Gail Forrest, PhD, directs the Neural Plasticity Laboratory within Kessler Foundation's Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, where she is director. The Lab team collaborates with more than 30 internal and external partners, from neuroscientists and engineers to surgeons and cardiologists, to investigate the effects of transcutaneous and epidural spinal stimulation and brain stimulation on gains in motor control and function, as well as secondary complications, in individuals paralyzed by spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury disrupts motor and sensory pathways, as well as the autonomic nervous system that controls heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, balance, bowel and bladder function, and sexual health. The team aims to address secondary issues affecting sensory, motor, and autonomic functions that individuals with SCI often experience. Researchers review how advanced technologies, such as bilateral magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, muscle biopsies, and electromyography, are used to assess outcomes, with the aim of understanding how stimulation of the brain and spinal cord influences recovery.

Future directions include improving understanding of the underlying mechanisms, further optimizing stimulation parameters, coordinating the multisystem effects of neuromodulation, and enhancing knowledge of its benefits and limitations.

Tim and Caroline Reynolds / The Reynolds Foundation
Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Department of Defense
Joseph and Cheryl Marino Family Foundation
The Carson Family Charitable Trust