Jason and Matthew speak with Samuel Stupp, a Professor of Materials Science, Chemistry, Medicine, and Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. You may remember reading about Dr. Stupp late last year when news about his ‘dancing molecules’ used in a preclinical model of acute spinal cord injury circulated widely. We discuss Dr. Stupp’s discoveries, his commitment to researching and delivering a therapeutic for SCI and this area of study typically outside of the SCI world.

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Samuel Stupp is Board of Trustees Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine, and Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. He also directs Northwestern’s Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology and the Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science, an Energy Frontiers Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Stupp’s interdisciplinary research is focused on developing self-assembling supramolecular nanostructures and materials for functions relevant to renewable energy, regenerative medicine, and robotic soft matter. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Spanish Academy, and the National Academy of Inventors. His awards include the Department of Energy Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Materials Chemistry, the Materials Research Society Medal Award, the International Award from The Society of Polymer Science in Japan, the Royal Society Award in Soft Matter and Biophysical Chemistry, and three national awards from the American Chemical Society: the ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry, the Ronald Breslow Award for Achievement in Biomimetic Chemistry, and the Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry.


Feedback: curecast@u2fp.org
Bumper Music: Patience by Freaque (SCI musician)

CureCast Episode 60 Samuel Stupp

Jason and Matthew talk with Samantha Troyer, an SCI peer mentor in Wisconsin who joined up with U2FP’s Cure Advocacy Network (CAN) to become a legislative advocate there. Sam is joined by our CAN Manager, Jake Beckstrom. We talk about the current effort to pass an SCI research funding Bill in Wisconsin, its attendant ups and downs, unique challenges, the perseverance required for this work, and the power of our shared SCI story.

We wanted to give you an inside look at our advocacy efforts, in a state where we have a bill in play right now. This work to pass SCI funding at the state level is difficult and satisfying, as you’ll hear. These SCI research funding bills are especially unique in that they require our community’s voice at the table where funding decisions are made. And right now, we need your voice more than ever in Wisconsin. Consider writing a letter of support for our bill, or showing up in person at the Wisconsin capital to testify (more info here: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/our-voice.html/article/2022/03/17/can-i-get-a-witness-). Let’s help our advocates in Wisconsin get this thing done.
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Samantha Troyer is a grateful to have survived a deadly car accident 15 years ago, even though she came back a quadriplegic. After her spinal cord injury (C1/2) and rehab at the Froedtert Medical College of Wisconsin, Sam decided to become an SCI peer mentor there. Sam wanted to help share the strength she learned from surviving trauma on to others who have suffered an SCI. This work as an SCI peer mentor motivated Sam to find more ways to advocate for a better future for members of the SCI Community - which is why she joined U2FP’s Wisconsin CAN in their push to pass an SCI research funding bill there. Working to improve the quality of life for herself and others with an SCI maximizes her gratitude for life and minimizes the pain I endure daily. Sam knows that some people view a quadriplegic brimming with gratitude as ‘weird’, but that’s ok. Heck, she thinks it’s awesome she’s sometimes seen as weird. Sam believes she was born weird and that she is doing what she was meant to do.

IG @midcoast_shutterbug

Jake Beckstrom is from Watertown, Minnesota. At the age of 16, Jake had a diving accident in a backyard pool and sustained a C4-6 spinal cord injury. A lifelong love of hunting, fishing, and the outdoors led him to pursue a path of environmental sustainability. He received a B.S. in Environmental Science at Southwest Minnesota State University, and in 2015, he received a law degree and master's degree in Environmental Law and Policy at Vermont Law School. Jake is eager to use his experience in public policy and advocacy to work with the Cure Advocacy Network to lobby for smarter spinal cord injury research funding and find a cure for paralysis.

Badgering Wisconsin for a Cure Epsiode 61

Jason and Matthew interview Dr. Uzma Samadani, a neurosurgeon working in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Samadani participated in the EStand trial (https://www.estand.org/) along with David Darrow, Ann Parr and Taye Nettoff. We decided to interview Dr. Samadani based on her experience of implanting epidural stimulators in people with SCI -  as part of her clinical practice - instead of the current approach, which is to limit access to only those enrolled in a relevant clinical trial. We talk about her process for making this decision and its attendant complexities, as well as her experience with the EStand trial.

We encourage you to listen back to our interviews with spinal stimulation researchers:
- David Darrow (Episode 30)
- Susan Harkema (Episode 41)
- Gregoire Courtine (Episode 44)
- Jason Carmel (Episode 45)
- Chet Moritz (Episode 13)
- Andre Krossioukov (Episode 26)
- Mayo Clinic researchers Kendall Lee, Kristin Zhao and Igor Lavrov (Episode 11) 

Revisiting these conversations will give you better context and a broader understanding of today’s discussion with Dr. Samadani and its implications. 

Also, please listen to the interview we conducted with SCI community members, Kathy Allen and Sandra Mulder (Episode 31), both participants in the EStand Trial.

Lastly, check out our upcoming Science and Advocacy Symposium (register here) which will feature spinal stimulation presentations from Drs. Reggie Edgerton, Susan Harkema and David Darrow.

The Doctor Will See You Now (Episode 63)

Matthew and Jason talk with Ann Van de Winckel, a researcher and physical therapist at the University of Minnesota, Medical School, who is doing fascinating work to help restore body awareness below the level of injury - yes, you read that right - using cognitive multisensory rehabilitation (CMR). Dr. Van de Winckel’s work is showing reductions in neuropathic pain, sensation and motor recovery with people who’ve suffered from spinal cord injury. This discussion spans Ann’s unique blending of Eastern and Western medical strategies, how her current research is developing, and the opportunities for combining CMR with other interventions to gain functional recovery for those with SCI.

- Watch Dr. Van de Winckel’s presentation on neuropathic pain relief from our 2021 Symposium here: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/annual-symposium/video-library/2021-presentations-2.html
- Find more information on her research and check on upcoming research trials here: med.umn.edu/bio/physical-rehab-main/ann-van%20de%20winckel

Guest Bio
Ann Van de Winckel is Assistant Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and in the Division of Rehabilitation Science, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Medical School, University of Minnesota. She is the Director of the Brain Body Mind Laboratory. Her research focus is to investigate brain mechanisms of how mind and body approaches may work to improve daily life of people with chronic conditions and chronic pain. She has 22 years of experience in body awareness-related brain imaging research and research about the mechanisms of Cognitive Multisensory Rehabilitation, which is a physical therapy approach that focuses on recalibrating body awareness in adults with neurological conditions and/or with chronic pain. More recently, her research has been geared towards implementing body awareness-related interventions in clinical trials and in brain research in adults with low back pain, in adults with spinal cord injury and in adults with spinal cord injury-related neuropathic pain.

The Mind-Body Connection (Episode 68)

Jason and Matthew interview Jim Harris, a wilderness photographer who was injured in 2014. Jim was recently featured in Outside Magazine regarding his experience with psilocybin and its connection to some restored mobility. This conversation is a follow-up to our previous podcast with Dr. Jessica Nielson on the potential use of psilocybin after SCI. However, in this episode, we specifically focus on one of our community member's direct experience with exploring the use of psychedelics and his advocacy to decriminalize their use in Colorado.  

Guest Bio
Before sustaining a spine injury at the end of 2014, Jim Harris made his living from hard days in the mountains. Following six years of teaching wilderness mountaineering courses, Jim began shooting photos, video, and writing for clients like National Geographic, Camp 4 Collective, Powder Magazine, and outdoor brands. His work reflects a deep firsthand expertise of wilderness travel and DIY adventure. Since being paralyzed, Jim has pushed towards a remarkable recovery and is finding fresh opportunities to be involved in adventure storytelling.

More Resources
- Jim Harris' Website: https://perpetualweekend.com/
- Check out this survey on psychedelics and spasticity from the Miami Project: https://umiami.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2lf8kbdV7ogHxjg

Psilocybin & SCI: Thinking Outside the Box (Episode 70)

We’re continuing our conversation around spinal cord stimulation in part 2 of this multi-episode series with Sam Maddox, a long-time SCI science writer and U2FP’s Scientific Advisory Board Director. Today we’re going to focus on what’s happening currently with some spinal stimulation researchers, what clinical outcomes they are targeting, how they are connected to each other and how their approaches differ. 

Additionally, you’ll hear Matthew and Sam share the insight they gained from their time at a recent neuromodulation conference, The Moving Beyond Isolated Systems Symposium. This symposium was the first-ever multi-disciplinary, multi-generational gathering of the international e-stim field, organized by Susan Harkema and David Magnuson of the University of Louisville. (You can read the in-depth write-up Sam produced on this event in the More Resources section below.) 

We hope this series on spinal stimulation provides a mix of basic and higher level concepts, as well as addressing the big questions that are still on the table. We’re always trying to make these conversations better and the only way that we can do that is with your feedback. Share your thoughts by emailing us at curecast@u2fp.org.

Find more resources, including related scientific studies and past conversations we've had with researchers studying spinal stimulation, go here: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-72.html

Episode 72: Spinal Stimulation 101 (part 2)

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

Community Research Priorities (Episode 85)

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

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Episode 86)

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

NervGen's Clinical Trial (Episode 92)

Today we are talking to V. Reggie Edgerton, a Professor Emeritus of Nuerobiology at UCLA and co-founder of the spinal stimulation company, SpineX. Reggie Edgerton is a giant in the field of neuromodulation. Some have called him the father of spinal stimulation, and his influence can be found in...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-101.html

Father of Stim (Episode 101)

Today's episode is my conversation with Dave Marver, the CEO of ONWARD. No doubt you've heard of ONWARD. We discuss the recent news about their transcutaneous stimulation device and their effort to gain regulatory approval, along with the results from their Uplift TRIAL. You'll find links to the trial and related articles on our website to help understand what that is. 

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-105.html

ONWARD to Recovery - Episode 105

This is the first in a two-part series covering the role of stem cells in spinal cord injury with Dr. Alina Garbuzov.  Along with the experience she brings as a person living with an SCI, Alina is a researcher, working in the Mark Tuszynski Lab at the Center for Neural Repair at the University of California, San Diego. Today's conversation is part one, where we introduce Alina and learn about her...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-112.html

Surfing for Stem Cells (Episode 112)

We’re back with round two of stem cells and their application to Spinal Cord Injury, with our tour guide, Alina Garbuzov. In this episode, we wrap up our overview of stem cell types, sources and potential uses in spinal cord injury. We also field some listener questions from part 1 and talk about the work that Alina is doing at the Mark Tuszynski Lab at UCSD. We realized after the fact that these two conversations are...

More info:  https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-113.html

Surfing for Stem Cells, Part 2 (Episode 113)

Today we’re talking with Dr. Jacob Goldsmith. Jacob is a research scientist at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Our conversation will explore the interesting relationship between Testosterone and Spinal Cord Injury.  

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-115.html

Mr. T (Episode 115)

Today I’m talking with Jason Biundo. Jason is a lived-experience graduate student at Harvard Medical School. He earned a dual degree in Neuroscience and Biology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. It's worth noting that some of that degree was earned from a hospital bed while recovering from his spinal cord injury at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Beyond this, Jason is a personal friend of ours and U2FP advocate. We begin our conversation exploring...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-116.html


Back to School (Episode 116)

This is our version of a special bulletin. And we are interrupting our regularly scheduled programming with this update on a major setback for SCI research. 
On March 15th, Congress passed a bill which eliminated arguably the most effective Spinal Cord Injury Research program in the world...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-119.html

Collateral Damage (Episode 119)

Welcome back to our final episode in this three-part series about the barriers to progress and the treatment of spinal cord injuries. We’re once again joined by neurosurgeon, researcher and lived experience advocate, Dr. Kent New. In this episode, we finish up our discussion of the many barriers to developing treatments, focusing primarily on regulatory agencies. We then move on to consider potential solutions to the problems we've uncovered in...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-120.html

What's the Holdup? - Part 3 (Episode 120)

On today’s episode, we are re-airing an episode of The Unexpected Journey podcast.  This one is an interview of yours truly.  It focuses on my journey to SCI advocacy after my accident in 2017. We talk about my life before and immediately after my wreck, and why I became active in this effort for more and better research outcomes. I also talk about the mission, passion and initiatives here at U2FP.

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-121.html

Jason's Unexpected Journey (Episode 121)

Today we are re-airing another episode of the Unexpected Journey Podcast. This is such a great, quick little interview with my friend, colleague and Development Director at U2FP, Quinn Brett.  In this episode...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-122.html

Quinn's Unexpected Journey - CureCast Episode 122

Today’s guest is Dr. Chet Moritz. Chet is the CJ and Elizabeth Hwang endowed professor in the departments Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rehabilitation Medicine and Neurobiology & Biophysics at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. He also serves as the Co-director for the Center for Neurotechnology. Chet’s work in Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation (TSS) heavily contributed to the Onward Medical Arc-EX device which recently gained FDA approval.

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-123.html

Stimulating ONWARD (Episode 123)

Today we are talking about bioinformatics with Dr. Abel Torres Espin. Abel is an Assistant Professor and Director of the health data DRIVEN lab at the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He has worked with...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-125.html

SCI & AI (Episode 125)

Today’s guest is Dr. James Krause. James is a Distinguished University Professor and Director of the Center for Rehabilitation Research in Neurologic Conditions at the Medical University of
South Carolina. Dr. Krause has worked in the field of spinal cord injury throughout his career focusing on research designed to improve health, employment, and participation for people with SCI and other disabilities...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-124.html


Studying SCI (Episode 124)

In this episode, we have another insightful conversation with Dave Marver, CEO of ONWARD Medical. We discuss their FDA cleared transcutaneous stimulation device, the ARC-EX, as well as their other devices in the pipeline. Additionally...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-126.html

ONWARD's ARC-EX (Episode 126)

Today we are talking to Drs. Dimitry Sayenko and Adam Thrasher about their SCI humanitarian project in Tanzania called “Peak to Peak.” Dimitry is an MD, PhD and an associate professor in Neuromodulation and Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Hospital, in Houston, Texas. We interviewed him previously about his work in episode 93, which I encourage you to check out. Adam is a PhD Researcher, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Houston, in Houston, TX.

Dimitry and Adam are long time friends and colleagues, and they saw Adam’s sabbatical at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology in Tanzania as an opportunity to 

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-127.html

Peak to Peak (Episode 127)

Today we are having a conversation with Alexander “Sasha” Rabchevsky.  Sasha is many things: a professor, a researcher, a paraplegic, and a U2FP board member. He is also one of the old guard of research advocates. And he is frustrated...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-128.html

Wisdom from the Old Guard (Episode 128)

Today we are talking with Dr. Chase Cornelison, an Assistant Professor in the department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Chase brings his unique perspective as a chemical and biomolecular engineer to the problem of spinal cord injury. The Cornelison lab investigates how...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-129.html


Under Pressure (Episode 129)

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Evan Joiner from Columbia University for a truly fascinating conversation about spinal cord stimulation—but we start somewhere completely unexpected. Before becoming a neurosurgeon, Evan actually began his career as a soap opera actor. Yep, you heard that right. We dive into how that unlikely path led him into medicine, and ultimately, to neurosurgery. Along the way...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-130.html

Playing Cords (Episode 130)

Today we are talking to Mason Branstrator in the first of a two-part series on supporting general wellness while living with a Spinal Cord Injury.  Quinn Brett, U2FP’s Development and fellow wellness pursuer is joining me for the discussion. Mason Branstrator is a dynamic and influential personality in the world of Spinal Cord Injury and his mission is to improve life for our community in any way that he can.  Mason’s social media presence is one platform that he uses to accomplish this goal...

More info: https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-131.html


Be Well (Episode 131)

We talk with David about the EStand Trial using Epidural Stimulation for spinal cord injury, the trial design, progress, next steps, and its connection the Cure Advocacy Network. The informal title of this episode is ‘The Transformation of Suffering’, which is David’s eloquent and personal description of why he’s doing what he does and what he is hoping to accomplish with the trial and treatment of SCI.

CureCast Epsiode 30: An Interview with Dr. David Darrow

Jason and Matthew interview Dr. Susan Harkema, from the University of Louisville. We discuss her long standing research using the strategy of neuromodulation, neuroplasticity and locomotor training to discover and understand the potential for functional recovery after Spinal Cord Injury.

For more information about Dr. Harkema and the full complement of her work and research activities, click here: https://louisville.edu/kscirc/basic-research/faculty-1/susan-harkema

CureCast Episode 41: Dr. Susan Harkema

Unite 2 Fight Paralysis exists to unite and empower the international spinal cord injury community to cure paralysis through advocacy, education, and support for research. Get Educated and Get Involved.

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