Pharmaceutical & Device Research  

A woman in a blue shirt uses a robotic exoskeleton and a cane to walk in a hallway, assisted by another person standing behind her. Large windows line one side of the hallway.

Helping to make what’s possible a reality

What do you do when there are few treatment options or when standard treatments have been ineffective? Clinical trials offer hope.

Study participants gain access to investigational medications, devices, or procedures before they are available to the public while receiving expert medical care. The information gathered helps determine whether interventions are effective for the intended purposes and are safe. Improving clinical care is dependent on this type of research.

Shepherd Center’s Clinical Trials team advances breakthroughs by evaluating pharmaceuticals and devices that solve problems and improve the lives of individuals with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and related neurological conditions. We focus on research that matters to the people we serve, targeting innovations that can be translated from study to care.

A man using a walker and wearing a robotic exoskeleton stands in a hallway, talking to a woman. Another person sits on the floor nearby, working on a laptop. The scene appears to be in a medical or rehabilitation facility.
A man using a wheelchair works at a desk with a MacBook and a tablet. He holds a stylus and looks at the tablet, appearing focused. The tablet is mounted on his wheelchair, and there is a window in the background.
A person wearing black socks with built-in sensors stands on a wooden floor near yellow-and-black striped tape. The socks show a small green LED light on the side. Only the legs are visible.
Clinical testing of the Indego® robotic walking exoskleton (left); Kenny Oramasionwu uses adaptive computer programs and devices to return to his studies in game design at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta (top right); Sensor-equipped socks track gait and movement patterns to deliver real-time feedback, helping advance precision rehabilitation (bottom right).

Why Shepherd leads in neurological pharmaceutical and device research

  • Population: Research is limited to the neurological patient community we serve.
  • Clinician-led coordination: Coordinators are clinicians, such as nurses, physical therapists, and dietitians who bring both regulatory expertise and clinical experience.
  • Full-service trial management: Single point of contact and attention to every detail, from securing start up to close out and FDA approval process.
  • Translation to care: Research is incorporated into clinical care at the hospital bedside, in the clinics, and treatment gyms.
  • Participant-centered model: Participants are research partners.

Being part of this study has been an overwhelmingly positive experience! Getting the treatment was my objective, but I have also learned about myself and have deeper relationships with my doctor and care team.

Pharmaceutical & Device Study Participant

Areas of breakthrough research

Shepherd’s participation in early trials for MS medications, now seen in TV ads and prescribed globally, is transforming therapy outcomes.

Our team led U.S. trials of this wearable robotic device and has gone a step further to train rehabilitation teams in Europe on its clinical use.

Shepherd’s studies of advanced neuromodulation devices are shaping next-generation therapies for neuropathic pain and movement recovery.

Featured studies

A woman in a white lab coat smiles while holding folders, standing in front of shelves filled with boxes and medical supplies.

Meet the pharma and device research team

Having experienced the frustrations of limited therapies for her children when they were born premature, Issi Clesson’s professional journey through years of nursing to research has facilitated families getting innovative therapies for their own loved ones.

Shepherd is not just a place for excellent care and rehabilitation, but a place where the research is informing and enhancing what is possible.

Issi Clesson, RN, BSN, CIP Director of Clinical Trials, Investigational Drugs & Devices

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