In this article, the author profiles Dr. Jack Kessler, chair of the Department of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Jack Kessler is a renowned stem cell expert and researcher. For years, Dr. Kessler had been researching ways to repair damage to the nervous system. It was not until his own daughter became paralyzed during a skiing accident and injured her spinal cord that he vowed to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Dr. Kessler, 61, and his graduate students are now working to develop techniques to treat spinal cord injury and stroke with embryonic stem cells, which can multiply and become virtually any kind of tissue. Specifically, the researchers are using stem cells to create a bridge for signals to travel through the damaged spinal cord. Deliberately low-key before his daughter's accident, Dr. Kessler has become an outspoken advocate, testifying before Congress and, whenever possible, educating the public about the science behind this highly controversial topic. After his daughter's accident, Dr. Kessler has devoted himself to restoring mobility to those with varying degrees of paralysis. Kessler's crusade for a cure continues to draw attention but his daughter is the real role model.