Cleveland Researcher Wins James J. Peters Scholar Award from United Spinal
Washington, D.C.––A research scientist at the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is the 2006 recipient of United Spinal Association’s James J. Peters Memorial SCI Scholar Award.
At a ceremony at the Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D) Service in Washington D.C. last month, Chester Ho, MD was awarded $75,000 from United Spinal in support of Ho’s Career Development funding from RR&D. Ho’s research targets skin and bladder problems related to spinal cord injury (SCI). Currently, Ho is studying the use of tiny, implantable devices known as BIONs that employ electrical signals to stimulate nerves with the goal of improving tissue health and preventing pressure sores. Pressure sores are a leading cause of recurrent hospitalization among individuals with SCI.
In addition to his role as principal investigator at the Cleveland FES Center, Ho is a staff physician at the Cleveland VA Medical Center and an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University. He has authored numerous scientific articles and is co-author of a chapter on burn and wound therapy in Comprehensive Aquatic Therapy and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development.
Present at the award ceremony were Dr. Vivian Beyda, associate executive director for research and education at United Spinal; Dr. Joe Francis, acting deputy chief of research and development at the VA; Dr. Robert Ruff, acting director of VA’s rehabilitation research and development service; and Dr. Murray Altose, associate chief of staff for research at the Cleveland VAMC.
The award, originally known as The United Spinal Association Scholar Award, was established in the year 2000 within the Career Scientist Program of VA’s RR&D Service. In 2002 the name of the award was changed to honor the longstanding and significant support for SCI research of United Spinal’s late Executive Director James J. Peters. Since 1977, United Spinal has contributed over $34 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs in direct or indirect support of spinal cord research and education.
Since 2000, six researchers have won the James J. Peters Award, investigating such varied subjects as blood pressure control in SCI; Schwann cell transplantation; pain management; bladder pressure-sensing devices; and the relationship between exercise and glucose intolerance in people with SCI.
The goal of United Spinal’s award program is to encourage SCI clinicians and researchers to pursue an active role in investigating complications and solutions to the consequences of SCI and to improve clinical and research skills.
United Spinal Association provided significant financial support for the PVA-United Spinal Association Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research at Yale University in 1988 and the Association has contributed millions of dollars over the years to finding a cure for spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. United Spinal also provides major annual funding to the Spinal Cord Damage Research Center at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, where investigators study the impact of a spinal cord injury on other critical body systems.