Our Institute enters 2026 with strong momentum. Last year, our faculty, trainees, clinician-researchers, and collaborators published 48 peer-reviewed papers and delivered over 60 scientific presentations worldwide, advancing neurorehabilitation research from basic mechanisms to clinical trials. Our intellectual community thrives through visiting scholars, Scientists in Residence, and robust postdoctoral training. We are proud that our research assistants and postdocs advance to graduate programs and faculty positions nationally and internationally.
In 2025 we welcomed faculty member Andrew Persichetti, PhD, from the NIH Intramural Research Program, whose neuroimaging expertise strengthens our work in cognition, language, and communication while growing our research core infrastructure. We continue to win and renew competitive federal grants, and our funding portfolio now includes the National Science Foundation, highlighting our leadership in both translational and clinically applied research.
Innovation remains a hallmark across our Centers and Programs: new psychosocial interventions in aphasia, continued national leadership in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System, expansion of the Klein Family Parkinson's Center, and 25 years of patient engagement through our Research Registry. These efforts, grounded in clinical–research integration, support Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation—Elkins Park's recognition among the nation's top rehabilitation hospitals.
Looking ahead, we are expanding research integration across Jefferson Health, including Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Center City and Riverfront locations, while deepening collaborations across Thomas Jefferson University and affiliated Global Centers. These partnerships, together with growing engagement with the Office of Innovation, position us to extend the real-world impact of our science. As we develop enhanced data science capabilities, we see tremendous opportunities in AI for healthcare and research.
I am grateful to our dedicated staff, collaborators, and donors whose support makes this work possible. I look forward to the discoveries we will achieve together in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Dylan J. Edwards, PhD
Nancy Wachtel Shrier Director, Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute
Professor, Rehabilitation Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University