Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Background Just a few years later, in an effort to maximize resources and avoid duplication, the Stifel Paralysis Research Foundation approached the American Paralysis Association (APA) about a merger. The APA had also been formed by a group of spinal cord injured individuals and their families. By joining forces in the mid-1980s under the APA banner, the group was now able to work more efficiently, reach out to more people, and significantly increase its annual research budget. Through its support of cutting edge basic science, the APA changed the field of paralysis research; transforming it from an obscure specialty practiced by a few scientists in isolated labs to one of the most exciting areas of neuroscience. In 1995, when Christopher Reeve was injured, the APA was one of the first places that he and Dana turned to. Christopher had formed his own foundation, which he came to realize had much in common with the APA (to which he was elected Chairman of the Board in 1996). He was so impressed by the passion of the APA's members and the daring research they were funding, he suggested a merger, offering to lend his name, creativity, energy, and fundraising muscle to their shared quest for a cure. In 1999, they came together as the Christopher Reeve Foundation. Christopher and Dana were never celebrity figureheads. They were hands-on, activist leaders, who rallied a swelling chorus of voices advocating for people living with paralysis, even establishing a CRF presence in Washington, D.C. They recognized that the true heroes in the spinal cord injured community are those living with paralysis and their families. Recently it was said, "Christopher created a culture of hope… and it was contagious." Research Programs Basic research starts with our Individual Research Grants Program, our largest, most comprehensive research initiative that focuses on the molecular and cellular level of research. The Foundation's support of basic research at this level provides investigators the opportunity to take smart risks with bold ideas, and turn them into catalytic breakthroughs. The findings that emerge from these research endeavors have the potential to contribute to treatments for other devastating diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, MS, ALS, and stroke. The Foundation's International Research Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury is an international multi-disciplinary collaboration of established laboratories. Having recognized that no one laboratory had the breadth to tackle the complex challenges of restoring function to the damaged spinal cord, CDRF organized the Consortium in 1995. These senior investigators work to promote repair and recovery through collaboration among researchers representing a diversity of disciplinary backgrounds and perspectives. The Consortium fosters inter-laboratory experiments and encourages investigators to pool their talents, expertise, and techniques in pursuit of new knowledge and therapies. The goal of the North American Clinical Trials Network 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. CDRF has brought together five leading clinical research centers and a bio-statistical center to create the Clinical Trials Network. The groups are building the foundation for a global cross-collaboration that will help speed therapeutic development and get useful therapies to people who need them. Quality of Life Programs Christopher & Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) Advocacy Press Contact: The MWW Groupcontact: Shaun Leavy (201) 964-2427 sleavy@ mww.com Maggie Goldberg Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (800)225-0292 media@christopherreeve.org |