Causes: Health, Nerve, Muscle & Bone Diseases Research

Mission: The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.

Programs: Reeve Foundation Programs/Services: Research ProgramsThe Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is recognized as the premier spinal cord injury research organization throughout the world. Our research strategies cover an entire spectrum beginning with recruiting new investigators to the field of SCI research, providing seed money to basic researchers that eventually develop breakthroughs supported by the National Institutes of Health and other funding sources, to efforts in taking bench research into the clinic for application to patients around the globe. Our Individual Research Grants Program, our largest, most comprehensive research initiative, focuses on the underlying biological mechanisms of spinal cord injury and repair. This program allows investigators to take smart risks with bold ideas, and turn them into catalytic breakthroughs. The mission of the Foundation's International Research Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury is to promote repair and functional recovery in the chronically injured spinal cord through collaborative research focused on optimizing the intrinsic capacity of the adult nervous system to repair and remodel itself, and elicit robust regeneration after injury. The goal of the Reeve Foundation's North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) is to bring promising and evidence-based therapies for SCI from the laboratory to the patient population in a way that will provide effectiveness while ensuring safety to patients undergoing treatment. The Reeve Foundation has brought together eight leading clinical research centers and a bio-statistical center to create the Clinical Trials Network. Together with a similar European clinical network, NACTN is building the foundation for a global cross-collaboration that will help speed therapeutic development and deliver useful therapies to people who need them. The Foundation's NeuroRecovery Network (NRN) was launched to provide support for the development of specialized centers that provide standardized care based on current scientific and clinical evidence for people with spinal cord injury and other selected neurological disorders. Initially, the NRN will focus on Body Weight Support Treadmill Therapy. Quality of Life ProgramsThe Foundation funds a variety of national, regional and local initiatives that benefit both children and adults living with paralysis, especially those with spinal cord injuries. These grants are designed to substantially improve opportunities, access and day-to-day quality of life for individuals living with disabilities, primarily paralysis, and their families. Christopher & Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center (PRC)In May 2002, the PRC opened its doors to promote the health and well being of people living with paralysis and their families by providing comprehensive information resources and referral services. The PRC houses a national clearinghouse library of paralysis-related publications, maintains a constantly evolving self-help Web site, and publishes an extensive print manual, The Paralysis Resource Guide. AdvocacyThe Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation also works vigorously work to increase federal dollars towards paralysis research. The Action Network is the Foundation's online advocacy forum that encourages individuals and supporters to become informed activists. Through the efforts of the Reeve Foundation coupled with the growing membership of the Action Network, our voices will continue to be heard to promote increased federal dollars for research and increasing the rights of people living with disabilities.