Robert Kirsch

Robert Kirsch, PhD, is the Allen H. and Constance T. Ford Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University's Case School of Engineering. He also serves as Executive Director of the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center and leads VA Rehabilitation Research's Functional Electrical Stimulation Center. His work focuses on restoring limb function using neural interfaces, functional electrical stimulation (FES), and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), particularly for individuals with spinal cord injuries or neurological disorders.

• Education:
  • BS in Electrical Engineering, University of Cincinnati (1982)
  • MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University (1986)
  • Postdoctoral research at McGill University
• Research Interests:
  • Neural control of movement restoration
  • BCI and FES integration for prosthetics
  • Advanced feedback control algorithms
  • Implantable medical devices for neural recording
• Awards:
  • Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
• Grants & Leadership:
  • Principal Investigator of Case-Coulter Translational Research Partnership
  • Director of NIBIB T32 Training Grant
  • Chair of the National BME Council of Chairs (2017)
• Labs & Teams: Leads the Functional Electrical Stimulation Center and collaborates on NIH-, VA-, and foundation-funded projects.