Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program

ICORD (the International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries) is a diverse group of scientists and clinicians working to accelerate the search for cures for spinal cord injury (SCI). ICORD is housed in the new Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, a beautiful building in Vancouver that was designed to be one of the most accessible buildings in the world for people with physical disabilities. We propose to host two Cafe Scientifique events at the Blusson Centre in 2012-2013. The first (October 2012) will be a discussion about Paralympic Sports: the unique and fascinating physiology of elite paralympic athletes, and the controversial topics of boosting and 'technology doping'; these topics continue to garner enormous media attention. The second (January 2013) will be a focused discussion about spinal cord injury prevention from an engineering perspective, including emerging prevention-based technologies. The Cafe events will be informal, featuring beverages, catered food, and music. Our expert speaker panel features clinicians and scientists working at ICORD; trainee volunteers will also help to make the events a success. ICORD will provide audiovisual support, digital photography and assistance with design of posters and other advertising materials. The events will be widely-advertised, using CIHR poster templates and ICORD communication platforms, including those of our community partners (including the Rick Hansen Foundation and the British Columbia Paraplegic Association). Participants will be encouraged to complete the CIHR Cafe Scientifique survey by being entered in a contest for a door prize. A final report and event summary (including photos) will be submitted to CIHR and displayed on the websites of ICORD and our partners.