He is board certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and he specializes in ALS and neuromuscular disorders.

Dr. Shefner’s research focuses on biomarker development and the clinical therapeutics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy. He co-founded the Northeast ALS Clinical Trials Consortium (NEALS), the largest and most active consortium in the world dedicated to ALS. He continues to direct the NEALS outcomes and clinical monitoring cores and is currently the principal investigator for two multicenter clinical trials, as well as a biomarker study evaluating the effectiveness of electrical impedance myography in measuring ALS disease progression.