West Haven, Connecticut––Paul J. Tobin, president and CEO of United Spinal Association (www.unitedspinal.org), presented a donation of $153,000 to Yale University Medical School’s Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. This donation will support groundbreaking research into therapies that will restore and preserve function in individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D).

Led by a dedicated staff of approximately 50 researchers and scientists from around the world, the Yale Center has been on the forefront of cutting-edge research throughout its history and has numerous “firsts” in understanding the mechanisms behind SCI/D. These include the first demonstration that cell transplantation can enhance nerve impulse conduction in the injured spinal cord; the first demonstration of the molecular basis for remission in multiple sclerosis (MS); the first demonstration of the molecular basis for pain after SCI; and the first demonstration that bone marrow stem cells––introduced intravenously––can protect the injured brain and spinal cord.

“The Yale Center was, at least in part, the brainchild of United Spinal’s former Executive Director Jim Peters, who worked with the Center’s Director Dr. Stephen Waxman. They championed this through the bureaucracy and put this facility on the map––pulling together the political will to make it happen,” Tobin said. “United Spinal is honored to support Dr. Waxman and his talented team and we are hopeful that the extraordinary research being conducted here will continue to make an impact on the treatment, and ultimately the cure, of spinal cord injuries and disorders.”

Waxman (left in photo with Mr. Tobin), discussed how United Spinal’s support has an immense impact on new SCI/D research initiatives and opens the door to many more opportunities for funding. “Discretionary dollars allow us to move quickly. They let us test that new hypothesis that the National Institutes of Health and the VA are never going to consider. You do the initial experiments; sometimes it doesn’t work. Regardless of the outcome, you learn something, and if it does work, then you can apply for a grant and multiply those dollars twenty-fold. So each discretionary/private dollar is equivalent to twenty dollars with restrictions,” Waxman explains.

“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with United Spinal Association. It propels us financially and we really do share the same goals. We also get a gift of focus and mission because United Spinal not only gives dollars, but wants to know where those dollars a going,” Waxman added.

Located on the grounds of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in West Haven, Connecticut, the Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research was created as a collaborative effort of United Spinal Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Yale University School of Medicine, and the VA.

United Spinal has contributed over $8 million to the Center since its founding in 1986.

For more information on the Yale University Medical School’s Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, please visit www.med.yale.edu/neurol/pva-epvacenter/edu/research.html.