Kirsch, Robert, PhD

With over 30 years at the Cleveland FES Center, Dr. Robert Kirsch is internationally recognized for his expertise in functional electrical stimulation, brain-computer interfaces, and the restoration of arm and hand function in individuals with high cervical spinal cord injury.

Since he joined the FES Center in 1993, Dr. Kirsch’s primary research area has been the restoration of arm function in individuals with paralysis resulting from cervical spinal cord injury, primarily through the use of FNS. He contributed to the landmark 2017 Lancet proof-of-concept demonstration of brain-controlled muscle stimulation in a person with tetraplegia and has led or co-led the ReHAB Study, one of the most significant ongoing BCI-FES programs in the world.

As Executive Director of the FES Center since 2012, Dr. Kirsch has overseen a diverse team of approximately 75 investigators developing device-based interventions across spinal cord injury, stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, amputation, chronic pain, and autonomic disorders. He has graduated 19 PhD and 12 MS trainees, mentored 6 post-doctoral students, and has directed or been involved with over $35M in research funding from NIH, DoD, DARPA, and the VA.

For more information, visit BrainGate

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

• Brain-computer interfaces for restoration of arm and hand function in high cervical SCI
• Functional electrical stimulation systems for upper extremity paralysis
• EMG-based naturalistic control of FES systems and advanced prostheses
• Musculoskeletal modeling of the human arm for rehabilitation intervention design
• Peripheral nerve cuff electrode development and clinical translation
• Determining the three dimensional stiffness properties of the arm

MAJOR PROJECTS & FUNDING

• ReHAB Study, PI/co-PI on landmark multi-center BCI-FES study restoring volitional arm movement in tetraplegia, published in Lancet (2017) and Neurosurgery (2024)
• 25+ years of NIH, VA, and DoD-Funded Research, Restoration of arm function using FES, developing musculoskeletal models, nerve cuff electrodes, and closed-loop control systems
• Integrated Engineering and Rehabilitation T32 Training Grant — Director/PI since 2009, training 6 PhD students per year

HONORS & RECOGNITION

• • Paul B. Magnuson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rehabilitation Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025
  • Faculty Distinguished Research Award, Case Western Reserve University, 2023
  • Allen H. and Constance T. Ford Endowed Professorship, Case Western Reserve University, 2012