NEW YORKERS TO CURE PARALYSIS THANKS STATE OFFICIALS FOR RESTORING FUNDING FOR THE STATE’S SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH PROGRAM

For release: April 1, 2014

NEW YORKERS TO CURE PARALYSIS THANKS STATE OFFICIALS FOR RESTORING FUNDING FOR THE STATE’S SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH PROGRAM

New Yorkers to Cure Paralysis today thanked Governor Cuomo and state lawmakers for restoring $7 million to the state’s Spinal Cord Injury Research Program in the 2014-15 State Budget.

The state’s investment in this program will reestablish New York as a national leader in neurological research. Research institutions all across the state will benefit from the funding, which has leveraged millions more in federal investment since the inception of the program in 1998.

“With this funding, state leaders are fulfilling a commitment to scientists and doctors who moved to New York in part because of this program,” said coalition co-founder David Carmel. “It will also generate hundreds of high-paying jobs and encourage more life science companies to move to our state.” Continue reading NEW YORKERS TO CURE PARALYSIS THANKS STATE OFFICIALS FOR RESTORING FUNDING FOR THE STATE’S SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH PROGRAM

Funds For Spinal Cord Research Sought To Aid Injured Police Officers And Veterans

For immediate release:  March 17, 2014

FUNDS FOR SPINAL CORD RESEARCH SOUGHT TO AID INJURED POLICE OFFICERS AND VETERANS

Support Grows for Full Restoration of NYS Spinal Cord Injury Research Program

ALBANY, N.Y. – Prominent state lawmakers today joined a broad coalition of doctors, medical researchers, biotechnology pioneers and patients in urging full funding of the New York Spinal Cord Injury Research Program.

Supporters say full funding will benefit law enforcement personnel and veterans injured in the line of duty.

“Paralysis disproportionately affects those working in law enforcement and the military,” said David A. Carmel, co-founder of the coalition known as New Yorkers to Cure Paralysis. “Thousands of law enforcement personnel and soldiers have sustained serious injuries in the line of duty. The work funded by New York’s Spinal Cord Injury Research Program can make a real difference in their lives and the lives of others. But the program needs to be fully funded.”

Carmel and other coalition members welcomed the support of key state lawmakers.

Continue reading Funds For Spinal Cord Research Sought To Aid Injured Police Officers And Veterans

New Yorkers To Cure Paralysis Launches New Campaign To Restore The Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust

NEW CAMPAIGN SEEKS TO RESTORE FULL FUNDING FOR NY SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH TRUST

 Advocates Call for an End to the Use of Dedicated Funds for General Budget Relief

ALBANY, N.Y. – A broad coalition of doctors, medical researchers, biotechnology pioneers and patients today urged state officials to fully fund the New York Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust program.  The coalition, called New Yorkers to Cure Paralysis, also released a video in which patients and researchers talk about the achievements of the program and the importance of restoring full funding.

The landmark legislation creating the Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust Fund was passed unanimously by the New York State legislature in 1998.  The law requires that New York State provide approximately $8.5 million in funding from a surcharge on moving traffic violations, which was chosen as a funding source since car accidents are a leading cause of spinal cord injury.  From 1998 to 2010, the Trust Fund provided more than $71 million for scientific research at leading New York universities and research institutions, which helped establish New York State as the leader in research on spinal cord injury.  But in 2010, the Paterson administration terminated funding to the program, using all of the proceeds from the surcharge to help balance its budget. This resulted in the disruption and termination of important research efforts and clinical trials.  The last research activities linked to the original program are scheduled to conclude on December 31 of this year.

Continue reading New Yorkers To Cure Paralysis Launches New Campaign To Restore The Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust

Restoring funds, hope: Spinal injury victims, researchers push for grants

Gannett News
Local researchers, victims push Cuomo to reinstate monies

New York’s Spinal Cord Injury Research Program, which has funded more than $70 million in grants since 1998, has fallen victim to a classic Albany budgeting trick. As the state wrestled with a $7.4 billion budget deficit in 2010, the $8.5 million earmarked each year for the research fund was swept clean by then-Gov. David Paterson and lawmakers, with the money going toward covering the state’s bills rather than finding cures for debilitating injuries. Now, several high-profile injury victims and some of the state’s top spinal researchers — including those from the Burke Rehabilitation Center in White Plains — are banding together in hopes of getting the money back.

“It’s heartbreaking – totally unjust to use these funds for anything other than research,” said Dr. Jason Carmel of Mamaroneck, a neuroscientist and director of the Motor Recovery Laboratory at Burke.
Carmel has a special reason for wanting to continue with his work on ways to restore function to people with injured central nervous systems: His identical twin brother, David, 41, was paralyzed after a 1999 diving accident.

Continue reading Restoring funds, hope: Spinal injury victims, researchers push for grants