Spinal Research have recently announced the launch of SPARC, the Spinal Cord Injury Research Collaborative, the leading network driving spinal cord injury research in the UK.
At SPARC, researchers, clinicians, and advocates come will together to push the boundaries of innovation and support the development of ground-breaking treatments. This collaborative approach aims to cultivate partnerships that facilitate the exchange of knowledge, resources, and expertise, propelling research into impactful clinical breakthroughs.
It aims to catalyse and coordinate research activity and create a world class clinical trials network testing potential new treatments and therapies for those paralysed after a spinal cord injury.
As part of its three-year funded partnership with the RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF), which supports players who are catastrophically injured while playing rugby union in England, the initiative will be supported by a new Clinical Research Network Manager who will establish the formal structures needed to drive projects forward.
The partnership with the IPF also enables investment into neuromodulation (electrical stimulation) studies with the aim to bring meaningful change to the standard of care in both hospital and community settings.
Vision, Mission, and Purpose
Vision: Leading advancements in clinical research to pave the way for personalized care and treatment for individuals with spinal cord injury.
Mission: Fostering collaboration to share knowledge, resources, and expertise, accelerating the translation of research into meaningful advancements in the care and treatment of spinal cord injuries.
Purpose: Driving clinical research excellence to revolutionize care, leading to advancements that restore independence, mobility, and overall quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injury.
Dr Ram Hariharan, a spinal injuries consultant at the Princess Royal spinal injuries centre in Sheffield, has been coordinating network activities in recent years and is CRN Chair. He said: “There has been a real lack of collaborative research in this area in the UK.
“With a formal research network in place, we hope to raise awareness and increase collaboration – not only between the 12 Spinal Injury Centres but also Trauma Centres, academics, researchers, and most importantly, those living with spinal cord injuries.
“The aim is to create a platform which will make it much easier and attractive to do, and participate in, quality research in the UK as well as contributing to multi-centre studies nationally and then internationally.
“Thanks to the support from Spinal Research, my hope is there’ll be more collaborative work between academic researchers and all SCI rehabilitation centres nationally and internationally and that we’ll be able to generate more evidence-based data from the UK.”
SPARC aims to drive clinical research excellence and transform the lives of those affected by spinal cord injuries. For more details visit Spinal Research (spinal-research.org)
