The SCSCIRF has approved funding to develop the State of South Carolina Center for Interdisciplinary Spinal Cord Injury Research (CISCIR). The center will be housed at MUSC and will be under the leadership of Dr. James Krause (Director) and Dr. Mark Kindy (Associate Director), each of whom serve in similar capacities with the SCSCIRF. The goal of the center will be to bridge the gap between basic and applied research and serve as a foundation to facilitate interdisciplinary research that will lead to increased federal funding, greater notoriety to the state of South Carolina as a leader in SCI research, and lead to discoveries that enhance the quality of life of the people with SCI.

Without question, the most significant trend in biomedical research is the focus on interdisciplinary research that bridges the gap between basic laboratory studies and applications and applications in medical settings. In fact, the National Institutes for Health (NIH) Roadmap calls for the development of integrated interdisciplinary research teams that rely on the analytical strengths of two or more often disparate scientific disciplines to solve a given biological problem. The ultimate goal of interdisciplinary research is to take bench research to the bedside.

With respect to SCI, interdisciplinary research holds promise for identifying long-term interventions to enhance function, such as those that are currently the focus of basic laboratory research on stem cells, as well as the more immediate problems faced by people with SCI, such as pain related to type of mobility. Each step towards successful interventions will increase the need for rehabilitation, rather than diminish it, necessitating that researchers and clinicians work more closely together. Furthermore, clinical research on issues related to ambulation, pain, preservation of bone mass, cardiovascular fitness, and adaptation to change are not only of great importance to those currently living with SCI, but will be essential in the application of interventions to enhance function. Despite the tremendous focus on interdisciplinary research and the potential of this research to address the issues faced by people with SCI, few interdisciplinary research programs have been developed nationally.

The mission of this Center is to facilitate interdisciplinary research in SCI in the state of South Carolina by virtue of enhancing the core capacity of researchers to perform interdisciplinary research, providing leadership to guide research efforts, and pulling together resources from existing entities.

The objectives will be to:

Facilitate the overall mission of the SCSCIRF by virtue of concentrating funds to build infrastructure and capacity of SCI research within the state,

Serve as a resource to help recruit new faculty and to promote their research,

Increase the amount of federal funding brought into the state of South Carolina by virtue of having an organized Center and associated resources that enhance the competitiveness of SCI grant applications,

Enhance the reputation and visibility of SCI research in the state of South Carolina

Promote better outcomes for people with SCI by virtue of performing the highest quality research that integrates animal/basic science research with applied research to promote optimal interventions for people with SCI, including those that address secondary conditions and other problems currently faced by people with SCI.

We will post updates of progress of the center on the SCSCIRF website. If you have comments, please send them to either Dr. James Krause (Krause@musc.edu) or Dr. Mark Kindy (kindyms@musc.edu)

Dr. Mark Kindy, Dr. James Krause and Dr. Tasos Karakostas discuss interdisciplinary research opportunities

Dr. David Morrisette, physical therapy faculty and Dr. Michael Saladin, clinical psychology research faculty enjoy a collaborative moment.

Dr. Krause addresses interdisciplinary research group participants at a recent meeting.