NYS Spinal Cord Injury Research Board Begins Mission To Find Cure
NYS Spinal Cord Injury Research Board Begins Mission To Find Cure
NYS Spinal Cord Research Trust Fund to Support an estimated $8.5 Million in Research
Photo Opportunity: Christopher Reeve, NYS Health, Commissioner Antonia Novello, and Robert Griggs, Chair of NYS SPI Research Board, 1:15 p.m. Room 301, 5 Penn Plaza, NYC.New York, August 16, 1999 – A group of New York State's leading experts on spinal cord injuries, including actor and activist Christopher Reeve, will begin its legislative mission to find a cure for spinal cord damage this Monday when it convenes for the first time at the New York State Health Department offices at 5 Penn Plaza, Manhattan from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. The Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Research Board and the Spinal Cord Research Trust Fund were established by legislation enacted by Governor Pataki last year to assist top researchers in their ongoing efforts to find a cure for spinal cord injury paralysis.
"The SCI Research Board gives New York a very real and growing hope that someday we can move beyond the basic rehabilitation and therapy of spinal cord damage –– and find a cure that will improve the quality of life for the estimated 200,000 Americans coping courageously with paralysis," says New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Antonia C. Novello. "New York is very fortunate to have such an outstanding team of individuals serving on The SCI Research Board. Together we will accomplish great things and I'm confident that their input will lead the way to groundbreaking research conducive to finding a cure."
The SCI Research Board comprises top scientists, physicians and other experts dedicated to spinal cord research and is chaired by Dr. Robert C. Griggs of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Also serving on the board are Christopher Reeve, actor, activist and Chairman of the Board of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, and retired New York state Police Sergeant Paul Richter, both prime movers behind the spinal cord legislation which became effective January 1, 1999.
"I am pleased to serve on a Board that can potentially hasten the quality and pace of spinal cord research currently being conducted in New York State," said Christopher Reeve. "All of us in the spinal cord community, patients and researchers alike, are deeply grateful to the New York State Legislature and Governor Pataki for establishing the Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust Fund," said Reeve.
"I am honored to serve on this prestigious Board which has the challenging and momentous task of advancing the quest for a cure," said retired State Police Zone Sgt. Paul A. Richter, who was shot and paralyzed from the neck down while on duty in 1973 and who is a volunteer for the Spinal Cord Society. "The vision exhibited by Governor Pataki and the New York State Legislature by enacting this focused legislation, will accelerate the search for a cure of the devastating paralysis caused by spinal cord injury."
The Spinal Cord Research Trust Fund is financed through an existing surcharge currently imposed on drivers who receive traffic tickets. Under the legislation, a portion of the surcharge –– which varies depending on the infraction ––is targeted directly toward the new Trust Fund. It is expected to raise $8.5 million annually.
The SCI Research Board will develop general policies and procedures for soliciting and selecting meritorious proposals and to recommend them for funding to the New York State Commissioner of Health. The Board will report annually on the administration of the Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust Fund and the progress of its sponsored research programs to the Governor and the Legislature.
The meeting is open to the public. Use of cameras are permitted only during the photo opportunity with Christopher Reeve and NYS Health Commissioner Antonia Novello at 1:15 p.m. in Room 301 of the New York State Health Department offices at 5 Penn Plaza. Interviews with Christopher Reeve must be requested in advance.
Members of the SCI Research Board include:
Robert C. Griggs, M.D., Chair
University of Rochester
School of Medicine & Dentistry
Department of Neurology
Allen L. Carl, M.D.
Albany Medical College
University Orthopaedic Surgeons
Moses V. Chao, Ph.D.
New York University Medical Center
Molecular Neurobiology Program
Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine
Richard A.R. Fraser, M.D., F.R.C.S.(C), F.A.C.S.
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
New York Presbyterian Hospital
Division of Neurosurgery
Mary E. Hatten, Ph.D.
The Rockefeller University
Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology
Deborah A. Hrustich, M.D.
Albany–Troy Neurosurgical Associates, P.C.
Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
Paul Richter
Spinal Cord Society
Fleur L. Strand, Ph.D.
New York University
Department of Biology
David S. Whalen, Esq.
Spinal Cord Society
Jonathan R. Wolpaw, M.D.
Department of Health
Wadsworth Center
Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders
