U2FP CureCast

Today’s conversation is a highly anticipated one. For years we’ve been hearing about the groundbreaking work of Jerry Silver to render the injury scar permeable to axon growth. That work led to development of the pharmacologic NVG-291 and the associated company NervGen Pharma. The research has finally advanced to a human SCI clinical trial, led by Monica Perez, PT, PhD, who's today's guest. Dr. Perez is the scientific chair of the Arm and Hands Lab at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern University in Chicago. In this conversation we talk about what led Monica into SCI research, her role as Principal Investigator in this clinical trial, the background and study design of the trial and its current recruitment of participants. More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-92.html

Today we’re talking with Ceren Yarar-Fisher, PhD, PT. Dr. Yarar-Fisher is Vice Chair of Research of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the Dept. of Neuroscience at The Ohio State University. She’s also the director of clinical research at the Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury. In this episode, we start off exploring the unique origins of Ceren’s interest in science and later spinal cord injury. We also talk about her research interest in SCI functional recovery through rehabilitation and nutrition, her role at the multi-disciplinary Belford Center and this year’s inaugural SCI Days at OSU. Ceren’s passion for her work and the creativity that fosters her research questions are evident throughout this discussion. More info here: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-91.html

Our guest today is Meghan Moynihan. Megan is the executive director of the Institute for Functional Restoration, or IFR, a not-for-profit organization based at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The IFR seeks to further functional recovery in spinal cord injury by developing commercial strategies to get that research to market. We discuss Megan's background as a researcher and her unique perspective based on 17 years with the Food and Drug Administration along with her current work as executive director of the IFR. It is an illuminating discussion on the so-called valleys of death that any therapy must survive to make it to the clinic. More info here: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-90.html

Our conversation today is with David McMillan, an assistant professor at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery, and Director of Education and Outreach for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Jason and Julie recorded this interview with David onsite at this year's Science and Advocacy Symposium in Minneapolis, where we had a booth set up. The conversation is more casual than our usual ones and is completely unscripted. David was walking by and Jason pulled him in to chat about his connection to spinal cord injury, the work that he does at the Miami Project and his thoughts on this year’s symposium.

Today’s episode is a bit different. We’re turning the mic towards our own work here at U2FP to let you in on what’s cooking. Jason and Matthew begin by discussing some unique developments with our Team U2FP racers involving extreme heat, adaptive trikes, and a trek along the rim of the Grand Canyon(!). We also discuss U2FP’s upcoming symposium, including how we designed the spinal stim panel, our focus on approaches that combine more than one curative avenue (eg stimulation + stem cells, etc) along with a special CureCast live feature that’s happening. Finally, we talk about U2FP’s growth trajectory and a new position opening up at the organization.

Today we are talking with Yi-Kai Lo and Katie Velez of the SCI research and tech company, Aneuvo. Anuevo has been busy working with investors, the FDA, and multiple research sites to clinically deploy the ExaStim, a novel transcutaneous stimulation device. The goal of their current ASPIRE study is to improve upper limb function. We discuss Dr. Lo’s background in tech and how he was inspired to put that training to use in the field of spinal cord injury. We learn about his drive to pursue challenging projects and his decision to start a business, driven by a passion to bring real functional improvements to the injured population. We’re also joined by Katie Velez, who speaks about her role at Aneuvo to market their device and grow the company. She brings a lot of depth to this conversation, owing to her previous experience working with large tech companies. There’s also some great exchanges around the problems, opportunities and motivations that are reflected by the size of a company. It’s an insightful and in-depth discussion.

The topic of today’s conversation is the Vagus nerve. In Latin, Vagus means wandering or straying, which this conversation does a fair bit of due to the interesting subject matter. Our guide on this path is Dr. Patrick Ganzer of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Dr. Ganzer gives us a great overview of the vagus nerve including its possible evolutionary benefits, early explorations and its unique attributes. More importantly, Dr. Ganzer explains how the vagus nerve can be stimulated to open a window of neuro-plasticity and improve functional outcomes in spinal cord injury. We also talk about his research in phase 1 clinical trials and what is on the horizon. More info here: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-86.html

Today's guest is Dr. Kim Anderson, a friend and a very influential researcher who we have a really great conversation with. We begin with the story of her spinal cord injury along with her early studies and research, and that leads into one of the things she’s known for: her work on patient preference as a result of directly surveying the spinal cord injury community. Finally, we explore how this trajectory in her work influenced the research community going forward. I think you're going to enjoy this conversation. We sure did. More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-85.html

Today, our guest is Louise Phipps Senft. Louise is the mother to a son with an SCI, and founder of Blink of an Eye, a nonprofit organization that is committed to addressing that initial moment when everything changes after a spinal cord injury. A big theme of this conversation is trauma. And one of the things that arises in our dialogue with Louise is how this emotional trauma kind of goes under or undiagnosed – both with the injured person AND with the family and the extended community. Louise is an extraordinary person who will tell us a bit about the story of her family and how they've responded in the aftermath of her son’s SCI. We’ll also talk about her son and where he is now. You can find more information about Blink of an Eye at blinkofaneye.org. More info here: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-84.html

What you are about to hear is one of the richest conversations we’ve ever had on the show. Our guests today are Gabriel Rodreick (Matthew’s son) and Julie Censullo (CureCast producer) who are here to discuss an audio-art project they created together called “Life Begins in the Stillness” - which we play at the top of the episode. We then dive into their relationship with spinal cord injury, with each other, with art and with the creative process. This conversation goes deep into the ripple effects of SCI beyond the injured individual; how it slams headlong into our families and friends; and how Gabe’s injury propelled Matthew to join the work of cure advocacy and the pros and cons of that decision. You’ll also hear one of the best discussions I’ve heard on the topic of inspiration and what is meant by “inspiration porn” in the SCI community. As we open with Julie and Gabe’s 7 minute work, Life Begins in the Stillness, I suggest you find a place where you can be still. Then close your eyes and pay attention to how the sounds and thoughts interact with your body and being. More info here: u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-83.html