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RESEARCH

Although spinal cord injury causes complex damage, a surprising amount of the basic circuitry to control movement and process information can remain intact. This is because the spinal cord is arranged in layers of circuitry. Many of the connections and neuronal cell bodies forming this circuitry above and below the site of injury survive the trauma. An important question to research scientists is how much do these surviving neurons "know"? Can they regenerate and make new, correct connections?

Research points to a multiplicity of possible interventions to promote recovery from a spinal injury. Some would be delivered immediately following the injury; others are less time-specific and involve rebuilding and reconnecting the injured cord. Clearly, both approaches are important: Limiting degeneration will enhance the probability of greater recovery, while stimulating regeneration will build upon the remaining system to restore lost connectivity, and perhaps to prevent further degeneration.

To cure the paralysis and loss of function that spinal cord injuries cause, doctors will need a carefully orchestrated series of interventions. Treatments will begin in the emergency room and continue for months. Even new forms of rehabilitation will be part of the therapeutic package. To speed the day when this regimen is available, the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation supports research on a variety of fronts. Individual grants encourage a multi-disciplinary approach to solving the complex medical problems that result from spinal cord injuries, in both the acute and chronic stage.

RESEARCH FUNDING 2009

Supinder Bedi, PhD, University of Texas Houston – HSC
Effects of Spinal Cord Injury on the Excitability and Growth State of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons. (Concomitant function/pain)

Victoria Elizabeth Claydon, PhD, Simon Fraser University
Cardiovascular consequences of autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury. (Secondary complications)

Martyn D. Goulding, PhD, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Modulation and activation of excitatory spinal interneurons that are necessary for walking movements. (Axon Guidance, Synapse Formation and Neurotransmission)

Soheila Karimi, PhD, The Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute
A combinatorial strategy to optimize neural repair and plasticity after chronic spinal cord injury. (Stem CellsNeural)

Asaf  Keller, PhD, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Thalamic mechanisms of central pain, (Concomitant function/pain)

Andrew Charles Laing, PhD, Simon Fraser University
Biomechanics of spinal cord injuries: the influence of advanced age on injury mechanisms and spinal cord tissue damage.

Hyosang Lee, PhD, California Institute of Technology
The physiological roles of two novel neuronal pathways in acute and persistent pain. (Concomitant function/pain)

Edgar Walters, PhD, University of Texas-Houston HSC
Hyperexcitability of Sensory Neurons Produced by Spinal Cord Injury. (Concomitant FunctionPain)

Zhi Wang, PhD, Tufts University
Repair of Dorsal Root Injuries in the Mammalian Spinal Cord. (Axon guidance, synapse formation and neurotransmission)

American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), Mousumi Ghosh, PhD
Addressing the technical limitations of studying axonal regeneration in a “clinically-relevant” contusive spinal cord injury model through ex vivo 3D ultramicroscopy.

James A. Lenker, PhD, OTR/L, University of Buffalo, State University of New York
Stephen Sprigle, PT, PhD, Georgia Institue of Technology
The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation feels strongly that people who are confined to a wheelchair deserve to have their chair cushion fit properly … it is their lifeline to a healthy life. SSPF agreed to fund a collaborative project between James A. Lenker, PhD, OTR/L of the University of Buffalo, State University of New York and Stephen Sprigle, PT, PhD at Georgia Institute of Technology that addresses the complexity of services provided by suppliers of wheelchair and seating equipment. The goal of the research is to demonstrate the necessity of properly fitted seat cushions in wheelchairs. The ultimate goal of the research is to simplify the funding process for consumers.


PREVIOUS RESEARCH GRANTS BY RESEARCH AREA

Axon Guidance, Synapse Formation and Neutotransmission
Carl W. Cotman, PhD
University of California (Irvine, CA)
Mammalian cns axonal mRN4

Roman J. Giger, PhD
University of Rochester Medical Center (Rochester, NY)
Antagonism of myelin inhibition with a soluble synthetic Nogo receptor

Martyn D. Goulding, PhD
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies (La Jolla, CA)
Modulation and activation of excitatory spinal interneurons that are necessary for walking movements

John H. Martin, PhD
Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./Columbia University (New York, NY)
Electrical stimulation of the corticospinal tract after incomplete spinal cord injury

Zhi Wang, PhD
Tufts University (Medford, MA)
Repair of dorsal root injuries in the mammalian spinal cord

Concomitant Function/Pain

Supinder Bedi, PhD
University of Texas Houston–HSC (Houston, TX)
Effects of spinal cord injury on the excitability and growth state of dorsal root ganglion neurons

Jaimie Borisoff, PhD
Neil Squire Brain Interface Laboratory, University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Sensory substitution for the functional recovery of sexual sensations after SCI.

Kevin Jay Cross, MD
Weill Medical College of Cornell University (New York, NY)
Hypoxia response element (HRE) promoter driven growth factor production for more rapid decubiti pressure sore closure

Asaf Keller, PhD
University of Maryland, Baltimore (Baltimore, MD)
Thalamic mechanisms of central pain

Yih-Kuen Jan, PhD
University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
Effectiveness of local cooling on enhancing tissue tolerance to loading pressure

Hyosang Lee, PhD
California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA)
The physiological roles of two novel neuronal pathways in acute and persistent pain

Changfeng Tai, PhD
University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
Restore continence and micturition after SCI by perigenital electrical stimulation

Edgar Walters, PhD
University of Texas–Houston HSC (Houston, TX)
Hyperexcitability of sensory neurons produced by spinal cord injury

Growth Inhibition

Katerina Akassoglou, Ph.D.
University of California, San Diego (San Diego, CA)
Fibrin depletion as a therapeutic strategy to enhance regeneration in the injured spinal cord

Neuroprotection

Isobel A. Scarisbrick, PhD
Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)
Mechanism of kallikrein mediated neuron injury in human spinal cord trauma

J. Marc Simard, MD, PhD
University of Maryland, Baltimore (Baltimore, MD)
Non-hormonal gender differences in SCI and sulfonylurea therapy

Wee V. Yong, PhD
University of Calgary (Calgary, AB, Canada)
Enhancing neuroprotection and regeneration in spinal cord injury by the combination of minocycline and glatiramer acetate

Other

Andrew Charles Laing, PhD
Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC, Canada)
Biomechanics of spinal cord injuries: The influence of advanced age on injury mechanisms and spinal cord tissue damage

Promotion of Axon Growth and Remyelination

Peter W. Baas, PhD
Drexel University College of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA)
Microtubule-based method for enhancing axonal regeneration after injury

Barbara Bregman, PhD, PT
Georgetown University School of Medicine (Washington, DC)
The synergistic effect of rolipram administration and increased post-injury activity after spinal cord injury

Jonah Chan, PhD
University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Identification of the axonal signals that control oligodendrocyte myelination

Sari S. Hannila, PhD
Hunter College/City University of New York (New York, NY)
Enhancing axonal regeneration by administration of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor

Christopher E. Henderson, PhD
Columbia University (New York, NY)
Mechanism of action of JLK169, a cyclic polyamine that enhances axonal regeneration

Samie R. Jaffrey, MD, PhD
Weill Medical College of Cornell University (New York, NY)
The role of RhoA mRNA translation in models of spinal cord injury

Jon Kaas, PhD
Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)
Recoveries of forelimb use and somatosensory cortex activation in monkeys with and without treatments to promote axon growth after section of forelimb afferents in the spinal cord

Oswald Steward, PhD
University of California, Irvine (Irvine, CA)
Targeting phosphodiesterase isoforms to promote axon regeneration

Jeffery Lewis Twiss, MD, PhD
Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children (Wilmington, DE)
RNA transport in regenerating axons

Rehabilitation

Robert M. Brownstone, MD, PhD
Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS, Canada)
Functional characterization of spinal cord interneurons expressing the homeodomain protein Hb9

Jose M. Carmena, PhD
University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
Delivery of proprioceptive feedback from a brain-controlled prosthesis through cortical microstimulation

Eberhard Erich Fetz, PhD
University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
Cortical control of intraspinal stimulation

Richard Shields, PhD, PT
University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
Neuromusculoskeletal recovery after spinal cord injury

Richard Bernard Stein, PhD
University of Alberta (Edmonton, AB, Canada)
Feedback control of walking after spinal cord injury

Secondary Complications

Victoria Elizabeth Claydon, PhD
Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC, Canada)
Cardiovascular consequences of autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury
Stem Cells

Fanie Barnabé-Heider, PhD
Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden)
Manipulation of endogenous fate-mapped stem cells in the injured spinal cord

Eftekhar Eftekharpour, PhD
Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute (Toronto, ONT, Canada)
Repair of the chronically injured spinal cord: Use of neural stem cell transplantation to promote spinal cord remyelination

Soheila Karimi, PhD
Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute (Toronto, ONT, Canada)
A combinatorial strategy to optimize neural repair and plasticity after chronic spinal cord injury

Larry Scott Sherman, PhD
Oregon National Primate Research Center (Beaverton, OR)
Role of Brg1 in neural stem cell differentiation

Joseph Richard Smith, PhD
University of Cambridge (Cambridge, England, United Kingdom)
Generation of enriched motor neuron cultures from human embryonic stem cells

Jean R. Wrathall, PhD
Georgetown University School of Medicine (Washington, DC)
Endogenous precursor cells in chronic SCI

Mardian Family Fund to Cure Paralysis of the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation

Susan Harkema, PhD
Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center/University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Funding provided for the NeuroRecovery Network

Yih-Luen Jan, PhD
University of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, OK)
Effectiveness of local cooling on enhancing tissue tolerance to loading pressure

Sharon Matheny, PhD
University of Texas/Southwestern Medical School (Dallas, TX)
Molecular mediators on EphA4-induced axon inhibition in the CNS

John McDonald, MD, PhD
Monica Perez, PhD, PT
International Center for Spinal Cord Injury/Kennedy Krieger Institute (Baltimore, MD)
Inter-CPG Communication; harnessing the inherent potential of CPGs for recovery

Oswald Steward, PhD
University of California, Irvine (Irvine, CA)
Targeting phosphodiesterase isoforms to promote axon regeneration

Wise Young, MD, PhD
W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience/The Spinal Cord Injury Project/Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (New Brunswick, NJ)
Funding provided to assistant in the purchase of a dedicated cryostat machine

© 2008 Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation
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