation Access on Life After Spinal Cord Injury

This fully remote study explores how access to public transportation impacts the lives of people with spinal cord injury. This information will be used to improve existing strategies to meet the needs of public transportation users living with disabilities.

Support Rehabilitation Research
Help move research forward.

Every discovery begins with people. It’s accelerated by those who choose to take part, and donors who choose to act.

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A person seated in a power wheelchair in front of a Kessler Foundation backdrop

FAQs About Joining a Research Study

Rehabilitation research studies are designed to help people with neurological and physical conditions become as independent as possible in everyday activities, restore function and mobility, enhance memory and learning, and improve quality of life.   

First, check out our list of research studies that are now enrolling participants. Once you find a study that interests you, complete the “Join a Study” form found on each study page. Then a member of our research recruitment team will reach out to discuss the study and determine whether you are eligible to participate. 

Our scientists seek to improve memory and learning, mobility, and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological and physical disabilities including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and autism. We also study the role of caregivers who assist individuals with disabilities with daily activities, and we help people return to the workplace after disabling illnesses or injuries. 

We offer a number of tele-studies that can be completed from your home, while others may require you to visit one of two Foundation locations in East Hanover, NJ, or West Orange, NJ. In some cases, we may be able to travel to your home or provide reimbursement for travel to our offices. 

Some studies are completed in one day, while others may need volunteers to be available for follow up from six weeks to more than a year. 

To achieve results that help as many people as possible, participants of all ages and ethnicities are needed in our studies. 

Yes, absolutely! People without disabilities can serve as controls in research studies. Comparing the results between people with and without disabilities helps researchers prove the efficacy of their interventions. 

Participating in our research studies is completely voluntary, and if at any time anyone is uncomfortable or unable to continue the study, they are able to withdraw. 

Most of our studies provide compensation to volunteers for participation. The amount paid varies for every study. Some studies reimburse participants for travel or cover Uber Health or Lyft Concierge rides. 

Each individual has their own motive for participating, but volunteers are vital to the ongoing rehabilitation research at Kessler Foundation. Their assistance helps scientists identify new treatments and interventions that can change the lives of loved ones and others with disabilities and debilitating health conditions. These scientific advances are made possible when people like you volunteer for research. To learn more, read our article “3 Reasons to Join a Research Study.” 

Complete Our Join a Study Form

Tell us a little more about yourself so that our recruitment team can help you enroll in a study that is right for you.

Recruitment Team