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The Spinal Cord Injury + Physical Activity program of research is concerned with understanding the effects of exercise on recovery, health and well-being after spinal cord injury. Multi-centre randomised controlled clinical trials will examine the effectiveness of very early intervention for the lower limbs, task-specific training for the arm and hand, and an intensive activity-based therapy program for the whole body including the paralysed limbs. A Certificate Training Program to improve the knowledge and confidence of fitness instructors in the community regarding exercise for people with spinal cord injury will also be designed and evaluated.

The program will be evaluated using a comprehensive suite of outcome measures, including neurophysiological and functional assessments to examine the effects on multiple systems (neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular), as well as quality of life, and measures of community participation. Economic analyses will be conducted to evaluate cost-effectiveness.

ICORD Director Dr. John Steeves with former Research Associate Dr. Gordon Hiebert in the late 1990s.

History - ICORD (Collaboration On Repair Discoveries) was founded in 1995 by Dr. John Steeves with the support of Rick Hansen and then-UBC President Dr. David Strangway. That year, the Rick Hansen Man-in-Motion Chair in Spinal Cord Research was created, and a search was initiated for the first chair holder. Dr. Wolfram Tetzlaff was the successful candidate, and he joined Dr. Steeves and a small group of UBC / VCH researchers with an interest in spinal cord injury (SCI) known as CORD. Membership in CORD grew steadily, with 15 members in 2000.

In 2002, Dr. Steeves and his CORD colleagues were awarded a Canada Foundation for Innovation infrastructure award of $12.8 million. The CFI award was matched by the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund, and additional funding was pledged by UBC, Vancouver Coastal Health and the Rick Hansen Foundation to provide for the construction of a dedicated SCI research centre.

CORD’s vision and mandate became much broader than a regional research centre, and the research group was renamed ICORD–with the “I” standing for “international”.

ICORD’s administrative office and some basic science research labs were located in the Biosciences Building at the UBC Point Grey Campus. Other ICORD researchers were based at more than twenty different locations in Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island (in other buildings at the UBC campus, at the VGH campus, at BCIT, SFU, UVIC).

CAMRA (Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research Australia) works at advocating the importance of stem cell research in Australia.

Patient Group CAMRA Encouraged By Senate Stem Cell Result

The reports of the Lockhart Review stem cell inquiry.

UK scientist urges importance of regenerative medicine and stem cell research in Australia

International Campaign for Cures of Spinal Cord Injury (ICCP)

A group of private foundations with similar aims came together in 1997 to form the International Campaign for Cures of Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis. ICCP members fund SCI research around the world, principally in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.

ICCP membership is (*founding member)

• CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust
• *Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
• Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
• French Institute for Spinal Cord Research (Institut Pour la Recherche sur la Moelle Epiniere)
• International Foundation for Research in Paraplegia
• Japan Spinal Cord Foundation
• *Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
• *Paralyzed Veterans of America
• *Rick Hansen Man In Motion Foundation
• *SpinalCure Australia
• Neil Sachse Foundation
• *Spinal Research
• Wings for Life

CareCure Community

SCI Cure - Therapies that restore function in spinal cord injury and related conditions. The Cure Forum contains comprehensive and up-to-date news on curing spinal cord injury.

International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries

The Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence research team is pleased to provide a free link to a systematic review of 20 different topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitation. This project was produced by over 42 faculty and clinicians.